1/ Last weekend I spoke on a space career panel, which I nearly bailed on due to my insecurity about being between jobs. But I’m so glad I went & opened up about my funky career path in hopes of inspiring others (and myself!) to dgaf what others think & to embrace career audacity
2/ But first, my funky (and *super* lucky) path for context: Mars robotics intern → factory assembly line worker → medical device engineer → policy grad student → dating startup founder → science writer → spacecraft engineer → rocket company COO → ???
3/ It’s been 📈 and 📉 for sure, but zero regrets. Here are snippets from that weekend, geared towards those in or nearing a career transition, who have non-traditional backgrounds, or want to take a risk in their space (or any!) career 🧵
4/ You are not alone.
I bet 90% of career anxiety comes from feeling you’re the only one struggling with this. But lots of people are contemplating moves and feel a bit lost right now. Including your's truly.
I bet 90% of career anxiety comes from feeling you’re the only one struggling with this. But lots of people are contemplating moves and feel a bit lost right now. Including your's truly.
5/ Your complexity is your superpower!
You have many interests because the world and its challenges are rich & complex. Those challenges require nuance and diversity in experiences and approaches. Some of my favorite coworkers have been creatives turned engineers, & vice-versa
You have many interests because the world and its challenges are rich & complex. Those challenges require nuance and diversity in experiences and approaches. Some of my favorite coworkers have been creatives turned engineers, & vice-versa
6/ It’s okay to want more.
Don’t let anyone shame you into being basic or mediocre for simply having the audacity to explore. It serves little purpose to obsess over following rules that only exist in the imaginations of those trying to force you into a box.
Don’t let anyone shame you into being basic or mediocre for simply having the audacity to explore. It serves little purpose to obsess over following rules that only exist in the imaginations of those trying to force you into a box.
7/ Define your own metrics.
I’ve been lucky to work at places where I could try different roles. Some argued that slowed my career growth; but they measured growth in depth and titles, and I measured it in breadth and bliss. We not even playing the same game, bruh.
I’ve been lucky to work at places where I could try different roles. Some argued that slowed my career growth; but they measured growth in depth and titles, and I measured it in breadth and bliss. We not even playing the same game, bruh.
8/ Be authentic. (1 of 3)
Follow your heart. Every time I made a job decision for resume or title reasons, I wound up miserable. Same when I ignored my gut, that nagging feeling saying “something ain’t right.” But when I did the converse, I thrived.
Follow your heart. Every time I made a job decision for resume or title reasons, I wound up miserable. Same when I ignored my gut, that nagging feeling saying “something ain’t right.” But when I did the converse, I thrived.
9/ Be authentic. (2 of 3)
You will never regret following your heart and gut. You must first learn how to listen for it and distinguish it from fear. Are you running away from something or towards something? Do you feel it in your head or in your core?
You will never regret following your heart and gut. You must first learn how to listen for it and distinguish it from fear. Are you running away from something or towards something? Do you feel it in your head or in your core?
10/ Be authentic. (3 of 3)
Learning to quiet your thinking mind enough to hear and feel what your heart needs unlocks a career driven by abundance and running towards purpose, as opposed to one of scarcity, governed by box checking and others' expectations
Learning to quiet your thinking mind enough to hear and feel what your heart needs unlocks a career driven by abundance and running towards purpose, as opposed to one of scarcity, governed by box checking and others' expectations
11/ Own your story.
“How do I convince employers that my weird career makes sense?” When you live authentically, this story becomes easy because it is true. Find that thread between each decision your gut steered you towards along the way. And package it up into a nice headline
“How do I convince employers that my weird career makes sense?” When you live authentically, this story becomes easy because it is true. Find that thread between each decision your gut steered you towards along the way. And package it up into a nice headline
12/ Cultivate your work relationships.
Still, writing a streamlined resume can be tough. But better than any words on a page are references from previous colleagues. They can provide the depth and nuance about your greatness and intangible contributions that a CV can’t.
Still, writing a streamlined resume can be tough. But better than any words on a page are references from previous colleagues. They can provide the depth and nuance about your greatness and intangible contributions that a CV can’t.
13/ Haters gonna hate. (1 of 2)
Look, people who are living freely are kinda scary to those who are not. To those finger wagging here’s a thought: imagine what your career would’ve been like if you could've been free to be your full self.
Look, people who are living freely are kinda scary to those who are not. To those finger wagging here’s a thought: imagine what your career would’ve been like if you could've been free to be your full self.
14/ Haters gonna hate. (2 of 2)
What if you could explore what makes you come alive instead of only what was expected of you, or turning what crank “the man” needed you to turn? What if you could be free? I feel like this new generation is making it so that we ALL can be.
What if you could explore what makes you come alive instead of only what was expected of you, or turning what crank “the man” needed you to turn? What if you could be free? I feel like this new generation is making it so that we ALL can be.
15/ There is no prototype for a successful space industry career in 2022.
Anyone telling you otherwise is lying to you. Period. No one knows what they are doing! We’re quite literally building the future, how on earth can someone claim to have the future figured out?
Anyone telling you otherwise is lying to you. Period. No one knows what they are doing! We’re quite literally building the future, how on earth can someone claim to have the future figured out?
16/ There will be ebbs and flows.
Choosing a career of abundance, freedom, and bliss is far from safe. There will be highs, and the lows can be *very* low. Use the uncertainty as the source of inspiration for your next great move. Talk about it. Be vulnerable. Ask for help.
Choosing a career of abundance, freedom, and bliss is far from safe. There will be highs, and the lows can be *very* low. Use the uncertainty as the source of inspiration for your next great move. Talk about it. Be vulnerable. Ask for help.
17/ Everything’s gonna be alright.
YOU GOT THIS. You are not alone. You belong here.
YOU GOT THIS. You are not alone. You belong here.
18/ And that’s my $0.02. Take what resonates, discard the rest. I may not have a big fancy job title anymore, and I certainly haven’t figured out what’s next, but I’m taking my own advice and remembering that’s ok. 💕LL
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