Hi Friends,

As you settle down from what was hopefullly a snack-filled superbowl Sunday, your scaries, although more delayed than usual, are likely starting to settle in. The glimpses of Taylor back from Tokyo, the many alien commercial cameos 👽 (not sure what that was about but here for it!) , and the millenial joy that was Usher’s half-time peformance were only temporary distractions from the upcoming work week.

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs! To win a superbowl for a professional football player is certainly a career highlight - the blingy ring, the public parade, and adrelanine that takes a lot of time to come down from.

In between commercials and half-time performance (aka while ‘watching’ the football game), I asked myself..what’s the equivalent for a corporate employee?

The best I could come up with is landing that career defining role that launches your career forward, pays you what you deserve and includes work you generally enjoy. Just swap superbowl ring for senior title, public parade for LinkedIn post full of likes and congratulatory comments, and athletic andrenaline for the naive hopefulness that only exists at the start of a new role, well before skeletons and tech debt emerge.

Now what is less celebrated and glamorous, is the day-in day-out work that the the Chief’s put in to achieve today’s win - the many practices, the grueling training, the immense sacrifice. What makes it bearable is yes, the salary, but really, the day in day out support of the coach and the team.

Although kickoffs are over for this football season, tomorrow kicks off what I consider my superbowl - my career defining role: the start of The Aligned Career Blueprint, the group career coaching program for women that I’ve been dreaming of creating ever since my own grueling job search in 2020.

Ladies - there are just 2 spots left and I won’t be launching this again for another 6+ months!

Now let’s channel the spirit of the Superbowl into our own career - let’s dig into how to find your team, leverage your fans and get your own win…

Clarify 💡

Superbowl wins are won in solid strategy, immense ocus and execution of a practiced plan. Career transition is no different. In order to develop a search straetgy, focus on the right things and execute on a plan - you need to be clear on what you need (must haves), what you’d prefer (nice to haves) and what you’re avoiding (red flags). Clarity forms your role criteria. More on how to develop your own below ⬇️

itscareercoachjess

View more on Instagram

But forming this clarity, in isolation, is like training day in and day out without a team: it only gets you part of the way. In your 1-1 conversations with loved ones and mentors, share your must haves, nice to haves, and red flags. It will make your next step more a reality than an idea. It will hold you accountable. It will give you the support you need to stay consistent.

Connect 🤝

Beyond telling your team what your criteria is, you must leverage the noise of your fans. I know, I know - you think you don’t have fans. You do - everyone does. Fans don’t have to know you well or even at all - they just have to want to celebrate your journey and success.

For career transition - your fans exist the loudest on LinkedIn. I’m giving you permission to let your fans get loud -not just for when you reach the destination (new job) but for the journey.

If you’re able to search more publicly, use this template to best leverage your fans in your search - if you have to search more on the sidelines and not in the spotlight of LinkedIn, you can use the same format to develop an email to your fans - friends, family and former coworkers that want you to succeed.

Confidently Communicate 🗣️

Clarity and connection will only get you so far. To get your superbowl career-defining win, you need a career narrative that sets you apart from all the other players in the game or er…candidates in the interview process. The vast majority of people ramble when asked the simple “tell me about yourself” - people that work with me shine.

Ladies, if you’re ready for a career shift and looking for your own win - there are just 2 spots left in The Aligned Career Blueprint.

Curious who is on The Aligned Career Blueprint team? Meet Heather and why she invested.

This week.. 

Until next week!

Jess Storiale