Feeling stuck in your career due to burnout? This episode introduces Career Possibility Mapping, a framework to help you explore new career paths.
We discuss four paths: Step Ahead Roles, Adjacent Roles, Bold Pivots, and Wild Cards.
Learn how to evaluate your options and make informed career moves. Perfect for anyone needing a fresh start or simply wanting to explore new possibilities.
You’ve probably tried journaling, updating your resume, doom-scrolling job boards, or taking a career quiz. And still nothing feels right.
That’s because chronic stress compromises your brain’s planning center. It disrupts your motivation system, making even exciting ideas feel like too much.
And when you’ve spent years tying your worth to performance, you lose track of what you want vs. what you’ve been praised for.
That’s why possibility mapping is such a powerful re-entry point. The Career Possibility Map calms the chaos by giving your brain four simple boxes to work with.
It reduces choice overload and gently reintroduces the idea that you have options.
Let’s explore each path.
Step-Ahead Roles: The Predictable Next Step
These are logical, upward moves like promotions, stretch assignments, and title bumps. They often feel safest on paper.
You already know the system. You can probably write the job description in your sleep.
But if your current role is draining you, a step-ahead move might just turn up the volume on the very things burning you out.
So ask yourself whether this move brings more of what energizes you or just more responsibility with less support.
Adjacent Roles: New Context, Same Strengths
These roles let you keep using your core skills but in a different department, industry, or function. This is one of the most underutilized strategies I see, especially for high performers who’ve internalized the idea that quitting = failure.
It rebuilds confidence without requiring reinvention. And it can be a gateway to uncovering what actually fits when you’re not just surviving.
Look at your past work through the lens of transferable value: What problems did you solve? Who benefited? What tools or strategies did you love using?
Now ask: Where else could those matter?
Bold Pivots: Aligned, But Unfamiliar
This is where you start entertaining options that feel more like you, even if they don’t align with your current experience.
Bold pivots often stir up fear, imposter syndrome, financial doubt, or judgment from others. But they also crack the door open to purpose, excitement, and growth.
It stretches your identity in ways that help you evolve, not just escape.
And remember, you’re not starting over… you’re repurposing experience. That matters more than you think.
Wild Cards: The Ones You Don’t Say Out Loud
These are the daydreams. The side projects. The ideas that tug at you when your brain is too tired to perform and just wants to feel again.
They might not be your next paycheck, but they might be the truest version of what you crave.
Wild cards are often where self-trust is rebuilt. They hold creative energy, curiosity, and the ability to reconnect with your own preferences after months (or years) of over-accommodation.
The Overlap
The most powerful, sustainable career paths are usually a blend of 2-3 of these.
A client of mine recently realized her wild card (content creation around home decor) could intersect with her bold pivot (nonprofit work). So she started exploring home staging projects for organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
That one realization cracked open a career path she didn’t know existed.
So look at your own map.
- Can a step-ahead move fund a wild card on the side?
- Could an adjacent shift give you space to test a bold pivot?
- What patterns are showing up across categories?
- Which ideas feel like they could work together?
This is career design in action.
The Possibility Map Exercise
Step 1: Draw four columns (Step-Ahead, Adjacent, Bold Pivot, Wild Card).
Step 2: Brain-dump 3-5 ideas in each.
Step 3: Step back and reflect. What excites you? What overlaps? What could you explore in a low-stakes way?
Then, instead of pressuring yourself to pick the “right” path, ask:
- Which one deserves my energy next?
- What’s the easiest move I can test right now with what I already have?
That’s how we make change doable.
This work goes way beyond resumes and LinkedIn updates. It’s about remembering what matters to you.
Burnout steals your sense of possibility. Career possibility mapping helps you take it back.
And if you want to do that with a coach who’s been there? You know where to find me.
Got thoughts or questions from this week’s episode? Drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! 🫶
Subscribe to start making meaningful changes with every episode.
00:00 Introduction: A Client’s Journey
01:58 Understanding Burnout
05:46 Step Ahead Roles: The Familiar Path
09:23 Adjacent Roles: Redirecting Your Skills
12:25 Bold Pivots: Embracing Change
16:01 Wild Cards: Exploring Your Dreams
18:44 Creating Your Career Possibility Map
21:04 Conclusion: Take Action
I’m Tara Kermiet, a leadership coach specializing in burnout prevention and work-life integration. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re holding it all together with duct tape and coffee. But success doesn’t have to mean running yourself ragged. I help high achievers find work-life balance and shine as badass leaders.
👉 Take my quick quiz to find out where you stand on the burnout spectrum, plus get tailored tips to help you turn things around before it’s too late. Visit: https://tarakermiet.com/free-resources/
😍 If we’re not friends yet on social media, why the heck not? Follow me on Instagram (@TaraKermiet) and/or LinkedIn (@TaraKermiet) so we can stay connected!
🎤 Got a question, a topic you want me to cover, or just want to share your thoughts? I’d love to hear from you! Send me a DM or email.
Stay balanced, stay badass, and make good choices!
Disclaimer: My content is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. For serious concerns, please consult a qualified provider.
