I have the privilege of talking to people on a daily basis about their careers and what they want to do next. Normally the conversation starts with a thumbnail sketch about a position we are recruiting or a brief skills profile of the person seeking career advice.

Next comes the question; “Magic Wand In Hand, the Sky’s the Limit, What Do You Want to Do Next”? Then comes a moment of silence…some stammering, followed by a few guarded attempts at an answer. This is a tough question that requires a lot of thought and soul searching. It normally takes asking at least three iterations of the question to start to “Peel the Onion” and begin the process of getting to a real answer.

We all have traits, skills, experience, and a record of performing roles in a particular organization, industry, or vertical market. These are great things that represent many of the assets we bring to any team/organization. This career DNA will guide you down a predetermined path to what seems like the logical next steps, the next position. Are you on track, excited about the future, hyper-motivated, and a top performer?

I encourage you to take a step back and truly engage in some soul searching about what you really want to do. Magic wand…The sky is the limit…What do you want to do next?