How To Be The Leader Of Your Own Career And Create A Career That You Love

(Without Feeling Overwhelmed, Burnt Out, Or Taking A Pay Cut)

Created 2023

Imagine waking up every day excited to go to work, knowing you have clear advancement opportunities ahead. Many people struggle to take control of their careers and create a fulfilling and sustainable professional path. But it is possible, and our online course, “How To Be The Leader Of Your Own Career And Create A Career That You Love (Without Feeling Overwhelmed, Burnt Out, Or Taking A Pay Cut)” can help.

What You'll Learn

Introduction: Let’s Get Started!

Welcome to the course, How To Be The Leader Of Your Own Career And Create A Career That You Love (Without Feeling Overwhelmed, Burnt Out, Or Taking A Pay Cut).

You are about to learn the secrets of creating a fulfilling career that go against everything we have been taught.

It's time to become proactive and take the reigns of your career to feel clarity, confidence, and control over your job and career path.

I'm not going to sugar coat it, this course will be a lot of work (seriously), but the investment will last a life time. 

Treat this course as if you are in an actual university course. That means, set scheduled times for class, and give yourself time for the exercises - homework isn't usually done in class or in one sitting.

It can be helpful to share your journey with a friend/study partner, as other perspectives can add value when working on any of the exercises.

To put the amount of work into perspective, If this course was a coaching program it would take approximately 12 - 14 weeks. It will seem like a lot of work, and that's because it is.

If at anytime you want more guidance and could use the support of a 1:1 coach just send me a message and we can discuss options - benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com, or schedule a time here

How to take this course

Set aside time throughout your weeks to go through the modules and exercises. You'll get more out of each exercise if you give yourself time to "sleep on it" and reflect on the questions. Rewatch the videos, DO the worksheets, and then come back to them and add more detail. After each answer ask yourself, "and what else?" to dive in another layer.

Share your work with a friend, and better yet, take this course with someone that you trust. What's better than one perspective? Two perspectives.

Ultimately, if you do the work this course will pay off for your career and ultimately your life. 

If at anytime you have questions about the course or leadership and career coaching, feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com.

Right Now: Your Career Pause

It can be overwhelmingly stressful to feel and know in your gut that you're not in the right place career wise. You may feel stuck, on the verge of burnout, unmotivated, and that you're wasting precious time. This is not a fun place to be each and every day. Worse of all, the negativity builds upon itself and becomes a vicious cycle if nothing interrupts it.

I'm here to be that interruption and ask you to push all of the negative beliefs and emotions about your career to the side for the time-being because you've just made a huge commitment to yourself and your career by investing in this course.

From this moment onward the only thing that matters is this content, the exercises, and related actions. I promise you that if you take this course seriously you will have more clarity, confidence, and control over your career and be able to create a career that you love.

I'd love to see (and so would the other students) your commitments to this program. Feel free to write them in the discussion section.

Remember to have fun:

It's too easy to get lost in our to-do lists, especially when we feel that we need to fix or solve something.

Whenever we are feeling drained or fatigued our natural tendencies are to 1) work harder, 2) give up, 3) become negative about ourselves; instead we need to find the fun, and remember the joy.

You know what makes you happy, so why isn't it second nature to do those things when we are feeling down?

Throughout this course, whenever you are feeling like you just need a break, take one. It'll benefit your progress, and feel better (which is the whole point of this course).

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

Career trauma is real:

Career trauma is when you experienced something negative in your professional journey that has influenced your perception of what "work" is in any shape or form.

Negative work moments, are just that, moments in time (no matter how prolonged they were because you stayed at a job), that do not define the entire work world.

Career trauma is real, it's normal, and the first step to dealing with it is accepting that our decisions are being influenced by our past.

Lets reflect:

Dealing with career trauma requires you to get into the details. If you don't, it's impossible to fully understand how your experiences have led to the current beliefs and limitations that are influencing your career decisions.

Lets explore the unhappy and negative moments. The times where we felt unsupported, recognized, in a state of fear, etc. Go through your entire professional journey.

Complete the exercise attached to this lesson. Take your time with this exercise, it's a big one, and emotional one. Most of the time though it can be a relief to realize that you went through some tough situations. That your view of work has become skewed in certain ways, and that the world of work is full of possibilities once you can agree that your experiences aren't all there is to experience.

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend/study partner in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

Realize the opportunities: This is important.

In front of you today is an infinite amount of opportunities for your career and professional life. This involves wealth, relationships, skills, meaning and impact, and more! Your career adds so much value to YOU.

The fact that you are ready for the next stage of your career is exciting (even when it feels like you're making no progress, and you have a hard time finding the motivation to apply to even one more job).

Trust the process, and yourself. You're putting in the work right now to become the leader of your own career and to take advantage of what every new job offers.

Lets Look Forward: Your Career Future Vision

Imagine you're retired: Visioning is a powerful tool to create clarity. Defining your vision for your ideal career is a crucial step in creating a fulfilling and successful career path. It involves identifying your long-term career goals, values, and aspirations. In this lesson we are going to view our career looking backwards as if you were retired.

Take your time with the exercise and ensure you are in a place without distractions. If you have the opportunity to speak to someone that is retired it would be a great exercise to ask him/her similar questions. It will add a different perspective to your career outlook.

It's ok if the answers seem a bit vague. They will become more clear throughout this course. 

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend/study partner in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

Imagine 3-5 years from now:

You've looked backward as if you were retired, now you need to look forward as if it's 3-5 years into the future. Spend time imagining a day in your future life. What are you doing, who are you with, and especially how do you feel?

Take your time with the exercise and ensure you are in a place without distractions. It's ok if the answers seem a bit vague. They will become more clear throughout this course. 

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend/study partner in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

Exploring, defining, and aligning your values:

When you are feeling stuck, dissatisfied, frustrated, doubt yourself, and everything in between you are more than likely spending time in areas and living in an environment that misaligns with your values.

Values are at the core of who you are; your attitudes, beliefs, what you stand for.

If you know your values, your why, and ensure that these non-negotiables are a constant in your life then the what and the how you do something doesn't matter. 

When something, the what and how, doesn't work out in your career, your values are a constant. They are the source of fulfillment, the things you do are just the tool to put them in action.

Your vision for the future and career trauma hint at your values. Review the exercises in those sections prior to completing the following exercise.

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend/study partner in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

Career Pathing:

Reflect and define 3 - 5 future careers that interest you based on your visioning and values work.

Now there are numerous paths to achieve each of those careers, some of those may be similar but also incredibly different.

Each path includes different milestones, relationships, and actions that you could take to make it a reality. But some paths will have very similar milestones, relationships, and actions that lead to the same destination.

Complete the following exercise (just focus on being curious) to help you define your preferred path(s) and the goals and objectives that will lead you toward a more fulfilling career.

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend/study partner in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

If at anytime you have questions about the course or leadership and career coaching, feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com.

Energize Yourself:

Craft a Job You Love from a Job You Have: If you don't have the energy to take action towards your goals, you won't make progress. Your current energy levels and motivation on a daily basis, and your ability to be positive in your present environment is key to being able to create the next chapters in your career.

The key to energy at work comes from a field of research titled Job Crafting, which states that job satisfaction relies on our ability to "craft" our own jobs in three main categories:

• Actual Work: Relates to the actual work that you are doing and your ability to complete the work. This area can entail work you enjoy, dislike, the resources you have to do the work, how confident you are in the field, and the work you'd like to do in the future.

• Social Relationships: Entails the people that you work with or around. Basically who you have to engage or interact with at work.

• Meaning: The perception of or actual meaning you feel derives from the work and organization.

The following lesson will take you through the steps of identifying the environment that will be the most energizing at your current job, and be essential in helping you craft your future roles.

Let’s get crafting:

The following exercise will explore the areas of Job Crafting that relate to your levels of job satisfaction. It's a lot easier to get to where you want to go when you have the energy to get there (plus this information will ensure that all of your future jobs are curated to fit you!).

As a reminder the three categories of Job Crafting are:

• Actual Work: Relates to the actual work that you are doing and your ability to complete the work. This area can entail work you enjoy, dislike, the resources you have to do the work, how confident you are in the field, and the work you'd like to do in the future.

• Social Relationships: Entails the people that you work with or around. Basically who you have to engage or interact with at work.

• Meaning: The perception of or actual meaning you feel derives from the work and organization.

[Exercise attachment included in lesson - take your time and break up the work into multiple sessions to dive deeper. If possible share your work with a friend/study partner in order to dive deeper into your answers and gain differing opinions]

Leverage your boss for job crafting:

You were hired to do a job and reach a specific outcome. The HOW and WHO you use to get the work done is flexible (and sometimes even the specific outcome of your work is negotiable).

After completing the previous job crafting exercise you should have a list of changes to your current job. Most of these adjustments will not need approval from anyone other than yourself, but some of them may need the permission or at least acknowledgement from your manager.

Every leader appreciates being included and feeling useful. Approach your manager as if he/she is a guide and mentor, and enroll them in the process of crafting your job. Make sure to compliment your manager for their role in your professional success and that you look up to him/her as a role model.

If you are able to build a "team" with your manager then the process of crafting your job will be much easier and at the same time your relationship with your manager should improve.

It's Time: Getting Your Next Job

How to approach the job search: You are prepped to lead yourself towards your career vision that will be more fulfilling than any job you've ever had before.

The next steps in this course will focus on the actual tools and skills you will need to make that job a reality!

Resume secrets:

In order for your resume to stand out in the job search you have to fit the brand of the job that you are seeking. Complete the following to prepare for creating a resume that will get you initial interviews.

• Search for the job titles that align with the next steps that you want in your career. Identify 1-3 titles.

• Find 3-5 job postings that fit the job title and type of job you want.

• Compare the job postings and identify the key words that are used regularly, and pull out the requirements section on each of the job descriptions.

• Build a word bank filled with the key words and requirement statements from the job descriptions.

An example of a bad resume:

The most common mistakes leaders make on their resumes that will hurt your chances of getting an initial interview:

• Being too creative. Tables, icons, resume design programs cannot be understood by applicant tracking systems and can confuse people looking for specific information on your resume. A clean resume with white space makes it easier to figure out why you should get an interview.

• Lack of specific headers. For example, a clear and concise summary section at the top of your resume, and skills section that is useful for keyword loading.

• Not listing the position title you are interested in at the top of the resume or using it in your previous jobs. Everything about your resume should highlight that you qualify for the job you are applying for and the easiest way to do that is to match the title.

• Listing too many or few bullets for your job history that are not specific (3 - 7 bullet points that represent the job descriptions and your responsibilities is the sweet spot).

• Including too much or little of your experience. The one-page resume rule is a myth and you should try and include the last 10 years of your professional experience. If relevant you can include the job titles and companies of older experience. There is usually on reason to have a resume that is longer than three pages.

• Not proofreading. Typos and grammatical errors.

• Incorrect contact information or links that don't work. Including an unprofessional email (it's easy to create a new and free professional email address).

If you would like additional resume assistance feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com to inquire about additional services.

An example of a good resume:

Keep the following tips in mind and use the template attached to this lesson to create a stellar resume:

• Keep it simple. Avoid tables, graphics, or fancy designs. Times New Roman, font 12, normal margins are your friend.

• Utilize bold headers.

• Leverage the job titles, keywords, and requirements listed in job descriptions.

• Use the proper tense when writing your bullets, be specific, action and results oriented, and highlight key accomplishments when possible.

• Order your bullets under each job to be the most important and related to the job you are applying for to be listed first.

• Keep your resume three pages or under. The one-page resume is a myth and can hurt your chances if you are limiting the experience you are listing to one-page.

• Proofread! I've seen names and job titles misspelled and that is usually an automatic disqualification.

• Include your contact information, and your linkedin profile.

If you would like additional resume assistance feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com to inquire about additional services.

[Template resume attachment included in lesson]

Writing a cover letter:

A cover letter isn't required for the job search but it can be beneficial for putting you above the competition. A properly written cover letter represents that you are serious about the role, have a professional writing style, and can add more information about major projects that you worked on that prove you are a fit for the role.

Use the template attached as a guide to create your own cover letter.

If you would like additional cover letter assistance feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com to inquire about additional services.

[Template cover letter attachment included in lesson]

Utilize your LinkedIn profile:

Make sure to leverage your LinkedIn profile. It is a FREE advertisement for your professional brand, not your most recent job or the organization where you work and is the best tool for meeting new people and finding opportunities for your career. Review the following tips for creating a LinkedIn profile that helps you get your next job:

• Ensure your profile visibility is public

• Edit your profile link to your name and you can include a keyword related to your job too.

• Use a clear and professional profile image.

• Your header image should represent something important about your career interests/skills.

• The headline is one of the first things people see on your profile and in messages. Use keyword that align with your professional brand and the job you want.

• Enter all your related job experience under each job listed. You can copy paste bullet icons since LinkedIn doesn't give you the option in their formatting tool.

• Add related media to your job postings if applicable.

• Add all 50 skills that relate to the job you want next. Order them from most important/relevant to least. The top 3-10 matter.

• Endorse your connections so that they are more likely to endorse your skills.

• Update all sections of your profile; education, certifications, projects, volunteer, etc.

• Engage! Post, comment, and like other posts regularly. Make sure to post relevant topics to your professional brand which you can then feature on your profile through the Featured section.

• Make sure that you are using the Open to Work option in LinkedIn and that the jobs you selected align with the job titles you are interested in.

• Follow companies and connect with people to expand your network and reach.

If you would like additional LinkedIn assistance feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com to inquire about additional services.

The power of networking:

Networking is the key to getting the job you want. 60 - 70% of new hires comes from the hidden job market, positions that aren't listed on a job board.

Your best chances of getting a new job is not from applying to jobs, but to finding the people that need the job. That also means that you aren't focused on recruiters, as their role is filling the job but they don't truly need it. You need to focus on connecting with the people that NEED this role (your future boss, boss's boss, or peer). 

The key to successful networking involves connecting and building a relationship with people that need the role you are interested in gaining for your next job. The goal is to have meetings (virtual, phone, or in-person) with the people that NEED the role.

When you meet, a common mistake is asking for a job which is a yes or no answer and usually out of someone's control. You need to approach the conversation with the goal of establishing a relationship and being curious about the company, what it's like working there, and the person's experience.

Throughout the conversation you should share your own experience which highlights your credibility and potential fit at the organization, while also making the meeting conversational.

At the end of the meeting you can ask (usually the person will), how can I help you? You can ask for two main things, either an introduction to someone that might be a better fit to speak with at the company (your future boss, boss's boss, or peer), or, how does the hiring/interviewing process work at their company.

Also, do you best to find a way to add value for the other person.  

How to use LinkedIn to build your network:

This video will focus on networking through LinkedIn. There are other ways to network, such as email, events, friends of friends, etc. but LinkedIn is one of the easiest ways to network with people that can assist you in finding your next job and forming meaningful professional relationships.

• Identify the job titles of your future direct manager.

• Add in any other criteria that relates to your job search, such as company, location, etc.

• Search on LinkedIn for people that match these key terms.

• "Connect" with at least 20 people (LinkedIn has a limit of approximately 100 connections a week at the time of writing this course). Use the following message or something similar: [Name] your background seems really interesting and it’d be great to connect for a short 15-20 minute conversation about your work and career journey. Are you available for a quick virtual coffee chat this week?

• Follow-up with the people that connected with you asking if they are interested in a short conversation as they may not have seen the message, don't check LinkedIn often, or forgot about the message.

• If there are people that you really want to have a conversation with and they haven't responded but connected, take a moment to engage on their content (if they post to LinkedIn), and endorse their skills so that you become a familiar face (which makes them more likely to respond).

• Once you schedule a meeting, approach the conversation with curiosity (see previous lesson on the power of networking) and highlight your own experience and skills.

• Make sure to offer to help in anyway and ask the person for another introduction or information on how the hiring process of their company to highlight your interest in working at the organization.

• Set any commitments to follow-up and schedule time to ping this new connection in the coming weeks/months to keep building the relationship.

A lot of people are not going to reply to you, but we don't care about them. We only care about the people that say yes, and one yes can change the entire path of your career. A yes, one meaningful connection is priceless.

Note, some people may ask why you are interested in connecting. Be honest. Highlight your interest in the company, industry, and their career path.

Networking on LinkedIn can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolbelt towards professional success. Stay consistent and find the fun in meeting new and interesting professionals!

Interview tips and tricks:

Keep in mind the following interview tips and tricks during your interview:

• Ask yourself, what are the goals of the person that is interviewing me? For example, a recruiter wants to know if you qualify for the role, you are a real human, and is willing to share with you more about the job search itself and the candidates they've interviewed already. Your future boss (usually the hiring manager) is interested in finding a candidate that will make their job easier and ensure the goals of the department are met.

• Remember you are interviewing the company and the role to see if it is a fit for your values and the criteria you want in your next job (and future jobs). You can build an assessment utilizing the values you created in previous lessons and ask specific questions that will help you rate the leader/team/role/and organization to see if it's a good fit.

• Prepare and practice the answer to common interview questions. Usually the first question any interviewer asks is "tell me about yourself." Use your resume summary as a template to answer this question. Your answer should read like a newspaper headline, major experience first, then skills that add more credibility to that overall headline.

• Ask questions throughout the interview (don't wait for the end of the interview). Specifically to find out more information about what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate, and for you to learn more about the fit of the role. For example if you answer a question about an innovate idea, then ask a question about a recent innovative idea that the department has had, or the expectations for innovation in this role.

• If you are asked what your salary expectations are, always respond with "what is your budget for this role?" If the interviewer pushes, respond that you need to learn more about the position but if they can share the range or maximum for the role. Do not offer a number unless they are coming in under your range. Any number you list could limit your earning potential.

In the following lesson we will review the methodology for answering interview questions.

Prep and ace your interview:

Acing your interview requires preparation. You have the choice to either practice in actual interviews and learn as you go, which means you are not showing up 100% to the interviews you have, or you spend that same amount of time practicing. Either way, without practice you probably won't get the job so invest the time on the front end practicing your stories and feeling confident from the start.

The first step in preparing for interviews is to compile 3 - 5 projects that represent the skills that align with the job you are interviewing for, and you want to ensure you can describe these projects in the STAR methodology:

• Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.

• Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.

• Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.

• Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

Use the worksheet that's attached to this lesson to help you prepare. Next, one of the best things you can do is record yourself answering the questions. You can either read out the questions to yourself, and then answer, or have someone actually interview you so it's more similar to the real experience.

Pay attention to your facial expressions, posture, hand movements, vocal tone, and how fast or slow you are speaking. Then, practice, practice, and practice some more.

Confidence shines in an interview, and the best way to become confident is to know your stories and professional brand (no one else can know it as good as you!). [Template attachment included in lesson]

How to negotiate so you don’t leave money on the table:

The salary that you accept at the start of your job will impact your entire earning potential for the length of your tenure at the organization.

Hiring managers/recruiters/talent acquisition etc. are trying to save money when they hire you and also expect you to negotiate (generally this is the case and a buffer/range is built into the offer).

• Know the number you want, the bottom, ideal, and dream amount. Consider other benefits such as PTO, 401k match, equity, etc.

• Research the market and company for appropriate ranges.

• Be positive and excited about the offer!

• You don't need to prepare a bunch of reasons, just ask if there's flexibility in the offer.

• Ask them to help you. Enroll them in the negotiation so that it's not, You Vs Them, but all of you working together so that you feel comfortable joining the team!

Overall, if you negotiate from a place of positivity and excitement for the role, there will not be any negative consequences other than the offer not being negotiable. Remember they WANT you and most of the time, NEED you to join the organization. Make sure you feel good about the offer you are accepting.

Conclusion: Your Dream Career is Right in Front of You

You made it! You completed the course, How To Be The Leader Of Your Own Career And Create A Career That You Love (Without Feeling Overwhelmed, Burnt Out, Or Taking A Pay Cut).

The majority of job seekers don't even come close to the amount of work you just did to become the leader of your own career and to create a career that you love.

You have taken the reigns of your career to feel clarity, confidence, and control over your job and career path.

This is powerful, and I hope that you feel the opportunities that are now right at your finger tips.

Common Q&A: Bonus Modules

I want to be an entrepreneur, what do I do?

How can I pivot in my career?

How can I pivot into a more meaningful industry without taking a pay cut?

How do I stop overworking?

How can I seem more like a leader?

I still don't know what I want

If at anytime you have questions about this bonus module or other information in the course feel free to connect with Dr. Benjamin Ritter on LinkedIn or email benjaminritter@lfyconsulting.com. 

I'd also love (and so would other students) to read your comments, reflections, ideas, or questions in the discussion section for this lesson.