Choose a realistic task.
Find a practice task related to the role: research a company, explain a process, organize information, or prepare questions for a customer conversation.
FREE CAREER-DIRECTION GUIDE · RE:WORK TRAINING
Choose a career with a clearer next step.
Compare the work, your strengths, and the life you need a job to fit. Use a simple exercise to decide what to research before making your next move.
Free for participants. Start at your own pace with community support.
Next: create an account, complete your profile, and begin the Academy’s Kickoff Series.
TRY IT NOW · NO SIGNUP NEEDED
Compare two paths before choosing one.
When choosing or changing careers, investigate the daily work and your constraints together. Copy these prompts into your own notes and compare two roles you are considering.
| Question | Path A | Path B |
|---|---|---|
| What would I do each week? | List three recurring tasks. | List three recurring tasks. |
| Does it fit my life? | Check pay, schedule, location, and access needs. | Check pay, schedule, location, and access needs. |
| What can I already demonstrate? | Name one real example. | Name one real example. |
| What is the gap? | Check credentials, skills, and experience. | Check credentials, skills, and experience. |
| What will I investigate next? | Choose a posting, conversation, or practice task. | Choose a posting, conversation, or practice task. |
A useful first move: Read two current postings for each path and note what repeats. You can research and learn while continuing to work or apply; you do not need to make a major commitment to begin exploring.
01 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Define what matters to you.
Write down your needs for income, schedule, location, benefits, accessibility, and stability. Separate essentials from preferences. Add the kinds of problems you enjoy working on and the environments in which you do your best work.
Use those criteria to compare options. A role that works for someone else may not work for your responsibilities or goals.
02 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Research the work behind the title.
Read current postings from several employers. Notice the repeated responsibilities, tools, and essential qualifications. Then speak with someone who does similar work. Ask what they spend time on, what is difficult, how performance is assessed, and what helped them get started.
For sales roles, distinguish base pay from variable compensation and ask about targets and ramp-up. For any field, compare current, relevant information instead of assuming a broad salary claim applies to you.
03 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Test your interest with a small piece of work.
Find feedback.
Ask a knowledgeable person what is clear, useful, or missing. Respect their time and avoid asking them to evaluate confidential employer material.
Assess the gap.
Identify what you can already demonstrate and what requires further education, practice, credentials, or experience.
04 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Turn the choice into a focused campaign.
Choose a target you can explain, build truthful examples of your value, and pursue suitable openings. Professional relationships can add context and feedback while you continue applying.
re:WORK teaches this career-search process using sales strategy. The Academy helps with research, positioning, communication, and follow-through; it does not provide technical preparation for every occupation or promise a specific income.
REAL PEOPLE · COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Stacy’s next chapter started with a connection.
After years working in a salon, Stacy questioned whether she belonged in a different professional setting. A friend encouraged her to explore re:WORK. In this video, she describes the connection she made through an informational interview and the confidence she built.
Her story gives the practical work a human context: learning, being encouraged, and having a conversation that helps someone see your experience.
This is an individual experience with an earlier re:WORK program. Outcomes and timelines vary; current learning options are described below.
Read the video transcript
Visual context: Stacy speaks to the camera while seated in a bright pink blouse. On-screen captions display her words. Transcript punctuation and the spelling of re:WORK have been standardized for readability.
I had my daughter when I was about 20. And so being a single mom, doing hair, it was easy to bring her into the salon, but it was also challenging. Did that for 15 years, and then COVID hit. That changed everything.
So I had a friend recommend re:WORK, and I said no. I said no. I didn't think I belonged in corporate America. Like, that's not my type. I've been in the salon. So then my good friend just kept on pushing, like, come on, I think you'd be great at it. I'm like, no. It got to a point where my clients wasn't making money, so the first thing to go was their hair. They could just throw on a wig. They didn't need me anymore. So I was like, man, maybe I should take them up on this. And so I reached out, did everything I needed to, and then I was in re:WORK.
I think I got a job before re:WORK ended. I don't think I fully finished re:WORK where I was able to make a connection in the informational interview that I got snatched up.
If I went to a job without re:WORK, they would have said, yeah, you're not qualified. But me going through the re:WORK training, I'm able to be qualified. Having that opportunity and that gateway into a job, you wouldn't find that anywhere else. I honestly believe you wouldn't find that anywhere else.
I've been to different events where there's recruiters there and gravitate to me. I already have a job, but there's other people that's looking for a job. Why are they gravitated towards me when I have a job? I'm not looking. And I think it's re:WORK. It's not a task that I feel like I can't do, and that's thanks to re:WORK.
Oh, for the donors, I would say thank you. Thank you for even considering putting your money and time and effort into people you haven't met. But just know that I thank you for all of us because it wouldn't be possible without you. Sometimes you feel like, is anybody going to even really use this? Just know I'm ever so grateful because I would not be where I am without re:WORK, and re:WORK wouldn't be where they are without you guys. So I thank you for that. Get this work.
QUESTIONS ABOUT GETTING STARTED
A few things to know before you start.
Is the Academy free?
Yes. The Go To Market Career Academy is free for participants. You can begin self-paced learning in MissionXP.
Do I need a degree or sales experience?
Neither is required to begin the Academy. Employers set the requirements for the roles you pursue.
Can I use this guide without joining?
Yes. The guide and exercise are available here without signup. Create a MissionXP account when you are ready to continue with the Academy.
What happens after I create an account?
Complete your jobseeker profile, follow onboarding, and begin the Academy’s Kickoff Series. Self-paced learning is available alongside community support. Staff separately confirm cohort placement and schedules.
FREE LEARNING · YOUR NEXT STEP
Build a plan around your next direction.
Use the Academy to practice professional positioning, employer research, and the conversations behind a focused search.
Start in MissionXP.
Use the account-creation page to get started. If you have an account, sign in.
Give your learning a direction.
Complete your jobseeker profile and follow the onboarding steps.
Take one learning step.
Begin the Kickoff Series, then work through the lessons and practical missions.
Free for participants. Learn at your own pace with community support. Cohort placement, referrals, and employment are not guaranteed.
Prefer structured group learning? Register interest in a quarterly eight-week cohort.
KEEP EXPLORING