Career Path Development

7 Simple Steps To Figure Out What Jobs Are Right For You: 1. Many Job Seekers Struggle With Clarity They don’t know which career path is right for them. Or they don’t know what specific jobs in which industries are a good match for their skills. If that resonate with you, this process is going to help you get answers (and build relationships that can lead to referrals)! 2. Start With An Energy Mapping Exercise Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. Label one side “energy creators” and the other “energy drainers.” Now make a list of every task, project, and initiative you’ve been part of over the past 2-5 years. Assign each to the category that best describes the flow of energy you felt while working on that project. 3. Identify Connections In “Energy Creating” Roles Carve out time to reflect on your list of connections - colleagues (past and present), friends, classmates, etc. Who is working in a role that seems or feels like it might focus on the tasks that bring you energy? You don’t have to nail it 100%, you can simply go with your gut feeling. The important thing is to come up with a list of about 5-10 people. 4. Reach Out To Those Connections Send them a note and mention that you’re currently working through some career exploration. You’ve always admired their job and you feel it aligns in X, Y, and Z ways. Then ask them if they’d be up for a quick conversation so you can learn more about the role, the industry, etc. 5. Ask Good Questions Make sure to prepare a list of questions that will allow you to get a deeper sense of what this role is all about:  - What’s your favorite part about working in [Job Title]?  - What’s something most people don’t know about [Job Title] that you feel strongly about?  - What are the biggest drawbacks of working as a [Job Title]?  - What’s the coolest thing you’ve worked on in the last 6-12 months? 6. If You Feel The Role Is A Fit? Ask This. If you feel like the role might be a fit? Let your contact know! Then ask them if they’d be willing to introduce you to 1-2 more people in the same field so you can keep learning. That will get you warm introductions to other people in the space who can give you a new perspective and help you build your network. 7. If You Feel The Role Is Not A Fit? Ask This. If you feel like the role might not be a fit? Be honest with your contact, share what you’re looking for, and ask if they know of a role or discipline that fits. Ex: “I love X part of this role, but I feel that Y and Z don’t align with my strengths. Is there a role or field that focuses more on X?” Now they can point you in the right direction. 8. Set The Right Expectations You’re going to find many, many more roles that aren’t a fit. It’s going to take some time to hone in on the ones that are. Don’t expect completely clarity in one or two conversations. Instead, set the expectation for 10-20 conversations before you really begin to find things that feel like a fit.

IS CAREER CHANGE STILL POSSIBLE IN MID-CAREER? Q. Hi Liz, I want to change careers but who would hire me in a new career path at my age? A. I remember how happily surprised I was when I realized that most jobs have a lot in common with one another. If we're talking about office jobs, most of the relevant skills are transferable. You'll learn new methods and new terminology in a new career path but everything else -- your brains, your wisdom, your ability to spot problems and solve them, your communication skills and so on - carries over from one career path to the next. Here are the steps to executing a career change at any age: 1) Decide which career path you want to explore. (That is a big question! If you're stuck on this point or any of the other points in this list, drop a note in my LinkedIn inbox and we'll brainstorm.) 2) Brand yourself for the new career path you're entering. That's going to involve changing some of what's on your resume now. You're branding yourself for a new audience, and hiring managers in that audience care about different things that the managers you wrote your old resume for. 3) Read job ads and research your target career path to understand the pain points hiring managers run into. They won't be obscure or mysterious. Common pain points are things like losing customers to competitors, checked-out employees (or turnover), a shortage of leadership bench strength, poor response to job ads, cost overruns, overburdened tech, etc. 4) Recall and reclaim some of your favorite Dragon-Slaying Stories(TM) - stories about times when you came, saw and conquered in your career thus far. Your stories illustrate your abilities far better than a list of skills ever could. 5) Create a Target Employer List. That's a list of employers who employ people in the new career path you're focused on. 6) Put together your strategy, and launch your job search! Need ideas? Drop a note in my LinkedIn inbox. Here's to your career adventures! #careerchange #midcareer #branding #rebranding #newyou #newpath #transferableskills #yougotthis

One of my coaching clients just called me with a career dilemma. "Marcus, I have three offers on the table. One pays $25K more than the others. It's a no brainer, right?" Wrong. Over the last decade, I've watched too many sales professionals chase the highest initial offer only to burn out, get laid off, or quit within 12 months. Why? Because they never looked at the full picture. Here's the exact decision framework I shared with him (and use myself): 1️⃣ Leadership Quality: Will your direct boss push you to grow? Will they advocate for you? Will they teach you? The quality of your leader will impact your career trajectory more than any other factor. 2️⃣ Company Trajectory: Is this company on the way up or down? What's their financial position? What's their reputation in the market? A 10% pay bump means nothing if the company does layoffs in 6 months. 3️⃣ Values Alignment: Can you authentically represent this company? Do they make decisions you respect? Will you be proud to tell people where you work? 4️⃣ Growth Ceiling: What's the highest position you could realistically achieve at this company? What skills will you develop? How marketable will you be in 3 years? 5️⃣ Work-Life Integration: Will this role support the life you want to build? Will it demand 80-hour weeks? Will it require constant travel? My client ended up taking the middle offer ($150K) because the leadership was elite, the company was growing 70% YoY, and the path to director was clear. The right career decisions compound over time. $25K might seem like a lot today, but the right leadership, skills, and trajectory can be worth millions over your career. Make decisions with the long term in mind. — Hey sales pro…are you prepping for a job interview? Lemme help you: https://lnkd.in/gQvZJZsk

Hey there, it’s me, your coach Nina, how are you today? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the exciting but vast possibilities in your career? Society, your parents, friends, strangers on social media, and even your own expectations have all been suggesting paths you “should” take professionally. If you're intellectually curious and enjoy learning, you likely have a strong drive to grow already. You might already have some ideas about where you want to go and how to get there. However, with endless possibilities and only 24 hours in a day, it's important to have a focused and sustainable approach to your career development, one that prevents overwhelm and burnout. Here are some strategies to consider: 1️⃣ List out your career goals: What do you really want in your career? Is it money, title, creative freedom, influence, fame, or making an impact? In my early career I wanted to get promoted because the society says so, but after a few years I started to optimize for learning new experiences (hence jumping from corporate to startup to stand up a new team.) 2️⃣ Figure out your why: understand why you want to achieve something adds meaning and boosts motivation. Are you aiming for FIRE (financial independence to retire early), seeking respect as a manager, or craving intellectual exploration? 3️⃣ Define success: know your destination helps you figure out what resources or skills you need to get there. For instance, aspiring to be a people manager might require learning how to inspire others. 4️⃣ Identify the resources you need: Just like planning a trip, you need to know what to pack for your career journey. Determine the skills or knowledge necessary for your dream role. 5️⃣ Choose how to learn: Different people prefer different learning methods—reading, visual cues, podcasts, or hands-on experience. Find what works best for you and experiment if you're unsure. 6️⃣ Practice: Apply your new skills whenever possible. Shadow others, volunteer for projects, and actively develop the competencies you need. 7️⃣ Reflect regularly: Set a monthly reminder to assess your progress and adjust your strategies if needed. 8️⃣ Seek accountability: Remember the saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." Find a mentor, friend, or a coach friend to support and hold you accountable. What strategies have you used or would you recommend to feel less overwhelmed and more empowered in your career growth? #careerdevelopment #professionaldevelopment #midcareer

I turned down a VP of Product Marketing role that came with a $70K pay bump. Because I realized.....I didn't actually want to be a VP. At the time, I was a Director of PMM, and the next logical step was to go for VP. Bigger title. Bigger paycheck. More prestige. But when I honestly assessed what the role entailed (the level of stress, and the executive politics needed to succeed), I knew it wasn't the right move for me. What I truly wanted was more flexibility with my time and the opportunity to make a deeper impact by coaching others and sharing my expertise - which is exactly why I built my coaching business. So, instead of climbing the ladder, I stepped off it entirely. Because to me, career growth is NOT a ladder at all. It's a winding loop. Why? Because careers naturally cycle through periods of learning, mastery, contribution, and reinvention. When I stepped away from the traditional PMM path to start coaching, I wasn't moving "down" - I was actually restarting a new loop at the sprout stage again, bringing all my previous experience with me. Here's what the Career Growth Loop actually looks like for someone starting new as a PMM: 1️⃣ Sprout – When you're starting a new career/path. Focus on learning from great mentors, staying curious, and building foundational skills. Don't just chase the money - that comes later. 2️⃣ Growth – Time to sharpen your expertise and transition from tactical to strategic thinking. Become a T-shaped or pi-shaped PMM by developing deep expertise in specific areas while maintaining breadth. 3️⃣ Maturity – You've become an established leader. Now focus on crafting a strong personal brand and developing a distinctive point of view that sets you apart. 4️⃣ Harvest – With your accumulated experience, you've created career optionality. Explore consulting, advising, entrepreneurship, or other paths aligned with your values and begin a new loop. I was at the Maturity stage when I turned down that VP role. After years of starting my coaching business, I am in the Growth phase of my new loop. The bottom line is: ---> Careers are loops, not ladders. Each phase of your career builds on the last, but it doesn't mean you have to keep going up forever. Growth can mean a strategic promotion, a lateral move, a pivot, or even stepping off the high-stress track to build something new (which starts new loops). And to figure out what is right for YOU requires looking into your values and goals, not what everyone else is doing. What do you think of this? Which part of the loop are you in? P.S. If you're at a career crossroads, my Thrive coaching programs can help you take your next best step with confidence (and have helped dozens of people). Check out the link in the comments! #productmarketing #careergrowth #careerdevelopment #leadership #coaching

You are better off being in the 60th percentile at a high-growth company than in the 99th percentile in a low-growth environment. When a company is growing fast, opportunity comes to you. When it’s not, you spend time trying to force it. Early in my career, I worked for Procter & Gamble. It was a great company with talented leaders, but it wasn’t growing. I worked hard and earned strong feedback, but advancement was measured in decades and it was nearly impossible to contribute to the top or bottom line. Working for a well-run, large company like that is a great way to develop management best practices. It is also the best way to learn how to run and operate a great company. However, large, low-growth companies have far fewer problems and opportunities than high-growth companies. So, it doesn’t really matter how good you are; if opportunities and problems are scarce, you can’t produce much impact. Despite everyone’s good intentions, advancement is slow, and the system rewards those who have the right relationships, not those who are driving outcomes (because there are fewer outcomes to be driven). Scott Galloway once said that people unknowingly stack the odds against themselves by staying in low-growth environments. This is what I was doing at the beginning of my career. Moving to Seattle and joining a fast-growing e-commerce company (Amazon) was the best career move I could have made. It was an early-stage, high-growth company— problems and opportunities were everywhere! One of our biggest problems was deciding which problems and opportunities to tackle first and finding capable leaders to own them. If you focused on the right ones and executed well, big, meaningful results followed. At Amazon, in the Seattle HQ, I was in an environment where I had the opportunity to deliver big results. It required working hard and smart, but delivering results that could lead to rapid promotion was possible. It also meant that promotions were as apolitical as you could ask for in a large company because your results could be measured objectively. I experienced what Scott Galloway points out— you can stack the odds in your favor for career growth by orienting your career around industries, cities, and companies that are fast growing. If you find an opportunity to join a fast-growing company, in a high-growth sector in a growing city, take it.

Career transitions are tough–but they’re more common than ever. Last week, I hosted a webinar about navigating career changes. Here are few of the tips I shared: 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. After a layoff, allow space for recovery and reflection. Then build structure into your days so that you’re balancing the job search with personal pursuits. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿. Identify what energizes you and what’s non-negotiable. Without focus, you risk landing a job you later wish you hadn’t taken. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. Be open to new possibilities. Think about how your skills and experience can transfer to new roles or industries you hadn't considered before. 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. Refresh your LinkedIn profile, resume, and highlights to align with your current goals. Being generic won’t get you noticed. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵. Take stock of your experiences and interests and create a short summary of your experiences and interests so people know how you might fit into potential opportunities. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. Learn about others’ roles and industries. Share your story. Don’t ask for a job–ask for insights or advice. 𝗕𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. Consider part-time work, freelancing, or short term projects to build momentum and add to your experience while you figure out your longer-term path. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Follow career coaches for free insights or consider investing in coaching to gain clarity on your strengths, values, and goals, and how to frame your impact. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀—the people who know your superpowers (and blindspots) can help you see possibilities you may not recognize on your own. 𝗔 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲–𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲–𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. It can build new skills, networks and experiences that catalyze a new career direction. These aren't just general ideas—they're practices that have helped me, too. Over the course of my career, I’ve navigated four major transitions—each driven by different reasons: shifting priorities after starting a family, a desire for broader growth, a layoff, and the pull toward betting on myself. Each time, the same fundamentals made the difference: clarity, connection, and the courage to stay open to new possibilities. Career transitions are an opportunity to reset with more intention and clarity about what truly matters right now. The experience can vary widely depending on where you are in your career, your skills and experiences, your industry–and your mindset. If you’ve navigated a career transition, what’s one piece of advice you’d share?

Early in our careers, the path feels clear. You work hard, you earn the promotion, you collect the titles. The external rewards reassure us that we are moving in the right direction. However, eventually, many professionals reach a point where the titles no longer satisfy. The achievements no longer carry the same weight. That is when the harder work begins. The harder work is asking: What really matters now? How do I use my experience, perspective, and strengths to make an impact that is bigger than myself? Guiding a career trajectory is not just about chasing the next rung on the ladder. It is about finding alignment between what you do and who you are becoming. That is where fulfillment takes root. The professionals I work with who make the most meaningful pivots are not driven by what looks impressive on a résumé. They are driven by the pull of purpose, contribution, and legacy. Here are 10 truths about guiding your career trajectory: #1. Momentum is not progress. Make sure the energy you spend is carrying you where you want to go. #2. The ladder is not the only path. Sometimes the best move is sideways, not upward. #3. Success without alignment eventually feels empty. #4. The skills that matter most are the ones that make you adaptable, not just promotable. #5. Career growth is less about speed and more about direction. #6. A title will not guide you. Your VALUES will. #7. The mentors who shape you most do not just open doors. They help you see which doors are worth walking through. #8. Your trajectory is not defined by one big decision. Hundreds of small ones shape it. #9. A career that looks impressive from the outside is not the same as a career that feels meaningful on the inside. #10. The best trajectory is not the fastest climb. It is the one that allows you to grow into the fullest version of yourself. Titles fade. PURPOSE LASTS!

One of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers make—especially career changers—is misunderstanding how many "jumps" you can realistically make at once when moving into a new role. When people are looking for a new job, they’re often trying to do one (or more) of the following: 1) Change industries (e.g., education → tech) 2) Change functions (e.g., teaching → HR) 3) Change job levels (e.g., individual contributor → manager) 4) Change organizations (e.g., new school/district or company) Here’s the hard truth: in a competitive market, you can usually only make one, mayyyyybe two of these jumps at a time. If you're a teacher, you're not going to land as an HR Manager at Google tomorrow. And you’re probably not getting hired as an HR Specialist there either—yet. So what can you do? Here’s the guidance I usually give: - Define your ultimate goal: You don’t have to know your forever job, but you do need a north star. Maybe you want to be Director of Recruitment at an AI startup. That gives you a direction to plan around. - Map your stepping stones: Let’s say you’re a teacher today. Your first move might be into a talent recruiter role at your school district (that’s what I did!). From there, you might grow into a director role, and then make the jump to an AI company. You’re not giving up your dream—you’re building toward it one step at a time. - Decide which jump matters most right now: Burned out in a toxic workplace? Your top priority might be changing organizations while keeping your role the same. That lateral move could give you the stability you need to plan your next step more intentionally. - Play the long game: As you make your first jump, think about the second. Will the role you're accepting help set up your next move? Is this an industry or org where people get promoted, mentored, and moved up? - Look for bridge opportunities: Contract roles, fellowships, apprenticeships, and part-time consulting gigs can serve as in-between steps. Sometimes returning to school, earning a certification, or attending a bootcamp can help you gain the skills and make the connections you need to get you from where you are to where you want to be. You don't need to land your "dream job" in a single move—and honestly, you probably won't. Don’t try to leap across the canyon in one go. Find the stepping stones that will get you there—one move, one role, one opportunity at a time.

Career paths in agency recruitment tend to be fairly predictable: - Start out as a 180 candidate-focused recruiter to learn the business - Transition into a client-facing role & learn sales (either as a full desk recruiter or a 180 staffing salesperson) - this can happen on day 1 or years in Once a recruiter and/or staffing salesperson is closing their own deals autonomously and consistently hitting billing targets, they're considered "experienced" (typically >2 years in) which is when they start reaping the rewards of the work they've put in over the years via referrals/inbound, keener eye for quality, high earning potential. From here, experienced recruitment/staffing professionals can: a) stay as an individual contributor (typically highest earning potential since comp structures disproportionately reward individual billing) b) transition into a billing manager role to lead a team while doing your own deals (typically lower total comp potential vs IC route since training juniors can take awhile to see ROI, but is high visibility and diversifies skillset) Most recruiters live for the majority of their agency career - reaping the benefits of a strong book of business can provide a great life, especially for specialized recruiters with a strong network/reputation in their industry. If experienced recruiters have aspirations beyond this, they'd typically be: a) doubling down on the leadership route, shifting away from billing to focus on leading team(s) + running the agency in a strategic role a) launching your own agency - either solo, with business partner(s), and/or a team you've hired Recruitment entrepreneurship is the pinnacle of the career path since you're taking on the full risk & reward that comes with this business. Although it's not for everyone, there are lower barriers to starting your own agency in recruitment vs most other industries which can be a big draw for entrepreneurially-minded recruiters. No matter the long term goal, learning sales and carrying a book of clients is SUPER important for long term career development in agency. Lacking sales experienced holds recruiters back more than anything else, so I always advise agency recruiters to become client-facing ASAP and build up their sales/BD skillset. Continually building your ability to identify/create new client relationships is the # 1 differentiator between having an evergreen high demand for your skillset and command the strongest comp packages vs experience large swings in demand for your skillset and minimized opportunities overall. In an era where job security is difficult to come by, building a strong sales track record is the best hedge to continually objectively show your value + can be leveraged extensively outside of recruitment if needed. * Moving into internal recruiting/TA, HR, ops, etc is EXITING the industry so those career paths are not included here. Although plenty of people do this, that's not considered the pinnacle of this career path.