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Should I stay or should I go?
Values-based coaching questions for your tech career: a three-step process.
A common topic that technologists come to coaching for is to figure out if they should stay in their current job, start looking for a new position (inside or outside of their current company), or if they should transition to a new line of work entirely.
Sometimes you feel stuck, burned out, or at a crossroads. You may have drifted away from the main reasons that got you into technology in the first place. You might be looking for more meaning, opportunity, growth, and recognition in what you are doing.
Whatever brought you to this place, you want to align your life so that it fits you. Either by revitalizing your current position or shifting to something new.
How do I figure this out?
In this three-step process, you’ll 1) uncover, 2) distill, and 3) live into your values, which provides a basis for making an intentional decision.
One powerful way I work with clients on career decisions is by helping them explore and lean into their core values. Values, in coaching, are the qualities that define you at the core of your being. Without these values, you wouldn’t be you.
Together, we explore what matters most to you, where you feel most alive, and what you want to prioritize. For some clients, this process helps them find new purpose and energy in their current job. For others, it brings clarity about what needs to change.
Here’s a look at the approach:
Step 1: Uncover
We look at moments in your life when you felt in flow, when something important was stepped on, and when others have reflected your strengths back to you. These reflections often surface themes that point directly to your core values.
Step 2: Distill
Once you’ve gathered a list of possible values, we work together to group and name them in a way that feels memorable and personal. Clients often walk away with a clear set of 4-5 core values they can use as a decision-making filter.
Step 3: Live Into
Then we explore how those values are currently being honored or ignored in your present role. From there, we look at opportunities to realign, shift, or take intentional action. This part of the work often includes perspective shifts, small experiments, or bigger changes, depending on what you discover.
In Conclusion: What’s your next move?
Whether you’re considering staying, leaving, pivoting, taking a sabbatical, or retiring, this kind of reflection can help you move with intention. You’ll want to think about both the logistics, such as finances, relationships, timing, and support, and the deeper layers, like what you value, how your identity is evolving, and what you still want to create or contribute.
When your next move is grounded in your values, you’re more likely to feel clear, energized, and purposeful. No matter which direction you take.
Living Your Values = Living on Purpose
This process isn’t just about your job. It’s about designing your life from the inside out. Your work supports who you really are, rather than shaping you into someone you’re not.
Let your values lead.
Thinking It Through?
If you’re sitting with questions about staying, leaving, or simply wanting more from your work and life, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
This is exactly the kind of stuff I work on with clients.
If you’re curious, let’s have a conversation. No pressure, just a chance to explore what’s on your mind and see if coaching might be a good fit.
And if you’d like the full worksheet version of this process, send me a note. I’d be happy to share it with you.
A Note From Your NYC Personal Life Coach, Whenever You’re Ready
If something here resonated and you’d like support as you sort through what comes next, I’m here. I’m an online life coach based in New York City, working with people across the United States on mindset, clarity, and joyful personal growth.
Reach me anytime at [email protected].
We can start with a short consultation to help you get clear on one meaningful next step.
For Further Reading
Check out this blog post on Boundaries for Success
Or this PDF on Values Based Decision Making from UC Davis