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Have ya ever heard someone say, “Go follow your dreams?” only to think, “Cool, cool, but what if I have too many dreams?” Or maybe you’re standing there thinking, “What if I don’t know what my dream is?

I hear from so many women who say they don’t know what to do with their life or they’re unsatisfied with their career, and they’ve got a gazillion and one questions about how to find their dream job.

And that’s why I brought on national speaker, author, and career coach Ashley Stahl to the podcast.

If there’s anyone who can answer those gazillion and one questions, and help you find some clarity in your career, it’s this lady.

FROM THE PENTAGON TO CAREER COACH

Ashley Stahl is a former national security expert for the Pentagon who, after experiencing her own difficulty of landing a job, decided to pursue her passion and became a career coach.

She and her team are dedicated to empowering people around the world to discover their authentic careers, land more job offers, and launch their dream businesses.

And spoiler alert: she brought 👏  the 👏  GOLD 👏  in this episode. Ashley has no shortage of wisdom and practical advice to dish out (along with some really encouraging words), so let’s dive in!

Careers Aren’t Linear (And That’s Okay)

I hear from so many women every day who feel the pressure to find their life purpose and have their careers all mapped out. 

Many of these women, like me (hi 👋 ), are multi-passionate and are full of various ideas, different talents, and, yes, unfigured-out dreams.

They end up feeling stuck because they don’t know how to find their purpose or they feel like they’re stuck in a job that they’re not supposed to be in.

Well, let me just say, I get it. I do.

But I also don’t think that there’s such a thing as one life purpose or calling. Life comes in seasons and our careers are never linear.

You never truly arrive at your destination. You continue to grow and experience new things and you start to see new needs or you begin to have new desires, and you learn to pivot your career choices along the way.

As Ashley said, it’s all fluid.

So if you’re trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, my advice is to TRY A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS!

Everything you do layers on itself. You can take elements of each experience and each thing you try to start identifying what you want to do.

Just keep trying new things and pursue the next right thing. Remember, it’s not about a linear journey or having your life figured out. It’s about learning what’s the right step for you today and enjoying the journey.

Practical Tips for Job Hunting

Okay, cool, you know the key is to try things out and to pursue the next right thing. Maybe you’ve even tried out a few things and you now have a pretty good idea of what you want to do next. 

But how do actually land the job that you’re dreaming about?

Well, Ashley had some good suggestions. She said that one of the key things that often gets overlooked is having an “elevator pitch” ready. 

If you don’t know what the heck that is, it’s basically a really clear and short way to talk about who you are. 

Take the time to practice talking about yourself- what you’re passionate about, your skillset, and how that connects to the role you want to apply for.

In addition to the elevator pitch, Ashley also says that networking is key. 

When networking, she recommends that job seekers ask two key questions o turn conversations into job interviews:

• • “Do you have any recommendations for how I can stand out as a candidate?”
  • “Are there any companies you know of that are similar to your company that I may not have thought of that I can reach out to?”

These two questions will help you network in a way that’s more organic and less stressful.

How to Find Clarity in Your Career

Look, you don’t need to have your 10-year career plan figured out and you don’t need to know the end destination to get started. 

But clarifying what you want and focusing on the next right thing will help you move forward. 

And that’s exactly what Ashley helps you do in this episode.

So pull up a chair and listen in to learn:

• • How to identify your core skill sets and values
  • The first steps you should take when looking for a new job
  • What to do when you don’t know what to do with your life
  • The do’s and dont’s of networking
  • How to confidently negotiate your salary
  • The two key questions you can ask to turn conversations into job interviews

Want to learn more from Ashley? You can visit her at ashleystahl.com.

And let us know in the comments: what career Q’s do you have?