Have you ever visited a new city, state, or country and had the benefit of being led by a Guide?  I’ve enjoyed that benefit…and particularly when contrasted to my past self-exploration mistakes, the Guide not only saved me a significant amount of time, my experience with them increased my appreciation for the location I was visiting!  

Getting Advice

Your career journey, unlike a geographic destination to explore, doesn’t have clear sign posts and locations you’ll want to be sure to visit.  Instead, it’s a much more murky situation, filled with many well-intentioned people trying to give you meaningful advice. And unfortunately much of that advice may not make sense for the path you’re trying to pursue.  Additionally your exploration could encounter some landmines, some inadvertent and some that could be avoided.  Either way, getting advice on how to avoid and/or recover from them could be invaluable.

Increasing the number of Crossroads Guides

One of our 2023 Crossroads Career goals is to dramatically increase the number of Crossroads Guides available to help job seekers and career explorers hear God calling, maximize their potential, and get the right job.  Our Crossroads Guides:

• Are compassionate, competent volunteers who desire to serve others
• Align with our Crossroads Career statement of faith
• Have significant experience with the hiring and recruitment processes
• Have experienced crossroads in their own personal career journey
• Are knowledgeable about the breadth of resources Crossroads Career has to offer
• Stand ready to pray with you about your specific needs

Great Feedback

I had a recent Guide conversation with a former colleague of mine.  Afterwards, she texted me, “Thank you so much for the gift of your time today.  It was validating, thought provoking and energizing.  You create a safe space to be challenged.  And you gave me permission to explore!  You’re the first person who didn’t start the by asking me, ‘What are you looking for?’ or ‘What job do you want?’  Thank you for not doing that.”

I actually can’t remember what questions I did ask her, but I’m glad I didn’t ask her the two she mentioned!  🙂   I share that testimony as an example of what I believe a job seeker / career explorer can expect to gain from talking with one of our Crossroads Guides.

Compassionate, Competent, Godly Counsel

The day after I spoke to my former colleague, I was using the YouVersion app Guided Prayer, and it stated, “Welcome, imagine you are sitting on a bench next to God.  As you sit together, He smiles at you and asks, ‘What’s on your mind?’  Feel free to share with Him whatever you’re thinking!”

Wow!  I had an immediate flashback to a few conversations with a valued mentor who had asked me that same question.  It’s such a fantastically freeing question!  You’re not bound up with anything and you can answer in any way you want!

That’s what I believe you can experience with our Crossroads Guides.  No judgment.  No pre-conceived “standard” answers.  Just compassionate, competent, Godly counsel to help support you along your way.

Proverbs 1:5 states, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance”

So if you’re wondering, “Which way do I go?”  Get a Guide! Take advantage of this free service.  Tell one of our Crossroads Guides what’s on your mind, and get some wise counsel to add to your learning!   Blessings!

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Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.