Flash back to 7 years ago, I was working in Silicon Valley.

I remember so poignantly sitting on the plane from San Francisco to Dublin. I was working for LinkedIn, and was about to launch a global job seeker training program.

I felt like I should have been thanking my lucky stars. Everything college-aged Liz had dreamed of achieving in her career was right in front of me -- global impact, working at brand-name companies, leading people and programs that made a difference in the world.

But to everyone’s surprise (including my own), I wasn’t thanking any stars.

I didn’t have the time. I hadn’t seen my family in months. I felt stressed out walking into the office every day. And I realized I felt more energized the few days of each month I got to coach job seekers than I did in the boardroom.

This was my a-ha moment.

For the first time in my career, I paused and said, “Wait a second. Is this what I really want?”  I was at a crossroads where I had to decide what would dictate my career: inertia and other people’s expectations, or my values.

With this perspective, the decision to leave Silicon Valley became an easy one -- and I set out to find a next step that aligned with my my definition of success, and what makes me happy.

Flash forward to today...

I now have the uncommon privilege of spending all-day-every-day helping individuals navigate their career transitions, and build careers they love.

I combined the data-driven, job search best practices I helped develop at LinkedIn, my experience coaching hundreds of job seekers over the past decade, and my own job search successes and failures (more on these below…)

…and started teaching a more comprehensive, real-world approach to figuring out what you want in your career - and making it happen.

Today, I’ve built a career coaching practice and award-winning online program that I absolutely love.

And at night I get to hang with my hub and sweet pup Atticus (Next Step Careers’ Chief Furry Officer) without a stress cloud of doom over my head. I couldn't be happier. 

Don’t let my Silicon Valley past fool you…

Here’s the simple truth about job searching today:

The average job posting receives 250 applications.

And 85% of open jobs don’t go to people who applied cold on the company website or LinkedIn - they go to people who have three key things:

1. Absolute clarity of the specific job they want to go after - with a resume and LinkedIn profile that show it.

2. The courage to embrace networking as a key way to land referrals and interviews today.

3. Interview skills that prove they’re the best candidate for the job.

Once I learned these three things, my entire job search turned around.

Within two weeks of getting focused, tailoring my brand, and starting to TALK to real people about my goals, the interviews came pouring in.

Within six weeks, I had two job offers in hand, and knew which one was right for me.

Once I stopped wasting time on what doesn’t work, and started focusing on what DOES work, it all changed.

And best of all, I realized that what was stopping me from landing a job wasn’t me! I didn’t deserve to feel unworthy or incapable. I just needed to know what worked, and to do it.

I was inspired then, and I’m still inspired today.

I'm inspired by the results I've seen in my life and my clients' lives.

I founded Next Step Careers to carry this message forward, in addition to the following beliefs: 

I believe we are all capable — and deserving — of careers we love.

I believe success isn’t ‘one-size-fits-all’ — it’s something you define for yourself.

I believe most things we fear are skills we can learn.

I believe that every big goal can be broken down into small steps, and that we can achieve just about anything we work hard for.

I believe embracing hard is the only way to grow, and that we are all primed for tremendous growth and possibility.

I believe behind every roadblock is a problem. Once you define it, you can solve it.

I believe the authentic you is the most beautiful (and hireable!) you.

I believe nourishing the self allows us to show up stronger and better serve the world (naps, breaks and vacations included).

I believe there is no failure you can’t overcome, and no career goal out of reach.

That's why I’m dedicated to... 

• Co-creating resources with job seekers themselves, so that what I create isn’t more fluff -- it’s tangible, grounded, effective guidance that generates real results.

• Offering free resources, pricing NSC services and courses below market rate, and providing significant discounts to people transitioning into or within social impact, in an effort to make great career advice affordable for everyone.

• Serving job seekers of all backgrounds including income, health, ability or mental health status, sexual orientation, gender, race, age, or any other aspect of their being.

• Sharing my own failures and fears, in an effort to lead by example and help normalize struggle as an inherent part of the human experience.

• Ruthlessly prioritizing what I create and spend. I intentionally live a low-cost, low-environmental-impact lifestyle, and I run my business the same way. This ensures NSC focuses its energy and dollars on making the greatest contribution and can donate 10% of our profits annually.

Do you want to move forward and land a job you’ll love?

Here’s the best place to start: Download my free Cheat Sheet that shares the Top 10 Strategies Working For Today’s Job Seekers.

It’s a quick list of the strategies I've seen work the best for my clients (and myself), all of which you can start using today.

Enjoy diving into day 1 of your new approach to job searching! I can’t wait to hear how it goes, and to help you land a job you love.

With love,
Liz