Key Strategies for Career Development

I’ve been promoted 11 times in 20 years at 6 companies Here’s how I did it: 1. Eliminate entitled expectations and patiently play the long game 2. Be truly exceptional in your current role - don’t underestimate how long it takes to achieve mastery 3. Clarify and communicate your long term career goals including your ideal next step  - it is not up to your manager or anyone else to do this for you 4. Demonstrate you can do the next role by taking on key responsibilities of that position - you don’t need to ask permission to solve important business problems 5. Make your manager’s life easier, become indispensable to them and seize learning opportunities to take projects off their plate 6. Lead by example by exuding optimism, assuming positive intent and helping others, especially through challenging times 7. Don’t complain and only talk about problems, design and implement solutions that drive real results 8. Act like an owner and don’t let your current job description hold you back from doing what is required for the business to be successful  9. Respond to inevitable disappointment gracefully and don’t give up  10. Choose the company and evaluate the hiring manager wisely - a great company and an invested manager are two key ingredients to create the conditions for career advancement My biggest lesson 20 years into my career: The promotions are great but don't feel as good as you think they will - focus on the journey and the process, that's the good stuff #personaldevelopment

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

Getting laid off sucks.. But it doesn’t define you nor does it need to dictate your next steps. I experienced an economic layoff a year ago and I decided to take career pivot and growth steps to push forward. 1️⃣ Assess and Enhance Your Skills: Take the time to assess your current skill set and identify areas for improvement or expansion. Research the skills that are in high demand in your industry or desired field. Invest in professional development opportunities such as online courses, certifications, workshops, or industry-specific training programs to acquire those skills. By actively enhancing your skill set, you become more competitive and increase your career prospects after a layoff. 2️⃣ Leverage Your Network and Seek Mentors: Tap into your professional network to seek advice, connections, and potential job opportunities. Reach out to former colleagues, mentors, industry contacts, and alumni networks. Let them know about your situation and career goals. Networking can provide valuable insights, open doors to hidden job opportunities, and offer guidance in navigating the job market. Additionally, consider finding a mentor who can provide guidance and support as you rebuild your career. 3️⃣ Rebrand and Tailor Your Job Search Materials: Update your resume, cover letter, and online professional profiles to reflect your most recent experiences and accomplishments. Highlight transferable skills gained from previous roles and demonstrate how they align with the requirements of your target positions. Tailor your job search materials to showcase your resilience, growth mindset, and adaptability, emphasizing how your past experiences have shaped you into a stronger candidate. Craft a compelling personal brand that stands out to potential employers. 4️⃣ Explore New Opportunities and Industries: Consider expanding your horizons and exploring new industries or professions that align with your interests and skills. Look for emerging industries or sectors experiencing growth that offer exciting career prospects. Research the trends, job market demand, and potential pathways for career advancement. Be open to taking on new challenges, roles, or responsibilities that can broaden your experience and accelerate your career growth. Flexibility and a willingness to adapt can lead to unexpected opportunities and new avenues for success. Remember, recovering from a layoff takes time and effort. Stay positive, remain resilient, and focus on continuous growth. By actively assessing and enhancing your skills, leveraging your network, tailoring your job search materials, and exploring new opportunities, you can boost your career growth and position yourself for success. #CareerGrowth #SkillEnhancement #Networking #PersonalBranding #career #customersuccess

Avoiding the Peter Principle: Elevating Your Career Smartly Have you ever witnessed someone's career skyrocket only for them to falter when they reach a certain level of responsibility? You may have experienced the Peter Principle in action. In this post, we'll explore the Peter Principle and share valuable tips on how to steer clear of it to ensure a more fulfilling and successful career. Understanding the Peter Principle The Peter Principle was first introduced by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in 1969 and highlights a common organizational challenge. It suggests that individuals are often promoted until they reach a position where they are no longer competent. This occurs because promotions are frequently based on past performance rather than the skills required for the new role. Tips to Avoid the Peter Principle: 1. Continual Self-Assessment Always be self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Regularly assess your skills and knowledge to determine if they align with your current role. Take proactive steps to identify and redress gaps. 2. Set Clear Career Goals Define your career goals and the skills you need to achieve them. This will help you maintain focus on personal development and ensure that your promotions are in line with your long-term objectives. 3. Seek Feedback Welcome constructive feedback from colleagues, supervisors, and mentors. Act on their advice to address areas that require improvement. This proactive approach can enhance your competence and suitability for future roles. 4. Invest in Learning and Development Don't wait for your organization to provide training. Take charge of your own professional development by seeking out courses, certifications, and workshops that will expand your skillset and knowledge. 5. Mentoring and Coaching A mentor can provide invaluable guidance and offer insight into the skills and experiences necessary for your career growth. Additionally, a coach can help you refine your abilities and navigate the complexities of higher-level positions. 6. Prioritize Adaptability Adaptability is key. Stay current with industry trends, technology, and best practices to remain effective in your role and maintain upward momentum. 7. Communicate Your Aspirations Open and honest communication with your superiors about your career aspirations can help ensure that promotions are aligned with your skills and interests. In conclusion, the Peter Principle is instructive as it reminds us that career progression should be a thoughtful and strategic process. By continually assessing our skills, setting clear goals, seeking feedback, investing in learning, and being adaptable, we can steer clear of the Peter Principle and enjoy a fulfilling and successful career. Don't just climb the corporate ladder; ensure each step is a meaningful and well-considered one. #careercoach #careerdevelopment #careerdevelopment #leadershipdevelopment

Want a promotion? It takes more than just “working hard” (though that helps). It takes strategy, visibility, and growth. Here are 9 practical tips that can actually move the needle: Think like your boss’s boss – Start aligning your work with bigger goals, not just your job description. Document your wins – Keep a running list of impact metrics and success stories. You’ll need them. Ask for more responsibility – Don’t wait for permission. Step up before the title shows up. Speak the language of business – Know how your work affects revenue, customers, efficiency, or reputation. Make yourself replaceable – Train others. Systems > heroics. Leaders create leverage. Build cross-team relationships – Promotions often come from people outside your immediate circle. Give your manager a success story – Help them justify your promotion. Make their job easier. Ask directly – “What would it take for me to get promoted this year?” is a power move, not a risky one. Act like you already have the job – Show up like a leader before you're called one. No shortcuts. No politics. Just clear moves that build trust, influence, and value. Which one do you think is most important? #CareerGrowth #PromotionTips #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceSuccess #ProfessionalGrowth

Here's the promotion strategy most professionals completely miss: being amazing at your current job doesn't automatically get you promoted. I see this mistake constantly. People think exceptional performance equals advancement, but that's not how promotion decisions actually work. Companies don't promote you for mastering your current role - they promote you when you've already proven you can handle the next level. Here's the strategic shift you need to make: Stop waiting for recognition of past achievements. Start demonstrating future capabilities right now. How to operate at the next level before you get there: 1. Think beyond your immediate responsibilities - Understand broader business challenges and opportunities. Your perspective needs to expand beyond your current scope. 2. Contribute strategic insights, not just status updates - During meetings, present solutions and analysis, not just task completion reports. 3. Communicate with next-level authority - Present solutions, not just problems. Your communication style should reflect the level you want, not where you are. 4. Take initiative on stretch projects - Demonstrate leadership capability before receiving the formal title. Show them you can handle increased responsibility. The visibility factor is everything: Companies promote people who have already proven they can handle more responsibility, not those who might be capable with proper development. By consistently operating at your desired level, you make promotion the logical next step rather than a developmental risk. You eliminate the guesswork about your readiness and position yourself as the obvious choice when opportunities arise. What strategies have you found most effective for demonstrating readiness for advancement? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3ycta #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #careeradvancement #promotionstrategies #leadershipdevelopment #careerstrategist

You are the only person who can advocate for your career development, and its probably more important than ever to ensure you have a plan in place for yourself. Here are a few strategies to consider:   ⭐ Know Your Worth: Take the time to reflect on your skills, accomplishments, and unique strengths. Understand your value and be confident in communicating it to others.   ⭐ Set Clear Goals: Define your short-term and long-term career goals. Be specific and create a roadmap to achieve them. Share these goals with your managers, mentors, or trusted colleagues, so they can support you in your journey.   ⭐ Seek Feedback: Actively seek feedback from your supervisors, colleagues, and mentors. Embrace constructive criticism and use it to fuel your growth. Regularly assess your progress and make adjustments as needed.   ⭐ Network: Build and nurture professional relationships both within and outside your organization. Attend industry events, join relevant LinkedIn groups, and engage in conversations with professionals in your field. These connections can provide valuable insights and open doors to new opportunities.   ⭐ Be Proactive: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you; create them. Voice your interests, ask for stretch assignments, and express your desire to take on new responsibilities. Take charge of your career path by seeking out growth opportunities.   Remember, advocating for yourself is not about being pushy or arrogant. It's about recognizing your own value, asserting your needs, and actively pursuing growth opportunities. By advocating for yourself, you can unlock your full potential and shape a fulfilling and successful career.   #CareerDevelopment #AdvocateForYourself #ProfessionalGrowth #UnlockYourPotential #LinkedInCommunity

Without active career management, your remote career will be just as doomed as that of your on-site peers. 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲.   Here are 10 ways you can stay "top of mind" and be seen as an important, dependable and accessible part of the team who will be considered for important projects and promotions:  1. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 The introverts among us find more solitude in their work day appealing, but that can quickly backfire. Opt for video meetings where possible. Otherwise, you're out of sight, out of mind.  2. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 "𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬" In the absence of a watercooler you have to create moments of connection outside of your meetings. Tag a few minutes on to your meeting and offer a coworker to "hang out". Focus on genuine interest in the other person, their interests, challenges, ideas, etc.  3. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 If people don't know what you're doing or why you're on the team, you should be frightened. It's your responsibility to change that. You can create a simple overview page or dashboard to share which projects you're working on. Add a segment showcasing the types of questions you can help with so others can see how you add value.  4. 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 Identify projects that have high internal visibility, allow you to grow and/or showcase your skills and deliver high value. Cross-functional projects can be great to widen your reach and to get a better understanding of the big picture.  5. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Plan your career development with your manager. You can seek regular feedback and plan stretch goals to further your growth.  6. 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 Work doesn't speak for itself. It doesn't have a voice. And people are too busy remembering everything you do. So, humbly share how you are qualified and share how your team solved similar problems or removed roadblocks.  7. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬  You don’t get what you don’t ask for. If you want support from your manager, ask for it. Be specific about the support you want, e.g. floating your name for a specific project or socializing an idea that needs buy-in.  8. 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭  Ask your manager if there are meetings they’d like you to sit in on or take over. This adds direct value and is a great opportunity to raise your profile with stakeholders you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.  9. 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 Set a weekly goal to connect with your colleagues. Your goal is to keep in touch. You can send them a helpful resource, or simply ask how things are going.  10. 𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  Use your messenger status to build trust through transparency. E.g. you can state "out for lunch, back at 1:30PM" instead of just "Away". #remotework #leadership #careerdevelopment

Ethan Evans went from managing 6 people to over 800 at Amazon. He credits The Magic Loop for his quick rise over just 8 years. The Magic Loop is a framework that will accelerate your career. It will accelerate your job search as well! Here's what it is... 1️⃣ Do Your Current Job Well The most surefire way to advance in your career is to be good at your job. In your job: This allows people to trust that you're someone to invest time and energy into. In your job search: It also makes you one of the first ones people think of when they see an attractive job opening that needs to be filled. In Step 2, if you go to your manager and ask how you can help and their answer is, "Do your job," you're not ready to move on. 2️⃣ Ask Your Manager How You Can Help Managers put on a pretty face, but everyone needs help. In your job: Ask your manager what they need help with or even better, identify areas that they need help with for them and ask to help them with it. In your job search: Ask the team at your target organization about the problems they have. Dig deep to understand the specifics and how you can help. Be the most helpful person on the team. 3️⃣ Do What They Ask If you do steps 1 and 2 but don't execute on step 3 you may do more harm than good. It's critical that once you say you're going to do something... you do it! In your job: Understand the task at hand, create a plan for execution, share that plan with your manager, begin execution, and share regular updates with your manager. Upon completion, share results, next steps, and ask for more. In your job search: Take the problems you have uncovered, create a resource that solves the problem for them (case study, playbook, spreadsheet, etc.) and send it to the team. Bonus points for offering to do free work to implement it for them. 4️⃣ Ask For Work That Advances Your Career Many people think their manager has the superpower of mind reading. No one is thinking about you and your career as much as you are. And you don't get what you don't ask for. In your job: Seek tasks that interest you and improve your skills, aiding your 5-year career goals while benefiting the company. In your job search: Look for roles that bridge your current skills and your 5-year objectives. Once you've proven your skills, ask to discuss potential team openings and how you can be an asset to the company. 5️⃣ Repeat The Process The cycle continues with more good work. In your job: This is what leads to promotions. In your job search: Once you have executed all 5 steps for one target company, move on to executing them for your next target company. This process works and has been proven in both careers and job searches to produce outsized results. As you can see, it takes work. But the ones who get where they want to go are willing to do the work. --------------------------- P.S. Enjoy this? Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for more. #startups #startupjobs #hiring #jobsearch