Is the illusion of security keeping you trapped at your job?

The movie Foxcatcher for which Steve Carrell takes a dramatic turn and received an Oscar nomination is based on the true story of John DuPont. If you are not familiar with the movie, you likely have heard the name DuPont and associate it correctly with one of the oldest, wealthiest families in America.  I just watched The […]

Trapped in Your Career Due To “Certainty”

“I can’t leave my job to something so uncertain.” so spoke a career counseling client who worked at a large corporation in New Haven, CT. “Alyssa” had just finished telling me how much she hated her job.  She didn’t like the people. Several of her co-workers were the adult equivalent of mean girls.  Her boss […]

“You care about your work….” Why meaning and purpose leads to career happiness

“Daryl is different.  He actually cares about what he does…” so said a very successful friend from college to my wife as he explained why he was counting down the days that he could stop working.  By every external measurement, our friend’s work life has been conventionally successful at a scale that is highly rare. […]

Career Counseling Connecticut: The Post Pandemic Career

Some good news about the pandemic: it has shifted several paradigms: 1.) Feeling trapped in a career The Great Resignation has made it more acceptable to leave a job that was not fit. 2.) Feeling the need to maximize money As many have reflected, beyond a certain amount of money that meets basic needs and […]

“Successful” but miserable? You are not alone.

This article caught my eye. It details the misery of those who have top notch jobs. Since the details mirrored my own experiences at a big law firm in Washington, DC and was my impetus for creating Career Counseling Connecticut, I found myself absorbed. I realize that those who are struggling in their careers from […]

Career Lock

“You start doing something and close your eyes long enough, you can’t imagine doing anything else.” a bartender explaining why he still works at a bar despite being an alcoholic in The Numbers Station (a forgettable John Cusack film). That’s what seems to happen to many adults.  They start down a career path that leads to absurd […]

Happy Work is Part of Happy Life

Most people wouldn’t feel sorry for Rick.  He’s made a lot of money in business.  But he was hurting.  I can’t stand going to work.  I feel trapped. My life work has essentially been helping people attain their goals. When I started my first education venture, the focus was on helping young people do well […]

Career Exploration

Only older readers will get this reference.  1980s TV commercial for Hair Club For Men. The founder spends the first couple of minutes extolling the virtues of Hair Club For Men’s toupees. At the very end, the full head of hair spokesperson reveals that he is not only the President of the company but also […]

I am a Fortysomething

Career Change for Fortysomethings Those in their forties who want to change careers often feel the most trapped.  Those in their twenties are still searching and have different challenges but usually do not feel locked into a career path. Those in their thirties definitely feel the beginnings of career handcuffs but most feel that they […]

Career Shift: Meaning and Purpose

When I am asked which book had the greatest career impact for me, I give what others think is a surprising answer: Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl.  Frankl’s true account of his days in a Nazi concentration account presents one of the most compelling demonstrations of the philosophical truth that our lives really are […]