FYPC Podcast Ep. 49: Lindsey Pollak, New York Times Bestselling Author and Workplace Expert

Lindsey Pollak is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading career and workplace experts. She is passionate about helping individuals and organizations navigate and thrive in the ever-changing world of work. Her most recent work, Recalculating: Navigate Your Career Through the Changing World of Work, strives to help people recover and reorient in their vocations following the pandemic. In this episode of the Find Your Passion Career Podcast, we discuss the post-Covid career-scape, the secret side of job-hunting, and the value of hobbies outside the workspace.

Tune in to my conversation with Lindsey to find out how you can recalculate in your career on the Find Your Passion Career Podcast!

Recalculating Your Career

Lindsey’s expertise on dealing with career complications shines in her new book Recalculating. Sometimes we need to find a new route.

“I know I feel sort of comforted when my GPS says recalculating, because there’s another way to get where I want to go. There is a solution, there is another way, and that’s sort of how I got out of the hole I was in when Covid started, and that’s how I advised other people to do it.” 

While the pandemic has been one of the greatest global challenges, Lindsey encourages those who are fortunate enough to have a bright side to this struggle to embrace it. For some professionals, Covid inspired growth. 

“[Covid] was just this huge catalyst for making a change you kind of knew you had to make already.” 

There is plenty of value to be found in forced change, even though that change can often be uncomfortable. Lindsey believes that the pandemic forced some to confront the career decisions they were avoiding, and she advocates for embracing change when appropriate.

Don’t Take Yourself Out of the Game

Lindsey has found that many people, especially those who don’t see themselves well-represented in the business world, preemptively limit their own opportunities. For instance, women are likely to only apply for jobs where they meet all the qualifications, whereas men will apply if they meet the majority of qualifications. 

The secret is, if you do meet all the qualifications for a job, you’re likely overqualified! If you never apply, then you’ve assumed the hiring manager’s job, and rejected your own application. Don’t do that, put in the work, and let them decide if they want to hire you. 

“If you do the work, the magic happens.”

Hobbies Matter

Recalculating reminds us of the value of readjusting versus starting over.

“When your GPS is recalculating, it never says, ‘Sorry, you have to go back to your driveway, and start your entire journey over from the very beginning and erase all the progress you’ve made.’ But that’s not where we are. You never have to completely start over. There are always transferable skills, there are always connections you’ve made, no job or opportunity has to be wasted because it all adds up.”

Lindsey shares how we often fail to use all of our experiences when we interview, believing that old activities don’t constitute meaningful work. For students especially, resumes and interview answers don’t need to be limited to internships and paid positions. 

For Lindsey, working as an RA was a valuable and important role, and she encourages every recent graduate to include their coursework, extracurriculars, service opportunities, and volunteering functions, even if they don’t fit the traditional mold of work experience. 

Especially following the pandemic, no one has had a by-the-books career journey recently, so using nontraditional experiences is even more important and valuable right now.

Find out how you can adopt a re-calculating mindset and transform your career on the podcast.

Download our podcast interview with Lindsey here on iTunes!