Response to 'Thinking about my next career move'
This post was in response to Thinking about my next career move, which is generally just about "how to figure out what jobs/career move I might like, might be feasible/pragmatic for me, and even just exist".
I'm currently a technical content writer (self-employed) and during some recent job angst, Gemini told me to upskill and look into UX writing. Like you, I get the itch pretty regularly. I'll share my perspective on the first two of your questions.
Any overall life advice or thoughts on that 'something new' itch? Maybe I shouldn't equate it with my career alone?
My overall life and work advice is to work a job that makes you the most money in the least amount of time so that you can use the time for more important things. I'm feeling the pinch of rising prices, but I am looking for a way to increase my income without significantly impacting my schedule.
Because of this priority, I stay in roles longer than I think a lot of people my age do. This probably hurts my earnings; I'm just not so inclined to jump to the next shiny new thing in the context of job hopping.
I do think it's important to keep life fresh and interesting. There are other healthy ways to scratch that itch, though. Learning information, developing skills, and seeking out new places and experiences are all ways to do this.
(Side point: Not too long ago, I came across the idea that some people procrastinate because their life is so monotonous that they try to inject some interestingness by leaving tasks to the last minute. What resonated is that it's healthy to want novelty and variety, but how we fulfill that need matters.)
Do you have general guidance/anecdotes on how to meaningfully explore job/career desires or options?
Every job I've had has been the result of someone coming to me with an opportunity because they thought I would be a good fit. The prerequisite to this is talking with people, aka networking. Talk with acquaintances about work and related interests. Try to have interesting conversations with people.
I also try to keep my LinkedIn updated with skills and experience. From time to time, I look for interesting topics or people to follow there. If a post is particularly insightful or funny, I make a point to comment. Sometimes it surfaces ideas or options that are new to me.
It's not installed on my phone, and I don't put very much time into it at all. It feels gross to suggest putting time into LinkedIn, but it has played a part in discovery and getting at least two roles.