People like to think finding the right career is like finding their “perfect match” for life. It’s not.

People often come to us trying to figure out what they should do over the next 10 or 20 years. Others say they want to figure out “the right career” for them.

The problem with all of this is that, as we’ve seen, your plan is almost certainly going to change:

You’ll change — more than you think. The world will change — many industries around today won’t even exist in 20 years. You’ll learn more about what’s best for you — it’s very hard to predict what you’re going to be good at ahead of time.

In a sense, there is no stable “right career for you.” Rather, the best option will keep changing as the world changes and you learn more. Many people we’ve advised would never have predicted the job they’ve ended up doing.

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Outline:

(02:05) The bottom line

(03:54) Don’t “keep your options open”

(04:53) The three key stages to a career

(06:47) Have a longer-term vision

(08:53) Spend longer planning your next steps

(10:34) Working backwards: if you know your long-term vision, work out how to get there

(11:37) Working forwards: look at the opportunities immediately in front of you

(14:17) Have backup options: the ABZ plan

(17:57) Further ways to reduce risk

(20:02) Set a review point

(21:34) Exercise: Apply this to your own career

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