Herminia Ibarra
A side project, temporary assignment, or volunteer role offers a way to test a new working identity before a permanent career move.
You discover your new professional identity by testing reality through small experiments rather than waiting for an epiphany through introspection.
We do not possess one fixed true self waiting to be found, but rather a multitude of possible selves to explore and evaluate in the real world.
Embracing the chaotic transition period between old and new identities is a necessary phase where you tolerate ambiguity without rushing to premature closure.