The Blueprint for Your Next Strategic Career Move

Most people plan for everything except their next career move. Meal prepping, vacation, even how they’re going to spend their weekend. You name it and there’s a plan in place. But for some reason they endure their current job situation until it becomes unbearable. Then, when they’re well and truly frustrated, they scramble to find anything that feels slightly less miserable. But babes, you and I both know that's not actually a career strategy. 

I know you’ve been applying to whatever looks remotely relevant to your current skillset and hoping something sticks. And because of that, I also know that this post is probably going to make you feel called out and a little bit uncomfy. But I promise it’s all coming from a place of love. 

So, if you’re tired of being stuck in survival mode and you’re ready to make some necessary changes, keep reading. 

What Does It Actually Mean to Make a Strategic Career Move?

It means knowing where you're trying to go before you start moving. You wouldn’t hop in your car for an extensive road trip without knowing which direction to head in, would you? Nah, you’d (hopefully) have that whole route mapped out, including knowing where to stop for gas and snacks along the way. 

Your career needs to be handled the same way. That means making deliberate decisions about the roles you pursue, the companies you target, and the skills you're building, instead of just desperately responding to whatever job alert lands in your inbox on a Tuesday morning.

From jump, a strategic career move answers three questions clearly:

1. Where am I right now? 

2. Where do I actually want to go? 

3. What's the most direct path between those two points? 

   
   

Most people can answer the first question but very few have answered the other two with any specificity. Which is exactly why most people feel like their job search is going nowhere.

How Do I Figure Out What I Actually Want in My Next Role?

That’s easy. Start with what you don't want. Humans are simple creatures. Our brains tend to fixate on the negative in order to protect us. So, use that to your benefit because that list of negatives is usually clearer and much more honest. 

The job that drained you, the manager who made you feel invisible, the culture that asked you to code-switch and perform as though your lived experiences aren’t of value. That list will tell you a lot about what you need and want, even if it isn’t specifically aligned with an exact title yet.

Then I want you to look at the moments in your career where time moved fast, where you felt competent and energized, where you did your best work without being asked twice. What were the conditions you were working in? What kind of problems were you solving? Who were you working with? Who were you working for? Those patterns are the raw material of your next move. Your job title and industry are interchangeable so stop getting caught up on them. The actual conditions under which you do your best work are not.

How Do I Know Which Roles Are Actually Worth Pursuing?

Cross-reference your skills with what the market is actively hiring (and paying well) for. Leave all the wishful thinking for the birds and the babies. I need you to actually get down to business and do some research.

Pull up ten to fifteen job descriptions for roles you're genuinely interested in and look for patterns in the requirements. What skills come up repeatedly? What experience level are they asking for? What language do they use to describe the problems this role is supposed to solve? The answers will tell you exactly what the market wants and give you a framework for evaluating how well you're currently positioned for it.

If you find significant gaps between what they're asking for and what you have, that's useful information. And, before you panic, that doesn't mean you can't pursue the role. It just means you need a plan for how to close those gaps (or a convincing way to make the case that your existing experience is close enough).

Should I Be Targeting a Specific Industry or Focusing on a Specific Role?

We almost always have our clients focus on the role instead of the industry. After all, industries change and companies pivot. However, your skillset is tied to what you can do, not where you've done it. Need an example? 

A project manager with a decade of experience in healthcare can move into tech, finance, or operations without starting over. The industry they’re in provides context but the role is where they provide value. When you shift your strategy to target roles instead of targeting a specific industry, you dramatically expand the number of companies you can realistically pursue (and increase your chances of finding an environment that actually fits your needs).

I was a seller when I worked for a small startup. I led teams and taught them how to increase sales. When I started working at Google, and then later at TikTok, I was doing the exact same thing: teaching people how to sell. My skillset was in demand and I was open to moving into tech because again, the industry doesn’t matter nearly as much as the role when it comes to what you’re bringing to the table.

How Do I Build a Target Company List That Makes Sense?

Don't start with the company based on preconceived notions. Start with the criteria that you identified above and then search for companies that meet those needs. 

1. What size company do you thrive in? 

2. What kind of leadership do you work best under? 

3. Do you want a company with a clear growth trajectory or one that's already established and stable? 

4. What values matter enough to you that their absence would be a dealbreaker?

   
   

Once you know your criteria, finding companies that meet them becomes more of a research project than a guessing game. Use LinkedIn to filter by company size and industry. Follow companies you're interested in to understand their culture before you apply. Look at where people in your target role are working and what their career trajectories look like. That information exists publicly and can save you a whole lot of time and heartbreak in the long run.

Let's Wrap This Up

A reactive job search is exhausting because you're always responding to someone else's timeline. A strategic career move puts you in control so that you can have a real chance at changing your outcome. You don't need to have every answer figured out before you start either.

You just need to stop spinning your wheels and moving randomly in one direction so that you can hone in on your path forward and start moving with intention. Because the women who land the roles they actually want aren't luckier than you, beloved. They're just more deliberate with their time, energy, and effort.

Remember, your career is a tool you wield, not a sentence you're serving. So, start acting like it. And, if you're ready to build a real strategy and stop throwing applications at the wall and hoping they stick, come work with us.

Over 5,000+ Black and brown women just like you have used our resources and framework to move from overlooked to in demand in their next strategic career moves.