When you’ve been in the workforce for 15 or 20 years, your career history can feel like a jumble of job titles, projects, and performance reviews.
You know you have valuable experience, but when you try to explain it, it comes out as a long, rambling list.
You struggle to connect the dots and articulate what you actually want to do next.
I understand completely. It’s incredibly difficult to see your own value when you’re standing in the middle of it.
You can’t read the label from inside the jar.
That’s why the first thing I do with a new client isn’t to look at their CV. It’s to go on a gold-mining expedition through their entire career.
The Deep Dive: More Than Just a Walk Down Memory Lane
I’ll ask you to do one simple thing: talk me through your career history.
We take our time. There’s no rush. You’re the expert on your own life, and I’m there to listen.
But I’m not listening passively.
I’m listening for the hidden clues, the overlooked achievements, and the sparks of energy in your voice.
In fact, I have to warn you, I will more than likely interrupt you.
You might be halfway through describing a project from ten years ago that you thought was unremarkable, and I’ll hold up my hand and say,
“Hang on. Stop right there. Tell me more about that part.”
It’s often in these moments, when you’re talking about something you’ve long since dismissed, that the real gold is found.
It’s a moment of discovery where we unearth a skill or a passion you’ve been completely undervaluing.
The Questions That Uncover the Pattern
As you talk, I’ll gently probe with a series of simple but powerful questions.
We’re looking for the pattern that connects everything.
What did you enjoy most about that role? And why that specific part?
We need to separate what you’re good at from what you genuinely love doing.
You might be brilliant at managing a budget, but if it drains the life out of you, we need to know that.
Why did you leave that role?
This tells us what you’re moving away from.
Your reasons for leaving jobs in the past are critical signposts that point towards the red flags and deal-breakers for your future.
What do you miss about that role?
This is the flip side. Perhaps you miss the camaraderie of a certain team or the autonomy you had in a specific position.
These are the things we need to find again.
And most importantly:
What would you never, ever want to do again?
This is about defining your non-negotiables.
Creating this list is one of the most liberating things you can do. It gives you permission to say “no” and helps us filter out unsuitable opportunities from the start.
From Conversation to a Clear, Actionable Plan
The client always leaves thinking they’ve had a therapeutic chat.
For me, It’s a diagnostic process that gathers essential data.
And with that data, I create your Career Clarity Report.
This isn’t a generic print-out.
It’s a bespoke document that acts as your personal career roadmap.
It synthesises everything we discovered and outlines:
- Your Core Transferable Skills: We’ll list the valuable skills you’ve demonstrated time and again, often without realising it.
- Your Career Preferences: A clear summary of the environments, tasks, and cultures where you thrive.
- Target Roles & Industries: Based on your skills and preferences, we’ll identify specific job titles and sectors that are a strong match for you.
- Your Development Gaps: A realistic look at any skills or experience you may need to acquire and a clear plan on how to get them.
This process takes you from feeling stuck and confused to feeling empowered and in control.
You stop guessing what you should do next and start moving towards a career that is intentionally designed for you.
Your past holds all the clues to your future.
You just need someone to help you read the map.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building a career with purpose, let’s talk.
Book a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation with me today, and we can begin the excavation.