Bob Moesta, co-creator of the Jobs to Be Done framework, recently published a new book, Job Moves. Drawing from interviews with over 1,000 people about their career transitions, it offers a practical playbook for career development. In our conversation, we discuss:
• The four different “quests” that drive career changes
• Why job features (salary, title) matter less than experiences
• How to identify what gives you energy vs. drains you
• The power of taking a “jobcation”
• A template for crafting your career story
• Tips for hiring and retaining great talent
• The importance of prototyping potential careers
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments: https://www.geteppo.com/
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny
• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster: https://oneschema.co/lenny
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-find-work-you-love-bob-moesta
Where to find Bob Moesta:
• X: https://x.com/bmoesta
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmoesta/
• Website: https://www.jobmoves.com/
• Podcast: https://pca.st/gg6goo1n
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Bob’s background
(05:10) Bob’s new book, Job Moves
(09:31) Job features vs. job experiences
(11:16) Four reasons people leave jobs
(17:20) Energy drivers and energy drains
(31:05) Prototyping your next job
(34:32) Pushes and pulls
(40:01) Understanding that no job is perfect
(43:18) Taking a jobcation
(51:22) Finding the right next step
(55:18) Navigating job applications and interviews
(58:28) How to craft your career story
(01:04:04) Strengths and weaknesses: leveraging your superpowers
(01:06:21) Hiring and writing job descriptions
(01:11:20) Self-awareness and founding a startup
(01:21:24) Conclusion and final thoughts
Referenced:
• The ultimate guide to JTBD | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-jtbd-bob-moesta
• Ethan S. Bernstein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanbernstein/
• National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice
• Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career
• The Story Spine (also known as Pixar’s Story Structure): https://www.storyprompt.com/blog/the-story-spine-also-known-as-pixars-story-structure
• Tobi Lütke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiaslutke
• Job Moves resources: https://www.jobmoves.com/resources
• Why Employees Quit: https://hbr.org/2024/11/why-employees-quit
Recommended book:
• Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career: https://www.amazon.com/Job-Moves-Making-Progress-Career/dp/0063283581
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.