Read the Market.
Test your hypothesis against reality - through people, not just postings.
Job descriptions show what the market wants; coffee chats show what the work is actually like. Expect to revise your hypothesis - that's the point. You're buying clarity at the cheapest price it will ever be.
~3h · 3 exercises
- Your goal: put your hypothesis in contact with the real market and revise it with evidence.
- Two channels: job descriptions (what the market wants) and coffee chats (what the work feels like).
- Expect revision - that's the win, not a failure.
- At least 5 job descriptions are logged with excitement scores and gaps.
- At least 3 coffee chats are completed and logged with next steps.
- My synthesis is filled in.
- My hypothesis 2.0 is written, with the reason.
Step by step
The lessons in this module
Work through each exercise in order. Every step has guidance, prompts, and a place to reflect — inside the hub or on paper.
- 1
3.1 Role Scan
~60 minCollect 5–7 real job descriptions in your target zone and log each.
Find **5 to 7 real job descriptions** in your target zone. For each, log: role title + link · **excitement (1–5) and why** · skills the role requires · **AI signals** (how does it mention AI, explicitly or between the lines?) · your transferable strengths for it · **your gaps** · next step to learn more.
At the end, **name the patterns** across all the roles: titles, skills, language, salary signals.
- 2
3.2 Coffee Chats
~90 minHold 3–5 conversations. Warm-up → role & org → advice → next step.
**Three reliable openers**: 'How did you get into this work?' · 'What skills help someone thrive on your team?' · 'If you were in my shoes, what would you explore next?'
**Always ask how their team uses AI day to day.** To close: 'Based on what you know about my interests, **who else should I talk to** — and could you **introduce me to one person**?' **Every conversation ends with a next step.**
- 3
3.3 Synthesis & Hypothesis 2.0
~25 minStep back. What is the market telling you?
**Step back** from the roles and the conversations. **What is the market telling you?** Look across your role scans and coffee chats for **patterns** — words that keep showing up, doors that opened easily, doors that didn't. Then **update your hypothesis**: keep what's holding, cut what isn't, and name what to test next.
- Reread your synthesis: which pattern would you bet on?
- The most useful sentence anyone said in a coffee chat: write it somewhere you'll see it.
Ready to put pen to paper?
Download the full Career Confidence workbook with the worksheets for this module — or sign in to complete them inside the hub with your coach.