#20: Pivot with Purpose: Land the Job You Truly Love

Feeling stuck in your career and unsure how to move forward? You're not alone. In this episode of Hire Me Pls, we’re diving into how to bridge the gap between where you are now and your dream job—without burning out, settling, or starting from scratch.

Whether you're mid-career and feeling unfulfilled, or you know it’s time for a change but don’t know what that looks like yet, this episode will help you:
 ✅ Clarify what a meaningful, fulfilling career looks like for you
✅ Avoid the biggest mistakes people make during a career pivot
✅ Build a step-by-step roadmap that’s strategic, not stressful
✅ Get out of career limbo and start taking intentional action
✅ Shift your mindset from waiting for the “perfect time” to creating momentum now

You don’t have to figure it all out before you make a move—you just need to take the next right step. This episode will show you how to do that with confidence and clarity.

🎧 Tune in now to start building a career path that actually lights you up.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Career Empowerment Strategies Podcast

04:25 Building Your Career Roadmap

07:57 Define Your Dream Role

10:01 Free Career Strategy Call Invitation

Connect with Gemma Lopez:

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Transcript

Why does it feel like I'm stuck in career limbo? Why am I waiting for someone else to notice my value? Why does job searching feel like throwing resumes into a black hole? Am I missing something, or is it time to change the game? If these questions are running through your mind, you're in the right place. Welcome to the Hire Me Please Career podcast. Hi, I'm Gemma Lopez, career coach and recruiting expert. And this season is all about taking back control of your career. No more waiting for permission, no more playing small. I'm here to help you ditch the doubt, advocate for yourself, and land a role that excites you. From navigating career pivots to negotiating what you're really worth, we're uncovering the real, unfiltered strategies that you need to know. No gatekeeping here. So if you're ready to go from feeling stuck to thriving in your career, let's do this. Hey there, and welcome back to Hire Me Please. I'm your host, Gemma Lopez, and today's episode is for you. If you're feeling burnt out, uninspired, or just playing over your current job, but also unsure of what you really want next, you've probably been thinking about making a move for a while, maybe even years. And it's tempting to just start applying to jump to something else. Anything else. But before you do, I want to offer you this. Your dream job isn't some unattainable fantasy. It's within reach, with the right planning and execution. And even more importantly, it's worth pausing to figure out what that dream job actually looks like so that you don't go from one unfulfilling job to another and wonder why it doesn't feel right. So let's start with the hard truth. Burnout makes us impulsive. When you're mentally drained, emotionally checked out, and maybe even questioning your own worth, you just want out. But if you jump from a place of urgency instead of alignment, you often end up in the same cycle, just with a new job title. The goal here is not to just get hired. It's to get clear. Clear on what that next step is. Because at this point in your career, you've built a ton of skills. You've done all the hard things. You've led teams, you've driven results. You've held it all together. And now it's the time for you to ask, what do I want from this next chapter? What kind of work will energize me? Not just pay the bills? And what does growth look like on my terms? And this is where the real work begins. So here's where I want you to shift your thinking. A dream job isn't about perks or prestige. It's not about a higher salary or a better title. It's really about doing work that feels meaningful in an environment where you feel respected and supportive. So let's redefine it. Your dream job is the one that honors your values, uses your gifts, and gives you room to grow. And if you've never slowed down long enough to think about what that looks like, it's okay. Most people haven't. So here are a few reflection questions to get to started. What do I want less of in my next role? Micromanagement. Chaos. Constant fires. What do I want more of? Creative autonomy. Purpose. Leadership with empathy. More interesting projects. What am I most proud of for my current role and my past roles? And also what was missing? And be honest with yourself. This part takes guts. But once you name what matters, your entire focus is just more streamlined, more aligned. It becomes more powerful because the more you get to see what is it that I want to take with me to this new job? What do I never want to do again or work on again or handle again? And what sounds really interesting to me, once you clarify what those things are for yourself, it's so much easier to really kind of paint that picture as your North Star and go for it. Because once you know where you want to go, the next step is to figure out what stands between here and there. And oftentimes the gap feels wider than it actually is. People tell me all the time, gemma, I'm not qualified for that role. Or I meet some of the qualifications. And then we look at their experience and they realize that they're already 80% there. They just haven't been telling themselves the right story. So ask yourself, what's the next title or type of role that you want? What are the most common skills or themes that you're seeing in those roles? And where do you already have transferable experience? And where would you maybe need to grow or upskill? And this is where you build a career roadmap. Not a rigid plan, not a guide, more of a blueprint. Think of it like this. What's the next meaningful step I can take to get closer to that dream role? What story do I need to tell more clearly, and who do I need to talk to that's already in that world? We're not leaping, we're bridging. If you've been quietly job searching on your own, stuck in a cycle of cold applications and ghosting. Just know that you are not alone, but you're also not doing yourself any favors by staying isolated and doing the same thing over and over and over again. The people who land meaningful, aligned roles are the ones who talk to people. They reach out, they ask thoughtful questions, they build real connections. And it doesn't have to be awkward. You don't have to think of networking as this weird, like super formal cringe thing. Try hey, I'm exploring my next move and your path really stood out to me. Would you be open to a quick conversation about what it's like to work in X, Y, Z? People love to talk about themselves especially. Especially their careers. You're not bothering them, you're inviting them to share what they've learned. And people will respond well, I promise you. Will everyone respond to you? Maybe not. But more often than not, these conversations open doors that you would never have seen coming. Another thing I want you to hear loud and clear is the journey to your dream job is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, persistent, and celebrate your progress along the way. Now, this sounds super cliche and you're probably rolling your eyes, but it's so true. You don't have to overhaul your whole life overnight. You don't need to have every detail figured out. But if you can name the direction that you want to move, take small, intentional steps. Can you start rewriting your story in a way that aligns with where you want to go? If so, then you're already halfway there. So here's a simplified version that you can start today to build that bridge and start bridging that gap. Write down what your dream role is and get specific. What's the title? The industry? The focus area? Be as specific as you can. And no, being specific does not mean that you're being too picky. If you have questions about that, please let me know. I'm more than happy to tell you. Next thing really Deep the next thing to dive deep is why this role? What values, strengths, or goals does this align with? What gets you excited about that role? What specifically lights you up about it? The next thing is evaluating your current strengths. What skills, achievements, and experiences have you already had that support this and then identify any gaps you need to fill. Are there specific skills? Any certifications? Any visibility or experience to gain in order to propel you to be super confident in your like, what gaps do you have to fill? Specific skills, certifications, visibility or experience to gain? Who do you need to connect with? Think of 5 to 10 folks in your target space and what are the next three steps that you're going to take to make this happen this month? Know that you can start messy, but you can always refine as you go. But just start. If you're stuck, it doesn't mean you're lost. If you're burnt out, it doesn't mean you're broken. And if you've waited years to go after what you really want, it's not too late. This is your permission to pause, reflect, and then move with clarity, purpose and strategy. Your dream job isn't out of reach. You're not done building the bridge yet, and I promise you don't have to build it alone. I'd love for you to send this episode to anyone that needs to hear this news. Any friends who's feeling stuck, please send this to them. And I would love to talk to you one on one. So my I'd also love to chat one on one if you want a little bit more guidance and a little bit more of my input into your specific situation. So feel free to book a free career strategy. Call with me and the link is in the show notes. You've got this and I've got you. I'll see you next week. Hey friend, if this episode gave you an aha moment, I want to hear about it. You can connect with me on LinkedIn. And tell me your biggest takeaway, or. You can even send a message right here in the show notes. And if you're done spinning your wheels and ready to take action, real action, towards a career that excites you, let's talk about it. You can book a free career strategy. Call with me@mycoachgemma.com and let's get you moving forward towards a career that you love. | 00:00:04.240 - 00:11:10.320