Sadly, Americans are often conditioned to view success as a plateau that one reaches, rather than a constant and worthwhile progression toward an incrementally better version of ‘you.’ This plateau is often associated with a job title and thought of as a status symbol.
The salary question is wielded by employers because if the salary expectations of the candidate are ‘out of left field,’ or unreasonable - they would rather know this early. Many companies also often care greatly about ‘winning’ the negotiation.
A list of companies or potential clients list is most foundational. Consider this as the equivalent of your vacation destination. There have been far too many career-minded professionals who cannot answer the basic question: Where do you want to work? Be specific. Do not just say, “I want to work in an office company because I need a job and am tired of working on my feet. I’d really love to work from home.” Who wouldn’t want these things? They are so vague, they are opaque and virtually impossible to act upon.
A change in attitude toward our work is usually the most healthy approach, but few thought leaders and influencers ever write about this. Instead, they perpetuate the myth that you must live out your passion, in order to be happy.
What we learn is infinitely more useful when it is immediately applied to our lives. For example, on the job training takes infinitely less time away from us and is far more cost-effective. After all, you get PAID to do it verses paying tens of thousands of dollars for an advanced college degree.
We must decide what is important to us on our own terms. Allowing an institution of education, or our well-intentioned, but often wrong friends to convince us that the only thing that is missing from our career development is a degree or credential is a failure of our own personal prioritization.
Generosity and Empathy are paramount. How are you qualified? Self-reflection allows us to better understand ourselves. When we understand ourselves, we can communicate better when the stakes are high.
Networking really is not work. It is not a chore, it does not belong on your "to-do" list. It is not something that you set aside time to do. Networking is a mindset, and networking is something you are doing whether it is intentional or not.
The process of finding a job comes naturally to almost no one and the most prudent steps to take are almost never clear – hence the stress. When considering your long-term future and the pressure of building a career, the stress can become consuming.
Deep Dive Careers 