01
Ask a more useful question
A better career move starts with a clearer question: what do you want your working life to make possible? Salary matters, but so do the problems you enjoy solving, the people around you, and the conditions that help you do good work.
02
Name your priorities
Write down what you want more of, what you want less of, and what you want to learn. Separate non-negotiables from preferences. A short list makes it easier to assess a promising role without being distracted by a familiar title.
03
Build an evidence-led story
Turn your résumé into evidence. Describe the situation, your contribution, and the result. Use numbers where you can support them, and explain the significance when a result cannot be measured neatly.
Make the process clear enough for people to participate with confidence.
04
Explore the role behind the title
Prepare questions that reveal the reality of a role. Ask how success will be evaluated, why the position is open, how priorities are decided, and what support is available in the first months.
05
Reflect before deciding
Keep a brief record after each conversation. Patterns in what energises or concerns you can help you make a more deliberate decision when an offer arrives.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
A useful ten-minute exercise
Create three columns: more of, less of, and ready to learn. Add concrete examples from your working life. Circle the two priorities that would most improve your next chapter, and use them to shape the questions you ask.
- Choose your non-negotiables.
- Build an evidence-led career story.
- Ask about the day-to-day reality.
- Assess the opportunity in context.