In the last two years, I’ve spoken to many people who are worried about their future and their career.  Some of them were looking for that next opportunity.  Some are in a job now, but still uncertain about their future.

I wanted to share that there are still possibilities and indications that things are improving.  I’m seeing more interesting positions open up.

For instance, Mural, a company that has been remote-first since 2011, just announced new job openings.  If you are looking, I recommend you stop reading this and go check out their job descriptions ASAP.  I’ve used Mural for years and got to learn about their culture.  Definitely worth a look.

But please come back to this newsletter as I have more for you.  For instance, some of you have asked if all companies the same.  Is there always a grind?

Looking for the Evergreen and the Better Corp

If you’ve been in tech for more than 10 years, you probably have been through the growth grind: 

• join a rapidly growing small to medium size company

• Be part of a rapidly growing and amazing company culture

• Watch that culture get dismantled due to an acquisition, IPO, or private equity buy out.

Others have watched this repeated decay and have decided there are better ways to maintain that awesome culture and not have it dismantled.  For instance, the Tugboat Institute was founded by folks that came from venture capital and didn’t want companies dismantled.  Their Evergreen certification program provides an alternative to the IPO or the acquisition.  And there are some interesting companies emerging through their ranks.

The B-Corp certification has been around a bit longer, but it also provides a certification for small to medium-sized for-profit companies that meet high standards of verified social, environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.  I worked for a B-Corp from 2008 to 2013 and it had a very different corporate culture.

So if you are looking for a different corporate experience, you might want to check the membership of these certifying organizations and see which of them is hiring.

And if you are not sure, I have one more option for you.

A Place to Plan Better Career Trails

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you may have come across my Career Trails series of articles.  Now, I want to set up a place for us to discuss how to find those better career trails together.  So I’m considering starting a group, a “career trail hiking club,” where we talk about career trails we are on now, others we’ve found, or where to find better trails.  If your are struggling with your current role or you are trying to find your next career trail, let me know if you are interested by filling out this short survey.  I’ll let you know what’s next.

Hope that helps.

Mark