A few years ago I quit my job and bought a a one-way ticket to backpack across Europe and Southeast Asia. The #1 thing I learned in my travels? Always ask a local.
When it comes to planning, I've personally always been pretty Type A - spending months on research ahead of time, digging my nose into book after book, and blocking off my schedule by the hour in attempt to to squeeze as much as I possibly could into the ten short days I got of vacation a year. But some of the best-kept secrets and memorable moments can’t be planned for. In fact, it can almost be detrimental to finalize all your planning before you reach your destination. You can end up missing out on quite a lot!
If you’re looking for a major shortcut, it’s the locals know the tourist traps from the hidden gems, the scenic routes that don't come up on the quickest route from A to B on Google Maps, and - every so often if you’re lucky - the person who can give you the most authentic history of the country or the family who can cook you the best meal and actually invite you in.
The same thing goes for your career.
Many of my clients often fear making a decision or a taking a leap because of the countless times they’ve been excited about a role or position, only to realize that the reality is not what they expected to be. But there are tons of people out doing the very things you want to do with a rich understanding of what it takes to get there, just waiting to be tapped. They'll help you understand the subtle differences between what you think a job involves on paper, and what the actual day-to-day is like. What you think you need to do to get to different points along the route toward your destination, and the connections and shortcuts that might make your life a whole lot easier. They’ll often even expose you to opportunities you may not have even considered or been aware of before!
Others of you often express feeling nervous about reaching out for informational interviews because you feel like you're taking up someone's time, you don't know enough about what they do, or it feels too "schmoozy," and so on and so on. But when you reframe networking as simply asking for directions, informational interviewing and asking others for advice is really just one more arm to a beautiful web of human connection we have to give and take from. Most people have and continue to do the exact same thing to find their own directions, and actually enjoy the opportunity to share and pay it forward. And don’t forget that one day you’ll have the opportunity to do so, too!
Networking is just asking for directions. Always ask a local.
Finally, and most importantly, the more you approach people in your field from a genuine place of curiosity and interest - for advice rather than out of desperation - more often than you might expect they actually do end up being the ones who provide that final link to get you in. Regardless of the outcome, your career, just like your life, is one big, beautiful adventure. You have the opportunity to meet a lot of beautiful souls along the way - take it while you can.
