Ep 5: How to Leave
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Welcome to The Love What You Do podcast. I'm Kelly Dugan, former HR executive turned career coach and personal brand expert. And I'm here each episode sharing strategies to help you discover your unique value, leverage your personal brand, and take action to transform your career.
All right. Welcome back my friends. In our last episode, we covered how you know when it is time to leave your job, right? We talked about all of the telltale signs, the gut feelings, when to listen to them. But today we're gonna go a little bit deeper into that topic and we are going to talk about how you actually leave your job.
So first and foremost, I just wanna call out. Every single person listening to this podcast [00:01:00] has a very different situation. We all have different financial realities. We all have different financial commitments. We all have different responsibilities. We come from all different walks of life, and there is not one size fits all answer to how you walk away from your job.
Because if those factors are different, the solution is going to be different. So what I'm gonna walk you through today are some guidelines that you're going to be able to apply to your own life in your own way. So I just wanna make sure that I put that out there because the fact is we have to take reality into this conversation, right?
You may have heard people talk about, you may have seen tiktoks or other social clips of people saying, you know what? Walk away from your job when it's not fulfilling. Get out of a toxic situation. And yeah, that's ultimately what I want you to do. But I'm also a [00:02:00] realist when it comes to my coaching style and that you have to also be able to support your life and what that life looks like is gonna be different for everyone.
So what we're gonna be talking about today are not some idealistic principles, but an actual. Action roadmap that you can apply to your specific situation to take action and make change. Because as we talked about in our last episode, when you know it's time to walk away, the most important thing that you do is something you need to take action.
And we're gonna talk about what actions you should be taking in this episode right here. All right. So, you know, you gotta walk away from your job. Where is the best place to start? If you've been listening to the podcast for a little while, uh, you may know exactly where I'm going with this because the place to start is where I start all of my coaching programs, and that is with your unique value [00:03:00] that's right before you even decide to walk away from any job that you're in.
I highly recommend that you take some time and define for yourself what is the unique offering that you bring to the world. Right. If you are new to this concept of unique value, I did an entire concept, or excuse me, I did an entire podcast on the concept of unique value, just a few episodes back. So just make sure you go ahead and take a listen to that because this is a topic that can very much stand on its own.
Uh, but the SparkNotes version is for you to define what unique value is to you, what your unique value is to the world. You have to really think about three factors. What are your strengths? What are your personal values, and what are your experiences that you've been through? Because those three pieces make up this really unique DNA of what you are bringing to a [00:04:00] future employer.
And that becomes the foundation for two reasons. One, it helps you to make sure that where you end up in your next job is going to align to what you want and who you are. And secondly, it's going to help you be able to tell your career story in a way that people hear you. More clearly. So this becomes the foundation of your personal brand that you're going to use to help launch yourself into your next opportunity.
So for both of those reasons, unique value is exactly where you wanna start, when you start to kick off this process of leaving your role. And the good news is that's a super not scary step to take, right? It's not like you have to walk into work tomorrow and say, Hey, see you later. I quit. This is something that you could start doing immediately.
You can shut off this podcast today and start defining unique value for yourself, and that can be your first step and actually walking away from a position [00:05:00] that you're ready to walk away from. So that's where you wanna start. You wanna start with identifying your unique value. Next you have to define for yourself where do you wanna go?
Because it is always better to be running towards something than running away from something, right? And. We're we're. What we're gonna talk about in this episode today is how you can be intentional around this process of leaving a current role and being intentional allows you the power to not just be running for your life from a bad situation, but to give you the ability to discern what is the right next step for you.
And, uh, you want to do that by knowing what direction you wanna go in. And maybe this is a time to consider a different career path altogether. Maybe you're not just unhappy in your company, maybe you're unhappy in what you're doing. [00:06:00] Uh, if you find yourself in that situation, I do wanna call out a resource that I have.
For you. Um, I just recently, in the last two months launched a self-paced coaching course. It's called, uh, Discover Your Career Path. And it is specifically for folks who don't feel like they're in the right career path for them. They need to understand their unique value. They need to do some market research on what other career options are available to them.
And it allows you to not only make that selection of what you want your next career path, path step to be, but create a action plan to help you get there. So if you are falling into that category of, you know what, Kelly, I don't even know what is next for me. I don't even know what my next right step should be.
That course is a phenomenal place to start. And like I said, it's self-paced so you can do it on your time. It's another thing that you can start [00:07:00] doing today to be able to help get you towards this action of leaving your role and moving on to your next step. So if you don't know your path, highly recommend that.
Let's say you know what you wanna do next. You just know it's time to go. You know where you wanna go, you just need to actually get there at this point. So this is where you wanna create for yourself what I call a job search strategy. Now, if you've been through a job search before, you may know that they can feel very.
Non-strategic sometimes, right? We, they can be very reactive. Uh, uh, many of us look at job search as I see a job that is open in some kind of posting. Maybe I hear about it from my network. I submit my application for that role, and then I wait. That is a part of job search, but it's only [00:08:00] one of four different pieces that you should have in your job search strategy.
So I'm gonna talk through today what should be in your job search strategy so that you can really have a proactive approach to landing that next role for yourself. So let's start with the first piece, which is that pillar I just described. This is your basic job search. This is what a lot of people do on LinkedIn.
Maybe you're on Indeed. You're looking on industry specific job boards, and you see a position that's open. You get your resume, you apply for that position, you cross your fingers and you hope to hear back. If you are at all familiar with the job market right now, that is becoming an increasingly more difficult way to land your next role now.
I will not say that you should not spend any time in that basic job search PIL [00:09:00] pillar. Uh, you absolutely should. It's something that is still, uh, worth your time and energy, but it should only be worth a quarter of your time and energy because the job market is becoming. More and more saturated. As technology becomes more and more advanced, AI is being used more and more both by candidates to enhance things like their resumes and cover letters and by companies to be able to filter out people through this process because they are getting hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of candidates applying to their open positions.
So I think about that basic job search almost a little bit. Like a lottery. There needs to be a little bit of luck in getting eyes on your application. Uh, it's not impossible, but it may not be your quickest way to your next role. So I want you to think of that bucket one as an important step, but absolutely not the only [00:10:00] step.
And if up until now that has been your full job search strategy, I have phenomenal news for you because. There is three quarters of your job search strategy left to unlock, and so much more opportunity that could be potentially on the table for you. So that second bullet, what is it? It's networking. So I.
Uh, have a love hate relationship with networking, right? Because when I think about networking, personally, I think about having to show up to some stuffy networking event, maybe in a hotel ballroom where everyone in the room seems to know each other, but me, I feel like an outsider and I have to awkwardly introduce myself about 17 times in an evening.
Uh, that's not what I'm talking about here. Uh, that's not to say you shouldn't be going to networking events. I think that they are incredible way to continue to grow your network, but I want you to think about [00:11:00] networking as more of an all day, every day mindset, because when you are consistently connecting with people.
For the joy of connecting with them. You are expanding your network in a way where you are not just going to people when you need something from them, and that's the key to networking. You know, networking. And our next pillar that we're gonna talk about, targeted job search. These are both your long game options, so you should be networking at every single point and moment in your career.
You should not be waiting until you need to leverage your network to start networking. Uh, that's the hardest time to do it. It's not impossible. And if you are actively in a job search right now, I still recommend that you get out there and network. Um, but. I, as I'm sure that you can relate to, that's a harder time to start doing it because you feel this internal pull of like, Ugh, I hate asking people [00:12:00] for things.
Right? Uh, and that's what networking can feel like when we wait until we absolutely need it. So when we shift our perspective and we start taking the approach of networking, of getting to know people for the sake of getting to know them, keeping up with the connection because of the joy of connecting with those people, that's how you build a strong network.
And that doesn't have to look like going to these stuffy, stuffy corporate networking events that can look like having lunch with someone you haven't seen in a while, reconnecting with your old. BFFs from your pre previous position that you haven't talked to in quite some time. Uh, really just connect and talk to people.
Put yourself out there. That is what true networking is all about. The next pillar is called targeted job search. And again, like networking, this is a longer game play because this is where you sit down and ask yourself, what are [00:13:00] two to three? Four to five max companies that I would love to work for, right?
Maybe they're in your area that you wanna live in or that you currently live in. Now they're on the best places to work list. Maybe they have, are known for their compensation packages. Whatever it is that's pulling you, maybe they've got great life, work, life balance, whatever it is that's pulling you to these companies.
Create a list of the companies that you would absolutely love to work for. And start finding ways. To get on the radar of those organizations now, even if they have no position that you would be qualified or interested in open at the moment. Don't wait for the position to be open. Just start getting on the radar of people in those organizations.
So. That could look like reaching out to folks who would someday be your peers if you ever worked in that organization, offering to buy them a cup of coffee, talk with them about how they got [00:14:00] where they were, have just true open conversation from a learning perspective, um, where you're not expecting anything because there is nothing for them to give in that moment.
But it's all about, I mean, it can even look like just commenting on. PO posts that that organization is posting online, engaging in their brand in some way. If they're a brand that has in-person events you can go to going to those events. Whatever you have to do to meet people and get on the radar of that organization, um, and more importantly of the people within that organization because that is what is going to allow you to be.
The first one that's top of mind if and when those opportunities do come along for you. And so that's targeted job search. And then the fourth piece is your personal brand. And what I love about personal brand is because this is really the one that [00:15:00] you have the most control over, right? This allows you to be able to define how people are perceiving, what your unique value and what you put out into the world.
Because, uh, when I start talking with people around personal brand, I think a lot of times folks tell me like, oh yeah, I, I don't need a personal brand. I'm not trying to be an influencer. I'm not an entrepreneur. I just wanna get a job. Uh, to which I say, great, you still have a personal brand today, whether you know it or not.
Uh, and that's because your personal brand is whatever people are saying about you when you're not in the room. So when it comes to your personal brand, you really have two options. You could either decide to drive what that conversation looks like when you're not there intentionally by crafting your personal brand, or you can give up control and let, let conversation happen.
Um, outside of your shaping and direction. [00:16:00] Either way, you are going to have a personal brand, but in only one of those circumstances do you get to actually drive the conversation. So you wanna spend some time taking that unique value that you've defined for yourself and figuring out what are the personal brand pillars that you want to be known for?
What are the areas that you wanna be seen as a subject matter expert in? How can you start showing up in that way, whether that be on social media, like LinkedIn, putting out content of some sort, whether that be, um. In your networking conversations, whether that be the story, the career hero stories that you tell about yourself in your interviews, all of this comes down to.
You crafting an intentional personal brand, and when you're putting that out there proactively, uh, what you're, what is happening? Let's, let's take a LinkedIn post for example. Whether you are [00:17:00] someone who is, is the type of person who loves being on camera, and you wanna film a clip of you providing value in your area of subject matter expertise, or you're someone who likes to be more behind the camera and you just wanna put a post out there talking about your unique perspective.
Those pieces of content now exist on LinkedIn and now exist in the world. And there are two benefits that come from that. One is that the LinkedIn algorithm now recognizes you as an engaged user in the platform. So you're going to get a little bit of an algorithm boost, um, on recruiter's radar. When people are searching for you or searching for people like you because you're an engaged user, you're going to show up more highly in those results.
But there's a second benefit, and that is that people are starting to get a first impression of you based on the personal brand that you're putting out there and defining for yourself before they even have a chance to look at a [00:18:00] resume, look at your LinkedIn profile, or get to know you on an interview.
So you are already per positioning yourself as a subject matter expert, as someone who is impressive, as someone who has something to say and something to share. Um, very early on. And one of the biggest questions that I get from clients when I start talking about how they can put themselves out there with their personal brand is what if people don't agree with me?
And I completely get it. 'cause when you first, he think of putting your opinions out in the ether in some way, shape, or form. That's a really scary thought. You're, what it really is, is it comes down to a fear of rejection. Uh, but when it comes to landing your next role. Don't you want to land somewhere who appreciates your perspective and what you're bringing into that role.
So what you're really doing by speaking up and putting yourself out there, yeah, you [00:19:00] are attracting people who you want to work with and for, but you're also disqualifying the people that you don't wanna work with. And for, not everyone is always going to agree with everything that you say, however. There will be someone who agrees with it, and those are the people that you want to be with.
Those are the people who you want to be able to work side by side, the people who appreciate the value that you're bringing at the end of the day, and that's what building your personal brand is all about. So those are the four types of job search that you want in your job search strategy when it's time to move on from your current role.
You wanna do the basics of see job, apply for job. You wanna be building that network. You wanna be connecting with the companies that you've targeted as ideal places for you to work. And you wanna be pushing out and defining your personal brand for yourself and for others. And if you are doing all of those pieces, the next job will [00:20:00] come my friends.
But one word of caution, especially when you are doing a job search. Simultaneously with a full-time role, it can lead to a lot of burnout. It can be very discouraging for a few reasons. One, we put a lot of work into that process, uh, but two, we also can feel like every moment of every day when we're awake, we should be doing something.
So one thing I wanna encourage you to do is if you are getting ready to make this jump and leave your current position and find something new, you wanna set up some kind of a routine for yourself and say, okay, between this time and this time, I dedicate to basic types of job search. This time and this time I'm gonna dedicate to networking.
I'm going to. Dedicate, you know, an hour on my calendar to reconnect with someone in my network on Zoom, uh, two times a week. I am going to work on my [00:21:00] targeted job search and work on my personal brand this day, a week, and this day, a week. From this time to this time, I don't care what that routine looks like.
I don't care if you're a morning person. I don't care if you're a night owl. Wherever you put that in, commit to yourself the times that you're going to do that, because it's gonna do two things. One, it's gonna make sure that you're actually moving the needle in all four of these areas of job search, but it's also going to help let you off the hook.
When it is a Saturday afternoon and you're not working on job search because you're recharging and you're enjoying time with your family, and you don't wanna sit there feeling guilty, thinking about all the things you should be doing because you've already designed a routine for what you should be doing, and you're checking those boxes and you know you have a set time to do those pieces.
So just a word of caution. Uh, when it comes to diving into that job search, the routine can be incredibly helpful to help you save your sanity, um, so that you can feel [00:22:00] refreshed and excited about this next step instead of frustrated and burnt out, which is the very feeling you are likely trying to get out of as you move into this next role.
So if you are feeling ready to leave. From your situation that you're in right now, for whatever reason, I highly encourage you to start to take these steps because as I mentioned, these are steps you can start taking right now. You absolutely do not have to walk away from your job with no plan. Um, in order to get out of your current situation.
There are things you can do immediately to help you change that reality for yourself. Uh, so I encourage you to jump in and to start taking action. Um, in. Working on that unique value, figuring out what that next path in the career or the next step in the path for your career is, and. Take action so that you can change your reality for yourself.
[00:23:00] So that is our episode for today, but I just wanna remind you, these are the topics that I help my clients with both one-on-one coaching and through coaching courses every single day. These are big life changes that we're talking about. So if you find yourself in need of support at any point in your career journey, whether that is discovering what your next career path step is going to be.
Or motivating yourself to make this jump and getting some guidance around what your personal brand should look like and how you can land your dream job. That is what your place at the top is here for. So I'm gonna put all of the links to my different resources, coaching programs down below so that you have those.
Um, and I just hope you know that myself and the other coaches at your place at the top are here to support you along that journey. But. Thank you so much for joining me on today's episode of the podcast. I wish you all of the luck in the world as you embark on this very [00:24:00] exciting next chapter.
Thanks for joining me on today's episode. As always, if you're looking for coaching support or would like to submit a question, you can email me at [email protected]. And if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review so this podcast can find its way to other amazing listeners just like you.
