The Square Peg in a Round Hole

What’s one good habit you’ve picked up lately?

For me? I’d say listening to podcasts.

I’ve always loved reading and will always love my books, but there’s something transformational about hearing people share their stories in their own voices. This morning, while commuting to work, I heard a podcast guest say something that made me go, yessss!:

“I work best in roles that let me play to my strengths.”

That struck me.

It made me pause and reflect on how often we try to shape ourselves to fit into roles. Instead of finding roles that fit us. We spend so much time trying to be what the job demands, what the industry expects, what the market values… and in the process, we sometimes forget that we already have something valuable to offer.

I get the whole work-life balance conversation. And yes, there’s often this idea that we should separate who we are from what we do. But what if the real question is: how much of ourselves are we bringing into our work? Not just our skills, but our personalities, our quirks, our natural strengths, the things that come effortlessly to us.

When you’re looking for a new role, are you just chasing what sounds good on paper? Or have you reached a point where you genuinely understand who you are, what you enjoy doing, and what sets you up for success?

I’ve been there.

I studied microbiology, so naturally I assumed my path was set. Lab work, research, maybe pharmaceuticals. And I did work in a lab for a couple of months. It wasn’t bad, to be fair. But deep down, I knew I loved writing. I loved taking pictures. I loved creating.

I would light up when I got to tell stories or bring ideas to life visually.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that these weren’t just hobbies. They were clues. Skills like storytelling, visual thinking, and curiosity about how people interact with things turned out to be incredibly valuable in product roles.

Even more than that, I discovered I love bringing people together. Whether it’s cross-functional teams, stakeholders with different priorities, or just people who don’t usually talk to each other. I enjoy creating clarity in the middle of complexity.

I remember the year I was considering going back to study medicine. While I was studying for my exams - which I eventually failed - I brought different healthcare professionals together to deliver care to marginalized communities. That moment meant the world to me.

That experience showed me that my ability to connect people, align efforts, and drive meaningful action wasn’t just a nice-to-have. It was a core strength. Naturally, I would catch myself stepping into roles where I could lead initiatives, align people around a shared goal, and keep things moving forward. All while keeping sight of who was going to be directly influenced.

In my current role in product, that’s been a superpower. But if I had stayed in the lab, it might have been seen as a weakness.

So today, I want you to stop stressing about what you’re not good at. There’s not much time for that.

Instead, look at what you are good at. Let those strengths guide you to the right room.

People don’t talk enough about how the person we are, our strengths, our personalities, is what we truly bring to any job we do. If we’re not in environments that allow those parts of us to shine, we’ll never really perform at our best.

We’ll be busy trying to meet expectations. Instead of exceeding them through authenticity.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t work on our weaknesses. Growth is important. But sometimes, it feels like such a waste of time to keep fixing things when we have so much good stuff that could be leveraged.

What if we spent more time nurturing our strengths instead of constantly patching up our gaps?

So here’s my question to you as you look for new opportunities,

What’s something you’ve always loved doing?

What if that thing isn’t a distraction from your “real” career, but a clue to where you’ll shine brightest?

I’ll wrap up by saying that,

You’re not broken. You’re just in the wrong room.

And maybe it’s time to find one where your strengths aren’t just tolerated. They’re celebrated.