Have you ever caught yourself thinking about doing something different even though your job is stable, your paycheck is good, and everyone around you thinks you've "made it"?

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode, I answer a question I was recently asked in private:

"I have a good job. Why do I keep thinking about something else?"

I share three reasons why this happens more often than people realize, including why increased career awareness can change the way you think about your future, what I call the mid-career awakening, and why your interests, priorities, and goals naturally evolve over time.

This conversation isn't about convincing you to quit your job. It's about helping you better understand why these thoughts show up and how to think about them before making your next career decision.

If you've ever felt guilty for wanting something different even though your current job looks great on paper, this episode is for you.

What career question have you been thinking about but haven't had anyone qualified to ask? Leave it in the comments. Your question may become a future episode.

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_mswcoach

Learn more: macroandpaid.com

Every time you open LinkedIn, someone is telling you what career to pursue next.Go into tech. Learn AI. Get another certification. Go into the trades. Get another degree.But what if constantly chasing the next "hot" industry is actually keeping you behind?In this episode, I explain why today's job market reminds me of fast fashion. Job trends come and go. Industries expand and contract. Hiring priorities shift. If you're making career decisions based only on what's popular today, you may find yourself starting over every few years.Instead of reacting to every headline, I want to show you why understanding labor market trends, identifying long-term opportunities, and making strategic career decisions will always outperform chasing whatever everyone else is talking about.If you've been wondering whether you should go back to school, earn another credential, pivot industries, or simply wait things out, this episode will help you think about those decisions differently.If you're interested in learning more about macro social work careers, download my free e-course at: https://macroandpaid.com/Registration for Cohort 23 of the Micro to Macro Career Accelerator opens in late August. If you're ready to create a long-term career strategy instead of chasing the next trend, schedule your free Get to Know You Chat at: https://macroandpaid.com/Happy macro career planning,Marthea Pitts, MSW

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: https://macroandpaid.com/

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What if the biggest obstacle to building a fulfilling career isn't a lack of opportunities, but the expectations you've been carrying for years?

I call this the expectation trap.

It's what happens when your career decisions become more influenced by what professors, colleagues, family members, or society expect of you than by what you actually want for your life.

In this episode, we explore:

• How other people's expectations quietly shape your career decisions
• Why so many social workers struggle to trust their own instincts
• The hidden cost of pursuing a career that was never truly yours
• How breaking promises to yourself erodes self trust
• Why everyone's definition of career success is different
• Questions to ask before making your next career move

If you've ever found yourself wondering, "Is this what I really want, or is this what I think I'm supposed to want?" this episode is for you.

FREE Macro Social Work Career E-Course
Learn what macro social work actually looks like in the job market today, including employer types, job titles, salaries, and whether licensure is required.
Click here to grab the free e-course: https://macroandpaid.com/

Happy macro career planning,

Marthea Pitts, MSW

#MacroSocialWork #SocialWorkCareers #CareerDevelopment #CareerAdvice #MSW #SocialWorker #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerSatisfaction #Leadership #CareerPlanning

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: https://macroandpaid.com/

-----Have you ever applied for a job, gotten rejected, and immediately started questioning yourself?

I used to do the exact same thing. For years, I internalized every job rejection, every missed opportunity, and every closed door as a reflection of my worth.

I viewed it as proof that I wasn't good enough, smart enough, or qualified enough.

But over time, I adopted a belief that completely changed my outlook on my career: Everything in your career happens for a reason.

In this episode, I share the personal experiences that taught me this lesson, including the one job I desperately wanted for years that ultimately became the worst job of my life.

We'll also talk about:

• Why career rejection is not a character flaw

• How to stop internalizing closed doors

• Why some opportunities are actually protecting you

• How faith has shaped my career journey

• Why the jobs you don't get can be just as important as the jobs you do get

• How to trust the process even when it doesn't make senseIf you're currently navigating a career transition, feeling discouraged by job rejections, or questioning your next step, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about macro social work careers by grabbing my free e-course at: https://macroandpaid.com/

Happy macro career planning,

Marthea Pitts, MSW

#MacroSocialWork #CareerDevelopment #CareerTransition #SocialWorkCareers #MacroSocialWorker #MSWDegree #CareerAdvice #CareerGrowth #JobSearch #ProfessionalDevelopment

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: https://macroandpaid.com/-----As social workers, many of you entered this profession with career dreams that looked very different from the ones you ended up with.Maybe you wanted to become a lawyer or a judge, or to work directly within the legal system, but life took you in another direction. In my new YouTube video, I explore how your original dream may not be as far away as you think. You'll learn how to leverage your social work/case management experience, working in and alongside courts, attorneys, judges, and justice-impacted communities, to pursue systems-level (macro social work) jobs that influence policy, programs, funding, advocacy, and organizational decision-making without becoming a lawyer or going back to school. If you've ever wondered whether you missed your opportunity to do the work you originally envisioned, this video will help you see your experience through a different lens. Your career dream doesn't have to die; it just has to evolve.Happy macro career planning,Marthea Pitts, MSW

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://macroandpaid.com/⁠

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If you've ever applied to job after job, done everything you were told to do, and still ended up with nothing to show for it, this podcast episode is for you.

The truth? You were sold a lie. A lie that says getting a job is simple. That if you just get the degree, stack the certifications, and hit apply, job opportunities will come.

But that playbook is broken, and the longer you hold onto it, the further behind you fall.

In this episode, I'm breaking down why the societal oversimplification of job searching and career navigation is hurting you more than it's helping you, and why your struggle has never been about your intelligence, your worth, or your work ethic.

We're talking about why the step-by-step process the generations before you used no longer applies, how the world of work has shifted faster than most people realize, and why using job search strategies that are even six months old could be costing you real job opportunities.

Whether you're actively job searching, trying to figure out your next move, or just feeling stuck in a career that isn't going anywhere, this conversation will change how you see the process entirely.

Hit play, because the first step to getting unstuck is acknowledging that there is a process, and you deserve to know what it actually is.

Happy macro career planning,

Marthea Pitts, MSW

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://macroandpaid.com/

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If you've ever felt underpaid, underutilized, or just plain stuck in your career, this episode is your wake-up call.

The truth? You're probably using a job selection process that was designed for a workforce that no longer exists.

In this episode, I'm breaking down Career Clarity, the first and most skipped step in securing employment that actually fits you.

We're talking about how to identify the work you genuinely want to do daily, how to align it with your long-term goals, and how to get crystal clear on the population and issues you're called to serve.

Whether you're a new grad or 10 years deep into a career that's draining you, this framework applies.

Hit play and let's get to work, because your next career move starts with this conversation.

Happy macro career planning,

Marthea Pitts, MSW

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: ⁠⁠⁠https://macroandpaid.com/

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: ⁠⁠https://macroandpaid.com/

Ready to learn more about macro social work careers? Grab my free e-course at: ⁠https://macroandpaid.com/

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I Know You’re Worried About Everything Going On in the Job Market Right Now

And honestly, you’re not wrong for feeling that way.

There’s a lot being said right now about layoffs, AI, and what it all means for your future.

It’s loud, it’s overwhelming, and it can have you questioning everything. Your life decisions, career path, your degree choice, and your next career move.

So this episode isn’t a lecture. It’s a real conversation.

I’m validating what you’re feeling, but I’m also giving you a perspective that you’re probably not hearing anywhere else.

Because while everyone is focused on fear, I need you to understand that you are not the average job seeker.

And the way you’ve been taught to think about “being humble” might actually be the very thing holding you back in the job market.

We’re getting into all of that.

If you’ve been in your head about what’s next, click play.

Happy macro career planning,

Marthea Pitts, MSW