Latest / Job Hopping with Fexingo: Tenure, Loyalty, and the Modern Career Resume / Why Job Hoppers Should Build a Personal Board of Advisors
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the tactical side of job hopping — how it affects your 401k, your health insurance, your reference letters. But there's this one piece that I think gets overlooked, and it's about who you're actually talking to when you're in between jobs. Luna: You mean beyond your mom or your best friend from college? Lucas: Exactly. I'm talking about building what some people call a personal board of advisors. It's a concept that's been floating around in entrepreneurial circles for a while, but I think it's incredibly useful for job hoppers who need guidance that's more nimble than a traditional long-term mentor. Luna: So instead of one mentor you meet with once a quarter, you have a small group of people you can tap for different situations. Lucas: Right. And the key is that these are people who know you, but they're not in your current employer's orbit — at least not all of them. I came across a case recently: a marketing manager named Priya who changed jobs three times in five years. She told me that after her second move, she felt like she was starting from scratch every time in terms of knowing who to call for advice. Luna: Because her old network was tied to companies she'd already left. Lucas: Exactly. So she assembled what she called her 'kitchen cabinet' — four people. Her former boss from her first job, a recruiter she trusted, an ex-colleague who'd moved to a competitor, and a financial planner. Each one gave her a different lens. The former boss knew her work style; the recruiter knew the market; the ex-colleague knew the industry gossip; the financial planner kept her grounded on compensation. Luna: That's smart. I'd add a fifth: someone outside your industry entirely, just to get a fresh perspective. Lucas: Absolutely. Priya actually added a friend from a completely different field — she worked in nonprofit — and that friend often asked the most basic questions that made Priya rethink her assumptions. The whole point is diversity of perspective, not just seniority. Luna: So how do you even ask someone to be on your board without it feeling weird or transactional? Lucas: That's the million-dollar question. Priya told me she never used the phrase 'board of advisors.' She'd just say, 'Hey, I really value your opinion on my career moves. Would you be open to me checking in with you every few months?' Most people are flattered. And she set a low bar — a 15-minute phone call or a coffee. No formal agenda. Luna: And the recruiter she used — wasn't that awkward? Most recruiters want to place you, not advise you for free. Lucas: She was upfront: 'I'm not looking for a job right now, but I trust your read on the market. If I ever am, you'll be the first call.' That actually made the recruiter more willing, because it kept the relationship warm. And when she did need a job later, that recruiter already knew her trajectory. Luna: Okay, so you've got your board. Then what? You just call them when you're thinking of leaving? Lucas: You can, but the real value is in the regular check-ins. Priya scheduled a touchpoint with each person roughly every three months — but staggered, so she was hearing from someone every few weeks. That way, when a job offer came out of nowhere, she already had context from each advisor. She didn't have to cold-call anyone. Luna: That's a lot of maintenance, though. Four or five people, each three months — that's basically one coffee per week. Lucas: It is. But for a job hopper, that cadence is actually lower than the networking you'd do if you were actively job hunting. And the payoff is huge. Priya told me that when she got an offer from a startup, her financial advisor flagged that the equity package had a weird vesting schedule — something she would have missed. Her ex-colleague knew the startup's CEO had a reputation for burning out employees. She walked away from that offer. Luna: Wow. So the board saved her from a bad move. Lucas: Exactly. And it also helped her negotiate better. Her recruiter advisor told her the salary band was wider than the offer suggested, so she countered and got twenty percent more. She wouldn't have had that confidence without someone who knew the market. Luna: It sounds like the board also helps with the loneliness of job hopping. When you're constantly the new person, you don't have that internal sounding board. Lucas: That's a really good point. A personal board gives you continuity. These people know your history, your strengths, your blind spots. They're not tied to your current company, so they can be honest in a way that a work friend can't. Luna: Honestly, if today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. We keep this podcast ad-free thanks to listeners like you, and it really does help us keep doing these deep dives. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small way to support the show if you've gotten value from it. And we genuinely appreciate it. Luna: So back to the board — what about the risk that your advisors give conflicting advice? You've got four people with different agendas. Lucas: That's actually a feature, not a bug. Priya said she never took any single piece of advice as gospel. She'd triangulate. If three out of four said something similar, she'd lean that way. If they split, she'd dig deeper. The board isn't a voting body — it's a set of lenses. Luna: I think the hardest part is getting started. You need to identify these people before you need them. Lucas: Right. That means doing it when you're not in crisis. Priya started assembling her board during a period where she was stable in a job. She reached out to people she already had a relationship with — not cold connections. And she was clear that she wasn't asking for a job, just perspective. Luna: What if you don't have a former boss you trust, or a recruiter you've worked with? What if you're early in your career? Lucas: Then you start smaller. Maybe it's two people: a peer a few years ahead of you, and a professor or former internship supervisor. The key is that they know you and they're not in your current company. As you move jobs, you'll add more. Priya's first board had only two people — her former boss and a classmate from business school. She added the recruiter after her second job. Luna: So it's a living thing. It grows with you. Lucas: Exactly. And you should also prune it. If someone consistently gives bad advice, or you've lost touch, it's okay to let them go. Priya replaced her financial planner after two years because the person moved into a different role and wasn't as sharp on equity compensation anymore. Luna: How do you 'let someone go' without burning a bridge? Lucas: You just stop scheduling. If they reach out, you can say, 'I've actually got a few advisors now and I'm trying to keep my circles small. I so appreciate your past advice.' Most people understand. You're not firing them from a board — you're just shifting your focus. Luna: I think there's also a risk of over-relying on the board. Like, you might use them as a crutch instead of making your own decisions. Lucas: That's a real danger. Priya was very clear: the board gives input, but she makes the final call. She said one time her former boss told her to take a job, and her ex-colleague told her to pass. She ended up taking it — and it was the right move for her. The board isn't there to decide your life. Luna: So what's one concrete step a listener could take this week? Lucas: Write down three people who have given you good career advice in the past — even if it was just one conversation. Then reach out to one of them with a low-pressure ask: 'Hey, I'm thinking about my next career steps and I'd love to get your perspective over coffee in the next few weeks.' That's it. You don't need to call it a board. Just start the conversation. Luna: And if that person says no? Lucas: Then you move to the next name on your list. Not everyone will have the bandwidth. But in my experience, most people are happy to help — especially if you make it easy and you're genuinely interested in their perspective. Luna: I like that it's not about collecting mentors like badges. It's about building a real support system. Lucas: Exactly. And for job hoppers, that support system is critical because you don't have the built-in network of a long tenure. You have to be intentional. A personal board of advisors is one of the most intentional things you can do. Luna: Alright, I'm going to try this. I've got a former colleague in mind. Lucas: Do it. And let us know how it goes. We might do a follow-up episode with listener stories.