Taking a Step Back to Leap Forward
In this newsletter, I wanted to discuss the unexpected benefit of taking a step back or taking a break from the grind of advancing your career. Whether it is applying for jobs and interviewing in this difficult job market to potentially experiencing burnout at your job, balancing multiple competing priorities, modern-day careers are not for the faint of heart.
I remember when I was applying endlessly to entry-level jobs when graduating and was “brute forcing” my way through the process, going through what felt like the entire LinkedIn and Indeed databases. I had an extensive Excel spreadsheet where I would track all the companies I applied to and never heard from again. At times it felt like Groundhog Day, waking up and doing the same tasks, tweaking my cover letter and resume and sending out tons of applications just to feel like at times, what is the point, things are never going to change…
I can sometimes be too disciplined to my own detriment and can tend to have the mindset that, I just have to apply to one more job, even if it might not necessarily be a good use of my time. Finally, one day I reached my limit, I knew I had to take a step back and take one day off from the constant process of applying for jobs and try something new. I knew the end goal had to be to get a job but sometimes we can get so fixated on the process being one specific way. This is the benefit of taking a step back, whether it is taking a day off or a year to do something different, in the form of a career sabbatical, there is value in shifting from your routine.
Instead of applying for jobs that day, I decided to attend a Healthcare Hackathon. This event was all about bringing people together from various backgrounds in healthcare from clinicians to developers, to solve a healthcare problem. Not only was this event a great opportunity for me to learn about some of the digital problems that exist in my local healthcare system but it was a great opportunity for me to expand my network and connect with people, to who I am connected to this day. Another example of this is instead of my usual routine, I decided to submit my graduate research to a poster competition and at this event, I met someone interested in my research and eventually offered me a job opportunity.
These two examples show that when we can take a break from our usual routine and look for alternative solutions, not only does it refresh us and can help us restart the process but there are several unintended positive outcomes that can occur from trying something new.
In a previous newsletter, I mentioned that I went through a career transition recently and this has been a learning process for me because I am developing new skills, in the form of executing a project from ideation to execution. Going through a career transition is never easy and can illuminate feelings of imposter syndrome. I was privileged enough to take a step back and travel to New Zealand, which has been on my bucket list ever since I first watched Lord of The Rings, in 2001!
Me at Hobbiton, in my rightful hobbit home
Solo travelling to New Zealand was an amazing experience and exceeded my expectations as a vacation but it also helped me to feel more confident in myself and mentally resilient. This step back has helped me to get back into the grind of work with a different perspective. As we move into the holiday season, I hope you can take a step back and think of an alternative approach to an issue or challenge you might be experiencing, with fresh eyes.
Resources
Job Board: https://healthtechpulse.softr.app/
List of Digital Health Conferences upcoming in 2025: https://qubika.com/blog/list-of-digital-health-health-it-medtech-conferences/
Epic: https://epic.avature.net/Careers/FolderDetail/Verona-Wisconsin-United-States-Software-Developer-Intern-Summer-2025/25624
General: https://blog.diversifytech.com/internship-opportunities-in-software-engineering-data-design-and-information-technology/#g13dd6bc26122