Senior Master’s (3+ years of experience)
Changing direction after several years of professional experience can be exciting — and surprisingly uncomfortable.
You may be questioning your professional identity, comparing yourself with classmates, reconsidering what you actually want, feeling pressure to make the “right” decision, or wondering whether your next role will simply repeat patterns you were hoping to leave behind.
Your career transition may look different from your first job search. That does not mean you are doing it wrong.
Many in our IE Community have been where you are. We all have faced the challenge of entering the professional world, and all the fears and doubts that come with it.
Concern 1
MYTH: Your professional identity should stay consistent throughout your career.
What the research really shows
Career transitions often involve changes in both what people do and how they understand themselves professionally. [1]
Contemporary careers are increasingly nonlinear, meaning that professional identity can evolve through different roles, industries and career transitions rather than follow one fixed path. [1]
Try this
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Identify 3 strengths you developed before your master’s that you want to take into your next role.
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Write down the professional experiences you are most proud of — not just the job titles.
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Complete this sentence: “I want my next career chapter to be known for…”
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Review your CV and LinkedIn profile. Do they communicate a coherent story about where you are going, as well as where you have been?
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Explore IE’s resources for Career Discovery and Career Change & Career Transition.
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For positioning your experience, explore Personal Branding and LinkedIn Profile.
You are not starting over. You are building on what came before.
Concern 2
MYTH: If your classmates are already getting offers, you are falling behind.
What the research really shows
Job searching does not happen in isolation. People naturally notice the progress, choices and outcomes of others around them.
Research has found that upward social comparisons during job searching can reduce job-search self-efficacy, particularly when people compare their own progress with seemingly more successful peers. [3]
People also enter the job search from different starting points. Research shows that financial pressure, social support and job-search self-efficacy all shape how people search, and not every job seeker starts with the same level of each. [4]
Try this
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Keep track of your own progress: applications, conversations, interviews, feedback and new connections. You can use our Tools to Keep Track of Your Job Search to do this.
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When you catch yourself comparing, ask: “Am I comparing my process with someone else’s outcome?”
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Use classmates who are further along as a source of information and learning, rather than as a measure of where you should be.
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Build conversations into your search. Informational interviews can help you learn how other professionals have reached their current roles and expand your network.
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Explore Informational Interviews and Networking.
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You can also connect with experienced professionals through the resources referenced in Career Change & Career Transition, including Ask IE Alumni and MyJobGlasses.
Their timeline is not your timeline.
Concern 3
MYTH: After several years of experience and a master’s degree, your next career move should be straightforward.
What the research really shows
Your expectations may change once you start engaging with real opportunities, companies and roles. Salary, seniority, hiring timelines, language requirements, work authorization or local market conditions may look different from what you anticipated. [5]
Rejection, slower-than-expected processes or opportunities that do not feel quite right can all be part of refining your direction.
A change in plan does not automatically mean that the original plan was a mistake.
Try this
🔍
Separate what you expected from what you are learning.
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Review your search regularly and ask:
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Be specific about what you are willing to adapt: role, industry, location, timing, salary, language, company type or search strategy.
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Remember that rejection is part of the process, not a judgement of your value. Ask for feedback when you can, write down what you learn from each process, and keep several conversations active so that one "no" does not stop your search.
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Use IE’s Job Market Assessment & Segmentation resources to investigate sectors, roles, locations and market demand.
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To check your salary expectations, explore the Salary Negotiation guide and the HAYS Salary Reports. The Sector Insights and Market Update Sessions can also help you understand what is happening in your sector.
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If you are an international student, check Post-graduation options for working in Spain and visas to understand your options early. To see how AI is changing recruitment, explore AI in Your Job Search.
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You can also explore Career Change & Career Transition, which includes Career Explorer, MBA Exchange and MyJobGlasses.
A different path is not necessarily a wrong path.
Concern 4
MYTH: The most sensible career choice is the one that makes the most sense to everyone around you.
What the research really shows
Career decisions are shaped by a combination of internal, external, interpersonal, institutional and socioeconomic factors. [7]
Research on job-search experiences also shows that financial circumstances can affect how people approach opportunities and how much room they have to compromise during a search. [8]
Career exploration can help people clarify options, reduce uncertainty and connect potential directions with their values and previous experiences. [6]
Try this
📝
Separate what you need to consider from what you want to consider.
Create two lists:
Then ask: “Where do these two lists overlap?”
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Explore IE’s Career Discovery resources for values, motivation and self-discovery.
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You can also use Career Change & Career Transition resources to explore how your existing skills might translate into other roles and industries.
A practical career decision can still be a personal one.
Concern 5
MYTH: Because you have experienced burnout before, your next job needs to have zero stress.
What the research really shows
Burnout is influenced by the relationship between job demands and available resources, meaning that the conditions surrounding work matter — not simply the existence of demanding work. [9]
Research on returning to work after burnout suggests that the quality of the work environment and job-related conditions matter when people are rebuilding a sustainable working life. [10]
A systematic review of burnout interventions found that workplace-directed elements, including addressing workplace factors, may be important for successful return to work; the authors also stress that the evidence base remains limited and heterogeneous. [11]
Try this
🤔
Instead of asking only “What job do I want?”, also ask “What conditions do I need to do my best work sustainably?”
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Use Informational Interviews to assess the organization too, ask professionals what they like and dislike about their jobs, as well as about key tasks, challenges and skills required.
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Some questions you could ask in informational interviews or job interviews:
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You can also use IE’s External Resources page to access tools such as Glassdoor for workplace information.
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Not sure how to explain a career break or a difficult period in interviews? Explore How to Fit Gaps & Negatives.
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If this topic feels heavy right now, you do not have to deal with it alone. IE Counseling Services can support you.
Your previous experience is not baggage. It is information.
Looking after your wellbeing is also part of preparing for your next career chapter. The IE Center for Health & Well-being supports holistic human development to help people lead themselves and others for greater positive impact — an approach that can become increasingly relevant as you move into roles where your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your team are interconnected.
Explore IE Center for Health & Well-being.
And you do not have to navigate difficult moments on your own. IE Counseling Services provides students with a safe and confidential environment and personalized one-on-one psychological support when the job search, a career transition or broader university life starts to affect your mental health.
Learn more about IE Counseling Services.
Want to talk it through? Book a 1:1 appointment with your Career Advisor.
And remember... Your next step doesn't have to look like your last one.
You have already built experience, made decisions, developed strengths and learned what works for you — and what doesn’t. Your master’s is not simply a pause between two jobs. It can be a moment to step back and ask:
Your career is evolving. You are allowed to evolve with it.
