3 Things I Just Learned from My Career Coach

I recently had the chance to talk to Sam Feeney, a career coach and consultant. He helps people either improve their career satisfaction in their current job, or help them find one that will satisfy them. He also helps employers understand what motivates their employees to ensure people stay there and stay happy.

The conversation led to three huge takeaways that led me to feel more peace about my career—both where I am today and where I’m heading.

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1. Aptitudes Schmaptitudes

When I used to think about career coaches, I thought of people giving you a skills test of some kind. After all, if you’re good at something, that’s what your career should be all about?

Turns out, not quite.

Sam explained that skills are definitely a piece of the puzzle. But they’re not the main attraction. In fact, he laid out six Career Factors that he describes as internal motivators behind our career choices. For example, if you’re big on relationships, you probably don’t want to work by yourself all day. Not only that, but the people around you will have a bigger influence on whether you like your job than the actual tasks you perform.

Instead of looking at what you’re good at, dive a bit deeper. What motivates you? It could be:

• Skills

• Growth

• Impact

• Relationships

• Environment

• Lifestyle

After all, if you’re a lifestyle person, and your job takes you away from your family, or doesn’t make you enough money to drive the kind of car you want, then your aptitudes don’t really matter. You’ll grow dissatisfied with your job, even if it lines up with your talents. I found this a more robust and human way of looking at the kinds of jobs people should gravitate toward.

2. Skills to pay my bills

Of the 6 Career Factors, Sam wagered that my top one would be skills. He reckoned that I find a ton of motivation from learning how to do new things, and from going deeper in the skills I already have.

It turns out, he was right on the money. I took his free assessment, and skills was the top category for me. In our session, Sam advised me that no matter what I’m doing for a job, I should pay attention to the skills I get to learn and hone. Plus, because growth was my second top hit, I should also pay attention to how I’m developing as a person.

Makes sense. I’m out here learning how to write better, but not only that. I also want to achieve my full potential.

Case in point: In the last couple of months, I’ve learned a ton about sales and marketing, podcasting, YouTubing, Substacking, and coaching new authors. The knowledge that skills is my top career factor helps me realize that this is the right line of work for me in this season.

3. Direction over selection

When I was 18 years old, I thought I needed to have my career all figured out. Looking back, I find that laughable. Depending on how you count it, I’m in my 4th career now at age 27. And who knows? Maybe I’ll have four more in the next 10 years.

According to Sam, that’s not only normal but recommended. Instead of telling a teenager that they need to know what they’re going to do for the next 47 years, we should just tell them to figure out what they want to do next.

I like that a lot better. Life for me is nothing like it was 10 years ago. It will probably be nothing like today when I get to 2033. It’s nice knowing that I can take my experiences, positive attitude, and contentment wherever I go in the next couple of years without worrying that I’ll make the wrong choice, or ruin everything. I’m free.

And that freedom gives me both the confidence to try new things, and also to take a step back and realize that I want to be a writer. And podcaster. And pastor. No matter what I’m doing from 9-5 in the decades ahead, you’ll see me writing, teaching, preaching, counseling, and bringing others along for the journey. That’s the direction I’m heading.

What direction are you heading in?