Welcome back to Lunch Break, a weekly newsletter to help you create a work life that works for you. Brought to you by the Pivot With Purpose framework.

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The last week of the month means… Career Therapy is in session! This monthly series is dedicated to answering your burning career questions- from coworker drama to culture battles to the everyday existential crises. Nothing’s off-limits, so let’s dive right in.

✨ “I’m trying to move out of my current job and into something more meaningful, but I always feel like I’m taking one step forward and two steps back. What am I doing wrong?” -Anonymous

This just might be my most-asked question so far in 2022.

There are two main reasons you might feel like you’re not making progress in your career pivot: lack of clarity, or a weak strategy.

If it’s lack of clarity, know this: investing time upfront into pinpointing what you’re looking for in your next role and where your skills and interests intersect will save you much more time and effort in your job search- guaranteed.

If it’s a weak strategy hold you back, make sure these three pillars of a successful job search are always in flight:

Applications 🤝 Your Candidate Brand 🤝 Strategic Networking

Only sending out applications and hitting “Easy Apply” on LinkedIn is a super passive way to spend months of your life. But you want to be proactive about your career growth, right? Then you’ve got to flex your specific candidate brand on LinkedIn and tap into your strategic network to uncover the hidden job market (ie. the 70-80% of available jobs that are never posted online).

When you keep all three pillars in play, you’re never starting from scratch.

(PS: Want the career clarity blueprint and a personalized pivot plan? It’s waiting for you in PWP.)

✨ “I’m starting an interview process with multiple rounds- is it OK to use the same answer if I get similar questions? For example, if more than one interviewer asks a question about strategy, should I keep my answer the same to show consistency, or tweak it to show breadth of thought?” -Marlee

You’re right on track, Marlee. It’s totally OK to keep your responses the same for the most part. It makes sense, right? Your overall point of view shouldn’t change based on who you’re speaking with.

What does change, though, is the specific part of your POV that matters most to your audience. Your strategy roadmap doesn’t need to change, but the different features, benefits, and considerations you choose highlight will, depending on what the person you’re talking to cares about most.

Ask yourself: what questions would different cross-functional partners have about this strategy? Prepare for those diverse questions ahead of time, and you’re golden!

✨ “Are those websites that make your resume ATS-friendly worth it?” -Nathalie*

Honestly? Not in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, using job-specific keywords in your resume and LinkedIn is important. You can do this through my tried-and-true word cloud method: find 3-5 job descriptions for the role you’re applying for at different companies in the same industry, then copy/paste those job descriptions into a free word cloud generator (remember those from high school English class?). This will show you which keywords are used most prominently for your ideal role, and you can make sure those are included in all of your application materials.

That said, there’s an even more valuable place to invest your time and effort if you really want to land a better job ASAP- getting in touch with two or three “decision makers” on the team you want to join. Decision makers are usually the recruiter and hiring manager for the role you’re after. Find these folks on LinkedIn, send them a personalized email letting them know you applied, and ask for 20 minutes of their time to connect about the open role.

Connecting with a human is always more efficient than tinkering on your resume.

✨ “When I make a career pivot, is it normal to feel like a fish out of water for a bit? For how long?” -Keith

Of course it is! When you make a change into a new type of career, you’re like a lil baby deer learning to use their legs (wow, lots of animal analogies here)! A learning curve is to be expected. Looking around and feeling like everyone knows what they’re doing except you is to be expected. Little moments of “Oh crap, did I just do this?” are definitely to be expected!

Honestly, this is the reason most people don’t make the pivots they dream about. They’re afraid of being new at something at first.

But what if you considered this instead: Would you rather be bored, stagnant, and check-out of a job that you mastered years ago, or would you rather feel curious, engaged, and excited to unlock more of your potential?

Got a Q you want answered in next month’s Career Therapy? Respond to this email or send me a DM!

Janel Abrahami, Founder

📲 Screenshot & share your favorite part of this issue and tag @lunchbreak.letter and @janelabrahami

🍿 SNICKY-SNACKS (more from Janel)

Are you interested in two different roles at the same company? Do this. →
Why do airplane thoughts just hit differently? Here’s my recent lightbulb moment →
This one phrase will keep you from falling down the comparison trap →

🍱 IN THE LUNCHBOX (curated recommendations)

READ: Brave Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani

In Pivot With Purpose, we talk a lot about overcoming perfectionism and getting out of our own way. One of our members, Amrita, recommended this book after taking imperfect action and scoring a crucial informational interview.

APPLY: First Round Startup Fast Track Mentorship Program

Venture Capital firm First Round are opening up the 13th round of their mentorship program for startup founders, matching them with experienced mentors across all industries. One big change to the program this year? It’s now open to any operators within a startup, not just founders!

LISTEN: The Honor Roll Hangover, Pivot Podcast with Jenny Blake

If you’re anything like the majority of my career coaching clients, you may relate to what Pivot podcast guest Melody Wilding calls “the Honor Roll Hangover”—a lethal combo of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overfunctioning. I appreciated this episode’s approach to writing your own “permission list.”

📌 COOL JOB

Title: Product Manager, Member Care

Company: Maven Clinic

Location: Remote US or NYC

Description: Maven is the largest virtual clinic for women's and family health, offering continuous, holistic care for fertility, pregnancy and parenting. Maven’s award-winning digital programs are trusted by leading employers and health plans to reduce costs and drive better health outcomes for both parents and children.

Maven’s product team is growing quickly to accelerate our mission of driving better health outcomes for our members through a human-centered product experience. We are looking for product managers at all levels to focus on the different user journeys we support — our members, clients, and providers.

Apply here

Want to support this movement?

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takeyourlunchbreak 💚