Fighting against career fit
You know what surprises me every single week? That one of my posts keeps stealing the spotlight, time after time. (Not that I’m complaining—let’s be honest) The post is: "Is your professional identity multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary? And why that matters to the future of work."
Created by DALL-E
The premise of the post is simple- people don't know their professional identity, and you need to know if you have a single, multiple, or hybrid identity to find where you belong in the workforce.
When I wrote this post, I thought, “Sure, it’s a decent post,” but the response? With 135 likes and counting, the comments keep rolling in. Here's a peek:
Faith said: "My goodness... This really sums up the challenge of having to "unpack" my professional identity without needing to reduce/ discard any key components. Excellent writing!"
And Jesutomiwo wrote: "Wow! This piece is so profound! It has given me a new look at my career trajectory."
Okay, first of all, thank you, Faith and Jesutomiwo!
But seriously, why does this post keep hitting home? It’s because we live in a world that’s obsessed with fitting people into little boxes—boxes that never seem to fit quite right. Hence, I take major issue with the word fit ,and I'm working on shifting our language in my next book from career fit to career belonging. More to come.
Being an "All of the Above"
Here’s the thing: many of us are an “all of the above”. We’re those people who get excited about crossing boundaries, combining skills, and creating our own mash-up identities. We’re complex (in the best way possible).
In fact, being a hybrid professional isn’t just a quirky trait but a strategic advantage in the future of work. It allows for adaptability, innovation and cross-functional boundary spanning—skills that are more in demand than ever.
To borrow a fabulous graphic from Bethany Crystal, many of us are in the "all of the above" category.
Which means...we are complex, our careers are complex, and understanding who we are and where we belong in the workforce requires a lot of sense making about our selves so we can communicate our value.
What to do when we don't fit?
So, what do you do when you don’t fit? When your professional identity spills out of that box? We can learn from my friend Yael Gavish, who shared her journey in a post called "On fitting into boxes when you don't have to." (I highly recommend reading her post because she explains her journey beautifully.)
I was so moved by that I jumped on a Zoom with her, and we had one of those “wow, I needed this” conversations.
Yael spent 7 years unlearning what she thought she should be, and discovered who she truly is—an artist, a writer, and a technologist.
We often underestimate the amount of time it takes to come to know ourselves and recover our inner truth. (Back to my remark about sense making).
Yael denied her artist and writer identities for most of her life in order to fit into other boxes. Now, she's created a space where all of her identities can show up, and she's sharing her story and process with others.
Three takeaways if you're someone who doesn't fit
If you’re thinking, “Hey, this sounds like me!” here are three steps to help you embrace your wonderfully messy, multi-everything, hybrid professional self:
Get clear on your professional identity- do you have a single-focus person, a multitasker, or a hybrid? How does that suit your aims and ambitions for your career?
Tune into your inner voice- Listen to that little voice inside that says, “This is what I want to do.” Make friends with it. Ask it how you want to be truly seen, known, and valued. Use those answers to give you new guidance.
Start crafting (or smashing) your own box- Create a space where all your unique skills and passions belong. Because, as Yael showed me, the world is a lot more interesting when we make room for all of who we are.I'm super stoked to share her offering with you.
Take a peek at this job posting that is geared toward a hybrid professional! There are jobs who need people like you. Don't lose hope that they're out there.