How to Navigate Career Traps and Pitfalls

I’ve advised over 200 high achievers in the last 3 years. From F500 companies to billion dollar startups. 5 challenges that kept them stuck + how to overcome: (1) Demonstrating impact It's a harsh truth, but no amount of work will get you promoted. To level up you need to show impact on the bottom line. Recommendation: Focus on outcomes vs. outputs, and track your success. (2) Owning your time If someone else owns your calendar you can't be effective or make a big impact. But most people just accept what ever is put on their calendar. Recommendation: Be proactive, not reactive. Create you ideal schedule (I call it CEO schedule) and own your time. (3) Leveraging advocacy Your career will grow faster if you have key stakeholders ready to speak on your behalf. But most people don't have a strategic plan to build and nurture advocacy. When the time comes they need to beg for support. Recommendation: Identify your advocates and manage the relationship long term, to get undeniable recognition. (4) Having hard conversations The things you want most are on the other side of a hard conversation. Asking for a raise, getting a unique opportunity, sharing feedback, letting an employee go. Avoiding these conversations keeps you stuck. Recommendation: Don't avoid hard conversations. Plan and practice for them to reduce the anxiety and fear. (5) No vision or strategy You assume working hard enough for long enough will get you ahead. That's usually not the answer. Doing more of the same won't get you far in the corporate world. Recommendation: Gain clarity about your vision and what it would take to get there, so you can be intentional about how you spend your time at work. Ignore these challenges and you'll stay stuck for years. Master them and you'll join the 1%. *** Enjoyed this post? ♻️ Share to help someone get unstuck and grow their career

Career mistakes to avoid early in your academic job search (or some hard truths about academic life) The Woke Salaryman offers five hard truths about careers in contemporary life - which essentially boil down to - you have to work hard & take care of your own well-being. You can find them here:!https://lnkd.in/e5_Pi5ts While written for early career workers in practice, the logic translates to academic life - at least to my academic life - & I wish they had been shared with me in my first ten years. So I thought I would share my take on them here. Lesson 1. Don't be afraid to leave a toxic job. Not every academic job is a fit. And if they are, they are often not a fit forever. I stayed at my first job too long - esp. after a change in management made it a difficult place to feel good about myself. When I finally moved, I was surprised to find how much people valued me - after years of thinking I wasn’t very good - I found that I was actually pretty good. Lesson learned? It’s ok to move. No one thinks twice about it. Lesson 2. Don't accept low salary & low research support forever. I stayed in my first job 16 years. The lowest paid and lowest supported faculty were loyal people who had worked most of their lives at that university. They were dedicated teachers, did tremendous unrecognized service, & promised raises. They never happened. The highest paid faculty sorted out what got them raises - visibility in the uni & research. They demanded & received raises. When you take your first job, quickly sort out what matters - for you & your admin - usually it’s research. Then when the time is right, demand a salary adjustment or resources, if admin can’t deliver, you can take comfort in knowing that you can move. Lesson 3. Staying a visiting professor is problematic. Being a non-tenure track, visiting professor can be an academic thirst trap. You earn more than a grad student but have no job security. If you do not find a tenure track position quickly, you may be trapped in the lower paid, less secure ranks of itinerant faculty. If you must take such a position, move as quickly as you can into a full-time job. Do it while your PhD is fresh. If you wait too long, you will have a much harder time finding a tenure-track job. Lesson Four. Look at more than big research schools. Yes. Big research schools offer more salary & resources. But. They also offer less job security & sometimes unreasonable research demands. When on the job market, look for a job that fits you, your work, & your desired lifestyle. There are many great jobs outside the ‘top’ research institutions. Lesson Five. Academic jobs do not automatically offer work-life balance. The first five years demand tremendous effort. Don't make it a requirement in your search. True Work-life balance comes once you have established your career. Once you have shown your value, people won’t begrudge you taking time for more balance. Best of luck! #careers

Ever felt like your progress at work is being stifled, not by your own shortcomings, but by someone else’s insecurities? It’s a tough situation, especially when that person is in a position of power over you. But here’s something I’ve learned: Your career is yours to develop, not theirs to hinder. 🚀 When I realized my own growth was being compromised by someone else who saw me more as a threat than an asset, I decided it was time to take control. I built up my self-confidence, recognized that the real limitations were their issues, not mine, and started seeking new opportunities. 🔑 What You Can Do: - Seek Internal Opportunities: Don’t wait for chances to be handed to you. Be proactive, ask around, connect with other teams, and find new ways to grow internally. - Consider External Roles: If you’re feeling boxed in, maybe the best step forward is to step out. Look for opportunities outside your current company that align better with your growth goals. - Own Your Development: At the end of the day, you are in charge of your career path. Take ownership and don’t let anyone else’s limitations slow you down. Don’t let a toxic work environment prevent you from shining. You deserve to be in a place that values your talents and supports your growth. 🌈 If you’re ready to break free and take your career to the next level but need some guidance, I’m here to help. DM me for personalized advice or check out my speaking engagements for more insights on navigating career challenges at https://lnkd.in/eqFE-gHx. #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #keynotespeaker

A recent conversation with a mentee trying to navigate the next steps in their career reminded me of an essential rule I always emphasize: You own your career, therefore you have to be in the driver's seat. They recently received some feedback from their manager that was confusing as it didn’t align with previous feedback. The conversation on next steps was very vague. Reality check: waiting for clear guidance or validation from others can leave you stuck in neutral. Instead, you must proactively manage your own career path. Here are a few things I suggested: 1. Do a Self-Assessment You need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and career aspirations. Identify what excites you and where you see yourself in the future. Remember they can all change due to new experiences and gaining new skillsets. 2. Seek Constructive Feedback While feedback from leadership is valuable, it’s important to triangulate. Reach out to mentors, peers, and others in your function that you admire for their insights. Feedback is just one piece of the puzzle. Use it as a tool for improvement, not as a definitive roadmap. You never know when you might run into an unconscious bias. 3. Continuous Learning and Development I’m ever curious and always looking for learning opportunities. Look for opportunities to learn from other functions. The business world is continusly changing, and staying on top of the game, requires investing time to learn. Stay informed about your current industry trends but also look for best practices in others. 4. Advocate for Yourself People can’t read your mind, so they don’t know what your career goals and aspirations are. Don’t be afraid to articulate them to your leadership. Express your interest in new projects, responsibilities, or roles that align with your goals. 5. Adaptability and Resilience Career paths are rarely linear. My own has been a lattice. Be adaptable. Embrace challenges and view setbacks as learning experiences. Being in the driver's seat of your career means taking an intentional role in your professional development. While others can give you guidance, the ultimate responsibility for your career lies with you. What else would you tell him?