Ride a Donkey. Search for a Horse. Make the Most of What You’ve Got While Looking.
Powerful, ancient Chinese wisdom right here: 騎驢找馬 (qí lú zhăo mă) literally translates to “Ride a donkey. Search for a horse” because it is much easier to go after a horse while on a smaller mount like a donkey than on foot. 🐎💨 🫏
RIDE THAT DONKEY
This proverb is a bit of advice I give to anyone currently employed who is looking to change careers or change jobs if it’s possible to keep working there*.
Because professional paid experience weighs more than being a freelancer, working at an internship or side projects, use it to your advantage. Make the most of what you have to learn new skills, develop existing ones, take on a new challenge, or even network. We’ll look at different scenarios below the note in the next section. 👇
*NOTE: If you are burnt out or bullied, disrespected or completely disengaged, please take care of yourself. If staying has diminishing returns, consider leaving, but do what makes the most sense for you.
FIND THAT HORSE
Is it a new job in the same field?
Take a moment to think about what your next job will look like.
📦 Even if you’re not ready to make a move just yet, take a look at a typical job description and take inventory of what is required.
🕳️ Based on the requirements, consider what gaps exist between your current abilities and what is needed for a future role.
🔍 Actively look for opportunities to work on improving that skill—ideally at work, so you’ll be equipped to put it on your resume and talk about it during an interview.
Is it a brand new career?
I’m a firm believer that with the right core competencies, most people can excel at nearly any job. It comes down to what they want to spend 2,080 hours a year doing. With that said, it may be possible to leverage your current role for your future role in a different career path.
🧺 Within your own domain and daily responsibilities, find ways to integrate tactics, frameworks, strategies, etc from your desired career. This way, you can talk about those skills in an interview as something you’ve already done in the past (as opposed to something brand new you have to learn.)
🙌 Stretching outside of your responsibilities, and work with your manager and colleagues (if possible) to try tasks that will exercise the skills in your desired career.
💡 Gather data and make a case for the need of a new role—and how you’re the best person to fill that position. This shows that you’re interested, driven, and thinking of the company’s future and how you can contribute towards it.
WHILE ON FOOT
Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of a donkey. Maybe you’ve just graduated or you were laid off. Perhaps you were burnt out and weren’t going to waste another modicum of effort on that job. It’s totally okay.
Chasing a horse on foot is still very feasible. It just requires a slightly different approach. Other than the standard “update your resume” advice and apply diligently, also consider ways to:
Level up your skills
💪 If it’s within your budget, take a course to level up your skills or start building new ones relevant to your [desired] line of work. There are lots of resources for all sorts of skills!
Volunteer work or projects
👏 Especially helpful if you’re looking to build a portfolio, consider Hackathons, volunteer projects, etc. This allows you to exercise or practice your skills for a good cause while also networking.