WHY CAREER CLARITY IS THE FIRST STEP (AND WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT IT)
- Trie Angeleva, Professor Dream Job
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
If you’re job hunting and feel like you’re running in circles … clarity might be the piece you’re missing.
When you’re about to graduate, it’s easy to feel like the only thing that matters is getting hired. Any job. Fast.
But rushing to apply — without first getting clear on what kind of work fits you — often leads to burnout, rejection or worse: a job that makes you question everything just a few months in.
I’ve coached hundreds of students and new grads. And I’ve lived it too.
So let’s talk about why clarity isn’t fluff — it’s the foundation.
Know that feeling when you’re applying to jobs and hope you don’t get an interview?
Yeah. That’s a red flag. And it’s more common than you think.
It usually means one thing: you’re not clear. Not about what you want. Not about what fits. Not about what this next chapter is supposed to look like.
And if you’re lacking clarity, the rest of your job search stalls or becomes … messy. Misdirected. Maybe even meaningless.
Sneaky Signs You’re Lacking Career Clarity
It’s not always obvious. Clarity doesn’t just mean “I have no idea what I want to do with my life.”
Sometimes it looks like this:
You apply to anything that seems “okay,” but you’re not excited about any of it.
You scroll job boards for hours … then close the tab and do nothing.
You procrastinate on applications — not because you’re lazy, but because your gut’s not in it.
You’re secretly relieved when you don’t hear back.
You say, “I’m open to anything” — but deep down, nothing feels right.
You keep tweaking your résumé, but haven’t stepped back to ask, “For what kind of job?”
You avoid networking because you don’t know what to ask for.
You feel overwhelmed by the idea of continuing your search — so you don’t.
A 2023 Handshake study found that 67% of college seniors report feeling “lost” in their job search — and over half say they’ve applied to jobs they weren’t even interested in, just to feel like they were doing something.
A Story From My Own Search
When I graduated, I had less than half a plan.
I’d always loved writing, editing, media relations — and I loved baseball. So I thought, “Maybe I’ll work in the communications office for a Major League Baseball team.” And I made a few soft attempts to network into that world.
But here’s the part I didn’t acknowledge: I wasn’t ready to live in a big city at 21, working under high pressure with much older colleagues. The idea made my stomach tighten, even as part of me imagined how cool it would be.
Rather than listening to that discomfort — or trying to sort it out — I let the whole thing fizzle. Instead I got a job at a bookstore. And as a hostess at a family restaurant. Keep in mind I didn't have my driver's license yet (a saga for another time) so my parents had to drive me to these two gigs. I was grateful to have work and to have parents willing to cart me around, but otherwise I felt lost and unhappy. This new life was remarkably different from the one I'd left behind at graduation. And the contrast got worse the more time passed.
I didn’t know it back then, but I was sabotaging my future — not out of laziness, but out of fear, confusion and a lack of clarity.
What Clarity Actually Looks Like
Having clarity doesn't mean you craft a perfectly written five-year plan. It’s not a list of job titles you can recite in your sleep.
It’s knowing:
What kind of impact you want to make
What energizes you (and what drains you)
What kind of people, pace and environment you thrive in
Where your strengths align with real-world needs
What you're saying yes to — and what you're okay saying no to
Once you get even some of that figured out, everything changes. You stop ghosting your own goals. You stop shrinking your options. You stop feeling like you’re pretending your way through.
Why Clarity Changes Everything
Once I got clear — about what I actually wanted and what aligned with the person I was at the time — everything shifted. My choices became more confident. My next steps made sense. And opportunities started showing up that fit.
That’s why clarity about our goals, dreams, strengths and purpose is Step 2 of The Love Monday Method. And why it’s one of the most powerful chapters in the 7 Quick Fixes guide.
Because once you know what you want, you stop wasting time on jobs that don’t match. And you start crafting a search that actually works.
Your Launch Starts Here
If you’re a senior who’s still unsure what kind of work fits — you don’t need to have it all figured out. But you do need to pause, get honest and start asking the right questions.
That’s what career clarity is.
And it’s the first — and smartest — step toward work that works for you.
🎯 Download the $7 guide ✨ It’s where clarity — and your bright, dazzling future — begins.
Maria Katrien 'Trie' Angeleva Heslin, MA, MA
Certified Coach, Author & Trainer
Dubbed “Professor Dream Job,” by her students, Trie is a former COO, CIO and founder of Reimagine Monday. She specializes in helping individuals transform their careers and lives through mindful, strategic approaches. Trie developed and taught career success courses at Indiana University, building on her proven methodology, The Love Monday Method. Her latest release, Launch, designed to help new college grads get unstuck in their search and empower their new career, is now available for Pre-Order.
With two Master's degrees, a Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University, six coaching certifications and a deep passion for guiding new graduates and professionals in their prime, Trie supports individuals in navigating their career paths with clarity and confidence, and is dedicated to helping YOU turn your dream job into a reality.
Connect with Trie at trie@reimaginemonday.com.
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