How to Build a Strong Career Blueprint

As I watched Oppenheimer's biopic last week, it was striking to see how he actively sought out advice and mentorship from some of the brightest minds of his time such as Einstein. One of the key predictors of career success is the company you keep and the mentors you seek. Reflecting on numerous success stories like those, I've noticed a common thread — a burning desire to learn from the best, combined with paying it forward by nurturing emerging talent. It's an incredible cycle that propels both individuals and industries forward. But let's face it, it's one thing to read about this and another to put it into practice. How do you intentionally shape your path? Here's a simple playbook I've found helpful: 1️⃣ Chart Your Destination: Envision your dream career and life. What does it look like? Having a clear destination helps you map out the journey. 2️⃣ Bridge the Gap: Identify the skills and knowledge you need to reach that dream. The gap might seem vast, but break it down into achievable steps. Seek out opportunities for adjacent or entry-level experiences in your desired field. 3️⃣ Connect with the Masters: Who are the trailblazers in your chosen domain? Seek them out, connect, and learn from their journeys. Attend events, forums, or platforms where they engage. Cultivate genuine relationships and seek their mentorship. 4️⃣ Embrace the Learning Journey: You have to enjoy the preparation and practice, not just the end result of winning. Obsess over honing your skills, expanding your knowledge, staying current with industry trends, and staying connected with your peers. The journey is ongoing – embrace it! 5️⃣ Pay It Forward: As you accumulate experience and expertise, generously share your insights. Be open to mentoring others, offering guidance, and helping them rise. Paying it forward not only enriches others' lives but also enhances your own growth journey. If you're seeking inspiration from other individuals who've followed this playbook, I highly recommend watching Bill Gurley's talk about How to Succeed and Thrive in a Career You Love (link in the comments).

I started my career in healthcare. Two years later, I landed a role in tech sales at Microsoft. 7 tips I used to change careers (without experience): 1. I Focused On Clarity First Before I sent out resumes, applied, and networked? I focused on getting crystal clear about the specific types of roles and companies I wanted to work for. Juggling the possibility of multiple job titles and industries is overwhelming and stressful. When you have a single north star, you can invest 100% of your time and energy into it. 2. I Started With People Who’d Done It Before I crafted a list of criteria I wanted for myself: • Specific Job Titles • Specific Companies • Specific Locations • Specific Salaries Then I used LinkedIn to find people who met those criteria AND came from a non-traditional background like mine. 3. I Used Those Connections To Craft A Blueprint How do I build the right experience? How do I position my non-traditional background? What mistakes should I avoid? I used the connections I just mentioned to gain clarity on all of those things so I could craft a plan for building the experience I needed to fit the skills and narratives companies would buy into. 4. I Created My Own Experience I wanted to work in advertising technology (think Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc). Rather than hoping someone would give me a chance to get experience? I went and created my own. I took courses, volunteered my skills for local orgs, then used those success stories to freelance. Employers want results, not education from career changers. 5. I Focused My Energy On Networking Online apps didn’t work. People would take one look at my resume and not see any traditional experience. When I networked with people? I could have a conversation with them. I could tell my story in my own words. And I could prove my value as the relationship built. That generated referrals and advocates. 6. I Spun My Background As An Advantage Most applicants had cookie cutter backgrounds. I told a story of how I had to learn this all myself, from scratch. I’d bring a new perspective, new takes, and new ideas to a take vs. simply adding someone with the same thought process as everyone else. 7. I Created Projects To Prove My Value When I landed interviews? I’d deeply research the company’s goals, challenges, and initiatives. Then I’d brainstorm ideas for how I could impact those and package them in a 5-7 slide deck that matched the company’s branding. I’d send it to my interviewers as proof of the ideas I could bring to the table. Showing them was far more effective than telling them. —— ➕ Follow Austin Belcak for more 🔵 Ready to land your dream job? Click here to learn more about how we help people land amazing jobs in ~15.5 weeks with a $44k raise: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

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

Most high achievers begin their careers based on what’s available, what others recommend, or what looks promising. The first ten years- or more- are usually exhilarating, filled with learning, promotions, new experiences, marriage, children, and growing aspirations. Eventually, once the basic needs are met and the dust settles, a different kind of question surfaces: “Is this it? Where am I going from here?” I recently got a note from someone saying, “I just came across this older career roadmap you drew for me in 2010 when I was at a crossroads, mulling over what I should switch to after my recent MBA but nervous about making the change.” He went on to say, “Your message about ‘getting to the core of your preferred area ASAP’ and the roadmap you laid out toward a GM role was one of the meetings I still cherish to this day.” Over the years, I’ve probably drawn hundreds of such sheets always with my signature and the date on them and often tell people to come see me 15 years later so we can talk about how things turned out. Some, like him, do. While our careers are often shaped by serendipity, here are five steps I frequently share with young professionals during these conversations grounded in personal experience: 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 of the function you want to be in, enjoy, and are good at. For instance, get as close as possible to sales or account management if you want to grow in the broader sales/marketing domain. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝟳–𝟭𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 working with increasing responsibility across different aspects of that core area. Do significant, high-impact work. Take on the company’s difficult problems that need solved. Take risks. 𝟯. 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 with additional certifications whether in Six Sigma, analytics, or leadership, based on your trajectory and context. 𝟰. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 who will advocate for you, open doors for you, and help clear the path ahead. 𝟱. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸 or as my good friend would say, at least the absence of ill luck. As you reflect on your own career path, I’d love to know: What’s the best career advice you’ve received that you now pass on to younger professionals? #CareerRoadmaps #Careermapping #PayitForward

What advice do you have for someone focusing on career progression? ✏️ I worked with someone who had a five-year plan, and she was able to make her career decisions by whether or not they aligned with the plan. I was amazed, having never had a one-year, much less five-year plan for my own career. Having grown my own career "organically" rather than to a plan, and having worked with many who have a plan, I can attest to the value of having a plan, if you are focusing on career progression. But remember - it's okay to not focus on career progression. When making a career plan, it's important to break it down into big picture, long term objectives, which then get refined to specific "SMART"* goals for short term, measurable steps aligned with the objectives. Think about it like this: 1️⃣ What's my 5-year vision? High level, where do I want to be? 2️⃣ What's a key growth metric I'd like to "level up" in this year? 3️⃣ What am I doing this quarter (SMART goals)? 4️⃣ What are the activities I'm working on (daily/weekly) to meet the goals? 5️⃣ How am I making sure I have time for everything on a daily basis? By going from big picture to small details it helps not overwhelm yourself with everything you must do to meet your long-term goals. It also means your plan stays adaptable. You can't predict the future, so having detailed tasks assigned years out means you probably have to revise your plan frequently as life deals out its surprises. This model works for any sort of long-term growth but can be particularly relevant to career progression. When you know where you want to end up, and learn what is needed to be there, you can set the short term, SMART goals along the way to get there. While I haven't had a 5-year plan, I have used this approach for 1-year and 90-day planning. I've attached a single page template I use for my own planning - it goes from the year (top line vision) down to the day at the bottom - with space in the middle for a 90-day outlook and important things to track. Message me if you'd like a copy of the PDF. I'd love to hear your thoughts on achieving goals and personal vision statements, or other techniques you've used when focusing on career growth. What worked for you? What could be improved in what I suggest? Let's talk below! 👇 * Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound