The power of Self-Knowing in your career

written by Pippa Rauch

When it comes to career success, we often hear about hard work, ambition, networking, or even luck. But beneath all of that lies something quieter and more foundational: self-knowing.

Self-knowing is the practice of becoming an expert on yourself. It is knowing and exploring your strengths, your values, your interests, your limits, and the environments where you do your best work. It’s the inner compass that helps you navigate not only what choices to make, but how to thrive once you’ve made them.

Choosing a study path, saying yes to a job, or deciding to make a change in your career can feel overwhelming if you’re only looking outward such as looking at the scouring LinkedIn, or what your peers are doing. These things matter, of course, but they don’t tell you whether the choice will actually be right for you. When you know yourself, you can filter these options through a lens that grounds you. It’s no longer about “What’s the best job out there?” but rather, “Which direction aligns with my energy, my values, and my vision of a meaningful life?” That shift takes the pressure off trying to find the one “perfect” choice and gives you the confidence to choose a path that fits who you are.

Self-knowing doesn’t stop being important once you land a role. In fact, it becomes even more valuable. When you understand your natural strengths, you can lean into them and build a reputation around what you do best. When you’re clear on your values, you can make choices that keep you grounded and resilient in difficult seasons. And when you know what environments bring out the best in you, you can advocate for yourself and create conditions where you can flourish. Self-knowing gives you agency. Instead of your career being something that just happens to you, it becomes something you can shape with intention.

It’s important to remember that self-knowing isn’t a one-time event. It’s a lifelong practice of paying attention to what excites you, what drains you, what feels meaningful, and how you are changing as you grow. Careers, like people, evolve. The more attuned you are to yourself, the better equipped you are to adapt with courage and clarity.

So whether you are standing at the crossroads of your first big study decision or navigating a mid-career shift, start with the question: What do I know about myself right now? That question is where your compass begins.

If you’d like to begin exploring, here are a few journal prompts to get you started:

●      When do I feel most energised, alive, or “in flow”?

●      What kinds of work or activities drain me, even if I’m good at them?

●      Which values do I want my career to reflect and honour?

●      What do I most want to contribute to others or the world through my work?

●      What kind of environment helps me feel safe, motivated, and able to thrive?

Take a few minutes to write your thoughts, without pressure to find the “right” answers. Over time, these reflections become the compass points that help guide your decisions and shape a career that feels true to you.

Because in the end, career success isn’t just about what you do. It’s about building a life and a path that is true to who you are.

If you’d like support in deepening your self-knowing and using it as a compass for your career, I’d love to be your Career Thinking partner. You can reach out to me anytime to explore this together.