Experimentation is just as valuable for making thoughtful career decisions as it is for any other creative or strategic process. As we outline in our book Job Moves, intentional job switchers approach their next role deliberately, taking on a new position specifically to build long-term momentum in their professional journey, rather than jumping at the first available option.
At this early exploration stage, the purpose of building career prototypes is not to lock in a final job offer. Instead, it is to help you clearly map out what trade-offs you are (and are not) willing to accept to move your career forward in the way you want. Learning, not landing, is the core goal of this exercise.
When you draft mockups of potential future paths, they should cover a wide spectrum: from dream roles you wish existed somewhere in the workforce, to positions you are already actively considering, to entirely new tracks you know little about but are curious to explore. In our experience working with career changers, most people want to stop as soon as they land on one seemingly plausible prototype. But creating the single "perfect" role from scratch is extremely difficult — what position checks every single box on your wishlist, after all? Stopping at just one prototype also sets you up for disappointment down the line: when real-world open roles do not match your exact expectations, you will have no framework to make the compromises needed to keep your career progressing.
Instead, your task is to develop three to five compelling, clearly articulated potential paths. Start by brainstorming a list of roles that check all of your non-negotiable "must-have" requirements. To kick off your brainstorming, try imagining scenarios across these categories:
Your current role, but at a different organization
A promotion at your existing company
A position in an entirely new job function
A role at companies of different sizes and maturity levels (from small startups to large, established enterprises)
A position in a completely new industry
A role you have always found interesting but have never explored seriously
We offer a dedicated worksheet to help you flesh out the details of each of your prototypes. Once you have drafted your options, you can test how accurate and realistic your prototypes are by scheduling informational interviews with professionals who currently work in roles similar to the ones you have mapped out.
Start by leveraging your existing connections: reach out to mentors and contacts in your professional and social networks to ask if they know anyone working in the roles you have prototyped. You can also search LinkedIn directly to find professionals who hold these positions if you do not find a connection through your existing network.
Brainstorm your career ‘must-haves’
