There's a common theme emerging. Many of the people I talk with during their
complimentary LinkedIn profile reviews are telling me that they are ready for a career move and need to get their LinkedIn profiles optimized and updated to make them more marketable and desirable to potential employers and recruiters.
Here's the #1 challenge they are facing: they don't know what their next career move looks like or where they want to go next.
My advice?
Listen to your Pegasus.
Many years back I found myself in the same situation. I was working in a high-level retail management position that I enjoyed and excelled in - I was advancing with the company, loved by my boss, and had a dream staff I mentored. Reflecting, it was just the path I was on at that moment in time, but deep down I knew it wasn’t the path I was meant to be on. I wasn’t doing what I loved and what I was passionate about. And I also knew that I had writing talent that was being wasted.
That was the part that was the most depressing.
I always knew I wanted to be a professional writer and work for myself. And that little voice inside my head was telling me I wasn’t where I needed to be, that I wasn’t using my talents in a way that benefited others, and that I should be writing … and to just do it already!!%^&%^*!!
Well, one day that voice stopped whispering. Instead, it began screaming at me!
To be honest, I was stuck in a comfort zone and I struggled to make the shift; that safe feeling of familiarity made taking the plunge to exchange my well-paying job for all the unknowns that go along with becoming a freelancer very scary.
Naturally I began looking for validation for wanting to make a change because I needed to feel safe.
So, I started asking for advice and opinions from my friends and family, which consequently was not helpful. In fact, it made things more confusing because even though they had my best interest at heart, I realized that the unknown scared them, too. People like certainty. We want to feel secure. But sometimes getting to where we need to go takes a bit of faith.
After exhausting my resources, and feeling no less stressed about my decision, I did what any self-respecting professional would do. I Googled.
I looked up things like, “how to know if you’re making the right career move,” “how to find your life’s purpose,” and “how to know if you’re making the right decision.”
Thank God I did.
Because it brought me to a woman who had a YouTube channel and she talked about how to read the signs from the universe. She was spiritual and positive and very Zen. And she shared her own story about how she got more in-tuned with signs. More importantly, she shared how to ask the universe for a sign to help determine if you’re on the right path. It involved choosing a sign or symbol that was specific to you, one that you would know it when you saw it. It also needed to be something not easily available, that you wouldn’t normally see daily. For example: don’t ask to see a bird in the sky, unless it was an incredibly rare type of bird that didn’t live in your geographic location.
Desperate to know if I was making a huge mistake in going out on my own, I thought, what do I have to lose in doing this? Yes, it sounded absurd. It sounded hokey. But it was my last-ditch effort for clarity.
So, I abandoned all the pros and cons, the resources, the advice, and the fears. And that night after watching her video, I asked the universe to show me a Pegasus if leaving my secure job to become a freelance copywriter was the right choice. I chose the Pegasus as my sign for a couple of reasons – for one thing, how often would you see a Pegasus? Almost never. They don’t exist and it’s not a common symbol. The other reason this symbol resonated with me was not just because it was horse-oriented (huge horse lover here) but because the Pegasus symbolized living the life we were born to live. Obviously, it was a perfect fit for my sign.
In my case, the universe answered me THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSE FAST! The very next day, a mom came into my store with her young daughter. I just so happened to look down while the little girl was playing and I s**t you not, the toy she held in her hand was a Pegasus! Specifically, it was the Pegasus from the Disney cartoon, Sophia the First. I wasn’t looking for it. I wasn’t expecting to see it. In fact, my mind was clear from the thought of even had asked for a sign to begin with.
And yet, there it was. Loud and clear. The confirmation I asked for.
I’ll never forget how I felt in that moment. There was such a powerful burst of energy in my body. It was exhilarating and exciting and freeing!
Fast forward to today – I am living the life I’ve always wanted. One that is fueled by my passion for writing and where I can use my talents to help people succeed in their professional lives and businesses. I’m not saying I never would have gotten there on my own but knowing how to read the signs that I am on the right path, fulfilling my purpose and destiny sure doesn’t hurt and helped get me there faster. It gave me confidence and affirmation.
And I still see my Pegasus in different forms when something incredible happens that supports my journey. I have hence named them, "Pegasus Moments," little reminders that I'm following the right path. It could simply be the word “Pegasus,” a logo, a child's toy, a bumper sticker, or even a tattoo.
Not seeing your sign is also a sign. If you are not shown what you need to see, then depending on how you asked the question, the universe is giving you your answer.
So, I revert back to the beginning of this article – If you are struggling with your career direction, or maybe you want some reassurance that you’re making the right choice, I encourage you to listen to your Pegasus – or owl, or wolf, or elephant, or whatever else resonates with you. Ask the universe to show you your sign and then let it go. Relinquish it to the powers that be. Don’t try and seek it out. And don’t try to put a time frame on getting your answer. When it presents itself, trust me, you will know.
To your success!
Janine Hogan
Janine Hogan is a personal branding copywriter, LinkedIn Profile Master, and host of The All-Star LinkedIn Profiles Podcast. To learn more about how Janine can help give you the confidence you need to be successful using LinkedIn, feel free to connect with her here:
Or check out the podcast that is helping entrepreneurs and professionals better optimize their #linkedinprofile and turn #LinkedIn into a powerful branding and marketing tool.
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