Tommy Chiodo, M.Ed.

Most people are unsatisfied with their job. For 13 years I was one of those people. My last job in the high-tech industry was with a startup company that was on track to go public. I had a management position with a good salary and founder's stock. I was on the fast track to the American dream of success...and I was miserable. It was no fault of the company, management or industry; early in my career I was simply sucked into the American dream and made poor career choices without really knowing who I was or what I should do with my life. When I left that job I went through several months of clinical depression which brought me to realize that the classic American dream is not my dream. I emerged from that dark-night-of-the-soul with a new perspective on life and career, and with the resolve to pursue a personally meaningful career path, which for me meant helping others find meaning in their lives and the work they do.
In pursuing my master degree in career counseling I was primarily taught how to use extrinsic resources such as vocational testing and assessment of market opportunities to advise individuals in their career discernment. It wasn’t until several years into my new vocation as a career counselor that I was introduced to a little book by Parker Palmer titled Let Your Life Speak, and then later to the principles and practices of Courage Work, founded by Dr. Palmer. It was in that context that I found that intrinsic factors are the best resources for discovering one’s purpose in life and discerning a meaningful career. Courage Work is based on the conviction that each of us has an inner teacher, a voice of truth, that offers the guidance and power we need to discern our life’s path. The principles and practices of Courage Work provided me the environment and opportunity to take a journey inward, into my own heart and soul, where I discovered my innate gifts and ultimately my life’s purpose.
In my practice, True-Self Career Services, I approach career discernment primarily as an inward journey rather than relying so much on extrinsic resources. After over two decades of career counseling and coaching I have learned that, while self-assessment instruments and an awareness of the world of work can be valuable tools, the real answer to what we are to do with our lives is found within. Further, I have discovered that knowing our true-selves and what motivates us are powerful tools in selling ourselves in the workplace.