My Dad's Crappy Career Advice

My dad—God love him—was stubborn, loud, often inappropriately fun, and loved attention. Yes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree on this one.

I loved that man.
And he gave me the crappiest career advice ever.

Yep. He did.

When I Asked My Dad for Career Advice

Before my first year of college, I went to my dad with what I thought were great career plans. I was really good at math, designing things, and helping people. I could be a clothing designer. Or an architect.

My dad said:

“Oh no. Clothing design is brutally competitive and would take you too far away from home. And most architects are real A-holes in my book. Do something not so competitive. Not so cut-throat. Something steady, where you can always have a job and stay close to home and family… What about being a pharmacist?”

Wow.

I was blown away.

My dad was my rock. He was the more unconditional of my two parents and the one I was most like in personality and demeanor. My approach to life made sense when I was around him. I just knew he would understand.

Instead, his reaction hurt. I was devastated.
And yes. It was total crap advice.

The Ultimate Last Word

My dad was stubborn (more stubborn than me) and he loved getting the last word.

Just after that conversation, he died.
Dropped dead. Seriously.

Yep. The ultimate last word.

That really sucked. And it hurt. And I was even more devastated.

When No One Has the Answers

My mom was so wounded and angry over his death that she was in no shape to give career advice. She just wanted me to move home.

My sister suggested law school—something she had always wanted to do. And sure, I like to talk and I’m stubborn, qualities lawyers seem to have. But law school held zero appeal to me. No pun intended.

So I sought out college advisors and career counselors, the ones good at testing, assessment, and managing high volumes of students.

And here’s the truth…

The Problem With “Average” Career Advice

Most college and career counseling is based on the law of averages.

The average student sees an advisor once or twice.
Gets average testing.
An average résumé template.
An average cover letter.

Then—out the door.

You end up with an average job.

But is that what you want?

After my dad’s death, I had little financial support and needed to finish college quickly. So my first career was teaching and school counseling. It was safe. Steady. Portable.

I was good at it.
Respected.
Successful on paper.

But it wasn’t me.

I wasn’t making the difference I wanted. I wasn’t creating the life I wanted. And without knowing it at the time, I had fallen into both major categories of crappy career advice.

Crappy Career Advice Category #1: “It’s All About Me”

This advice usually comes from someone who knows you (or thinks they do) and believes they know what you need to be happy, successful, and fulfilled.

It’s advice based on their worldview, their agenda, or their unmet needs.

My dad’s advice fits here.

He saw me as his youngest daughter, his baby, born with wanderlust, stubbornness, and opinions he thought were too liberal. He wanted me close to home and safe.

Not a bad agenda.
Just not my agenda.

And it hurt.

Crappy Career Advice Category #2: “It’s About Everyone Else”

This advice comes from systems, college advisors, recruiters, career counselors, who rely heavily on testing, checklists, and norms.

If you have this degree, this personality, this skill set… then this is what you should do.

It’s based on averages and volume.

But here’s the thing: an individual cannot be average.

One person.
One life.
One dream.
One career.
One purpose.

Mathematically speaking, an individual cannot be an average.
Trust me. I’m good at math.

Why It Was All Perfect (Even Though It Hurt)

That story is brutal. But it was perfect.

Painful? Yes.
Necessary? Absolutely.

One day, walking down the hallway of that safe, steady Plan B job, I had an aha moment. I reconnected with what I wanted and found my way—out of blame, out of pain, and into the work I do now: career coaching.

Doing the Work I Was Meant to Do

Today, I’m in Austin, helping people choose careers from the inside out.

My clients don’t have to waste as much time, energy, and tears getting their professional lives together as I did, and I’m darn good at what I do.

I believe people are talented, powerful, and deserving of support in their career dreams, as long as those dreams aren’t immoral, illegal, or hurtful to others.

And here’s the truth:

Without the pain of being in the wrong career, I wouldn’t understand what it’s like to be drained by work that doesn’t fit, no matter how good it looks from the outside or who encouraged you to pursue it.

The job I could do—but that was doing me in—made me who I am.

If You’re Hurting in Your Career…

If you’re working longer hours without feeling like you belong…
If you’re not making the difference you want…
If you feel stuck, hurt, or devastated…

It’s time to let go of the sucky advice and reconnect with what you want—and get support in creating it.

You are not average.

You are a unique combination of experiences, knowledge, and talent. Even if you’re one of many CPAs or MBAs, you can’t let anyone treat you as average—or you’ll stay stuck.

What you want matters, even if you don’t know how it will all come together yet.

Why Coaching is So Cool

I’m not attached to a specific outcome—only to supporting you in creating your best life. I hold space for you to get clear, plan, dream, and take action.

There is an answer to all the crappy career advice:

#3 The Un-Crappy Solution: “It’s All About You”

Your success.
Your career.
Your life.

Yes, a great career starts with you.