Career Decisions
💼 Navigate job offers, promotions, and career pivots with structured reasoning.
Career decisions are perfect for ReasonKit because they involve multiple factors, emotional bias, and long-term consequences.
Common Career Questions
“Should I take this job offer?”
rk-core think "I received a job offer with 30% higher salary but at a startup. Currently at stable Fortune 500. Should I take it?" --balanced
What ReasonKit catches:
- Hidden costs (commute, benefits, work-life balance)
- Startup risk factors (funding, runway, founder quality)
- Career trajectory implications
- Opportunity cost of staying
“Should I ask for a promotion?”
rk-core think "I've been at my company for 2 years and feel ready for promotion. My manager seems reluctant. Should I push for it?" --balanced
What ReasonKit catches:
- Timing considerations
- Relationship dynamics
- Alternative paths (lateral move, leave)
- Negotiation strategy
“Should I change careers entirely?”
rk-core think "I'm 35, making $120K in finance, but want to become a software engineer. Is this realistic?" --deep
What ReasonKit catches:
- Financial runway requirements
- Skills gap analysis
- Age-related factors (bias, learning curve)
- Reversibility assessment
Example Analysis
Question: “I’ve been offered a management role but I love being an IC (individual contributor). Should I take it?”
rk-core think "Offered management role, but I love being an IC. 15% raise. Should I take it?" --balanced
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ CAREER ANALYSIS: IC vs Management ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 💡 GIGATHINK: 10 Perspectives │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. COMPENSATION: 15% now, but management ceiling higher │
│ 2. SKILLS: Management skills are transferable anywhere │
│ 3. IDENTITY: "I love IC work" - is this core identity? │
│ 4. REVERSIBILITY: Can you go back to IC if you hate it? │
│ 5. GROWTH: Is there an IC track with similar ceiling? │
│ 6. ENERGY: What energizes you - code or people? │
│ 7. POLITICS: Management = more organizational politics │
│ 8. IMPACT: Which role has more impact at your company? │
│ 9. AGE: Management track often expected after 35-40 │
│ 10. ALTERNATIVES: Staff/Principal IC roles available? │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⚡ LASERLOGIC: Hidden Assumptions │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ FLAW: "I love being an IC" │
│ → You love your CURRENT IC role at THIS company │
│ → You might love management, you've never tried it │
│ → Identity ≠ job title │
│ │
│ FLAW: "15% raise" │
│ → Short-term thinking │
│ → Management salary ceiling typically 2-3x IC ceiling │
│ → Total compensation over 10 years differs dramatically │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🪨 BEDROCK: The Core Question │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Do you want to scale through PEOPLE or through CODE? │
│ │
│ IC path: Impact = your output × leverage (tools, libs) │
│ Mgmt path: Impact = team output × your leadership │
│ │
│ Neither is wrong. Which resonates more? │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🔥 BRUTALHONESTY: Reality Check │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH: │
│ If you turn this down, you may not be offered again. │
│ Companies often interpret "no" as "not leadership │
│ material" and stop considering you. │
│ │
│ UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH: │
│ "I love IC work" often means "I'm afraid of failing │
│ at something new." Fear dressed as preference. │
│ │
│ HONEST QUESTION: │
│ If management were easy and you'd definitely succeed, │
│ would you want it then? │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
SYNTHESIS:
Try it for 6-12 months. Most companies allow reverting.
If you discover you hate it, you've learned something valuable.
If you discover you love it, your career ceiling just tripled.
The only real risk is not finding out.
Career-Specific Profile
Create a custom profile for career decisions:
[profiles.career]
tools = ["gigathink", "laserlogic", "bedrock", "brutalhonesty"]
gigathink_perspectives = 12
laserlogic_depth = "deep"
brutalhonesty_severity = "high"
timeout = 180
Common Career Biases ReasonKit Catches
| Bias | Example | ReasonKit Response |
|---|---|---|
| Status quo | “I’m comfortable here” | Quantify opportunity cost |
| Loss aversion | “I might lose my benefits” | Compare total packages |
| Social proof | “Everyone says it’s a great company” | Verify independently |
| Recency bias | “My last job change was bad” | Statistical base rates |
| Sunk cost | “I’ve been here 10 years” | Future focus, not past |
Tips for Career Analysis
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Be specific — Include numbers (salary, years, company size)
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Include constraints — Family situation, location requirements
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Use deep/paranoid — Career decisions deserve thorough analysis
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Run multiple times — Different phrasings reveal different angles
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Act on BrutalHonesty — The uncomfortable truths are usually most valuable