It was a dark and stormy night…

My boyfriend was sitting across from me.

The candlelight created monstrous shadows across our faces.

We stared at each other.

Then his throat gurgled as he started to choke.

Okay, pause. How did we get here? Isn’t this a career newsletter?

Yes, and if you keep reading you’ll find out how to avoid the mistakes that almost killed my boyfriend - and use this knowledge to grow your career.

So let’s keep going, shall we?

It was a dark and stormy night…

But we were surrounded by people in my favourite restaurant.

We ordered my favourite dishes. “Just get me whatever you like, and I’ll eat it,” he told me.

Mistake number 1.

Don’t commit to something just because someone told you to.

How many times have you felt pressured to pursue a certain career?

“You must be a doctor, a lawyer, get a stable government job. Make lots of money so you can live happily.”

But will you truly be happy in a career you hate? Even if it pays a lot, you also have to pay - with worsening mental health.

That’s why you need to ask yourself what you truly like to do.

A lot of EntryLevel students I’ve talked to actually wanted high-paying jobs because they craved freedom. They wanted money to travel, to work flexible hours, and to feel like their work is fulfilling.

This doesn’t mean you need to be the next billionaire.

You just need some clarity - and separate your desires from everyone else’s.

💡 Here’s how

Get clear on:

• What type of company you want to work for (remote startup, big company, your own company, freelancing)

• What type of work you want to do (being a generalist vs specialist)

• What industry you’re passionate about (finance, healthcare, education, etc.)

Psst: we have a tech career quiz to help you decide: https://www.entrylevel.net/quiz

Now, back to uncovering the mistakes that almost got my boyfriend killed…

We were sitting at my favourite restaurant. It was our first date, so small talk was awkward.

(Yes, I almost killed him and we’re still together 5 years later. Talk about dedication.)

Finally, the food arrived.

“Wow!” He exclaimed, “this looks amazing!”

He dug in immediately. “It’s delicious,” he managed to say in between shovelling food in his mouth.

Can you guess what his second mistake was?

Try it out before going all in.

Yup, his mistake was that he ate his food immediately.

Maybe he thought I wouldn’t have the guts to poison him.

(Keep reading to find out what actually happened.)

But I see this mistake all the time in the workplace.

People are unhappy - stuck in their jobs because they went all-in on a career they ended up disliking.

And that’s why online courses are so popular.

Everyone wants to upskill and reskill so they can change into a better career.

You’re forced to pick a life path when you’re young. Going to a good school, getting a good degree, and finding a secure job - all of that doesn’t truly matter, does it?

What matters is what makes you feel fulfilled. What makes you happy.

And how do you find what career will make you happy?

That’s right. You try many different things before going all in on one that you like.

💡 Here’s how

You can “sample” different careers at a free or low cost, so you don’t make the most costly mistake of your life:

1. Research possible careers

2. Learn about a “day in the life” of people in those careers - whether by doing cold outreach on LinkedIn or listening to our Careers Wiki podcast

3. Take a few online courses in different roles (design, product, marketing, data, etc.)

4. Create a portfolio project (EntryLevel’s courses all have a portfolio component)

5. Get more experience (internship, freelance, or volunteer)

Bonus: leverage your previous experience to apply to your target career

Back at the restaurant, things were going wrong.

My boyfriend clutched at his throat. He was choking, even after all his food was chewed and swallowed.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He composed himself and took a sip of water. It was a first date, after all.

“I’m fine,” he said. He put his cup of water down a bit too hard, and water spilled on our table.

“Okay…” I was skeptical, but I didn’t know what I could do to help. He wouldn’t tell me what happened, so I couldn’t do anything.

This was his third mistake.

Know when to ask for help.

You’d think almost dying would make my boyfriend ask for help.

Nope.

And this is actually pretty common.

You feel alone in the job search.

Everyone on LinkedIn is celebrating their work anniversary, a new position, or a promotion.

Meanwhile, it seems like every day you get rejected for a position you don’t even remember applying for.

But you’re not alone.

There are so many people (myself included) who care and want to help you succeed.

That’s the whole reason why EntryLevel exists.

Our mission is to reskill 1 billion people by 2030.

(If you click the link, make sure to say hi to our awesome team members - all of us care about your success!)

💡 Here’s how

Best ways to ask for help:

1. Know what you need help with - be specific! (Learning, portfolio, resources, networking, interviews - the topics are endless)

2. Know who can best help you (free mentorship at ADPList, for example)

3. Ask them good questions (like our Q&A sessions with experts)

4. Apply their advice if it’s relevant

5. Report back on the impact of your actions

By the time our date was over, my boyfriend was not doing too well.

We parted ways, and he never did tell me what was going on…until years later.

Apparently, he has a cashew nut allergy.

And the dish I ordered for him had a LOT of cashews.

*facepalm*

Hopefully you learn from my boyfriend’s mistakes, so his suffering can be a lesson for you:

1. Don’t commit to something just because someone told you to

2. Try it out before going all in

3. Know when to ask for help

P.S. for all the hopeless romantics out there, this is what my boyfriend said after reading this article: “what can I say, I was willing to die to make you fall for me.”

If this inspired you to take action but you’re still not sure where to start, we have a job search checklist for you.

But it’s only available in the next few days if you enrol in our programs. After paying the commitment bond, you’ll get the PDF emailed to you for free (we’ll be charging for it after this week). Deal expires November 27, 2022.

Enrol in a program now to grab your checklist.