Career

One of the most underrated skills that leads to success? ➡️ Knowing when to speak, and more importantly, when not to. ➡️ Knowing whose voice to hear, and whose opinion to ignore. As an HR professional, I’ve seen people with incredible potential hold themselves back not because they lacked skills, but because they talked too much about things that didn’t matter… or listened too closely to people who didn’t matter. They explained their dreams to people who couldn’t see their vision. They defended their decisions to people who never built anything of their own. They wasted time trying to be understood by those who were never meant to understand them. Here’s the truth I’ve learned over the years: 🎯 You don’t need to respond to every comment. 🎯 You don’t have to take every feedback to heart. 🎯 You’re not here to please the crowd you’re here to build your path. Sometimes, growth looks like staying silent when you’re tempted to overexplain. Sometimes, maturity looks like smiling and walking away from opinions that add no value. So if you truly want success: 💡 Speak only when it moves the needle. 💡 Listen only to those who’ve walked the walk. 💡 Protect your energy like it’s your greatest currency because it is. Your journey is yours. Build it quietly. Win loudly. Image source - Internet LinkedIn LinkedIn News #HRThoughts #CareerGrowth #SuccessMindset #LeadershipLessons #PersonalDevelopment #FocusAndDiscipline

Choose speed over perfection.   I've always emphasised organisational speed, an underrated virtue.   Striving for perfection can seem admirable - a mark of elevated standards and thorough consideration. But it restricts pace, which I frequently find exasperating.   Speed is not just a competitive edge but essential. Delaying decisions to pursue the “perfect” outcome can result in missed opportunities, whereas making swift decisions allows you to adapt, learn, and stay ahead. Speed doesn’t mean skipping due diligence—it means executing efficiently within constraints. It’s about creating systems that allow rapid, informed decisions, not endless debates.   But seek speed appropriately - never sacrificing safety, integrity, or compliance. Thoroughness is critical in decisions where safety or irreversible outcomes are at stake. Speed wins hands down in areas where agility and iteration add value—like product launches or market entries.  So, why do I think speed is critical?   Momentum matters; it enhances confidence: A wise choice made today encourages advancement. Hoping for the unattainable “perfect” choice frequently results in inaction and disappointment. In industries like telecom, tech and medtech, where I’ve spent years, speed isn’t optional—it’s survival. Disruptors move fast; incumbents must match their pace or risk irrelevance. Mistakes facilitate learning: moving at pace enables faster comprehension. Imperfect decisions can offer important lessons that perfection postpones. Every decision generates data—good or bad. The faster you act, the quicker you collect insights that fuel the next iteration. Flexibility drives creativity: When flawless outcomes aren’t the primary objective, teams are more inclined to explore, revise, and develop daring, big solutions.   Decentralised decision-making enhances this impact. When teams closest to the problem own the solution, they act faster and produce more innovative results. This agility outperforms top-down management. Yet, here's the irony: selecting speed doesn't imply forsaking careful consideration. It's about recognising when 80% suffices for taking action. The real skill of leadership is found in this equilibrium. The bottom line: The cost of waiting for perfection isn’t just time—it’s the opportunities you let slip by as the world moves on. When it becomes part of the organisational DNA, speed fosters urgency, accountability, and a competitive edge. Culture eats strategy for breakfast, and speed is the engine behind the execution. Many of the most significant breakthroughs arose not from flawless strategies but from people and groups ready to take bold actions which continuously iterate and swiftly adapt. Personally, this approach has never let me down in leadership. If I had waited for perfection, I wouldn’t have had the privilege of learning from bold moves—or the occasional misstep that taught me even more.

I’ve reviewed 500+ applications as a recruiter at Amazon, Microsoft, and TikTok. This is the kind of resume that gets rejected in 3 seconds. I'll break down why such resumes fail to create an impact and how you can avoid such mistakes. Problem 1: Too much, too soon Two degrees, 15+ courses, and 30+ tools listed - all in the top half. Recruiters don’t need a tech stack dump upfront. Instead: ➡️ Start with a skills summary tied to impact-driven achievements. ➡️ Highlight tools you’ve mastered, not dabbled in. Problem 2: Responsibilities ≠ results Worked with IT to maintain PC and network health. Okay... but how did it matter? Reduced downtime? Saved costs? Improved performance by X%? Instead: ➡️ Write impact-focused bullets — e.g., “Reduced network downtime by 35% through system upgrades.” Problem 3: Irrelevant experience Amazon Prime Shopper role at Whole Foods is listed in detail. Unless applying for retail or logistics, this distracts. Instead: ➡️ Group unrelated roles under a single “Other Experience” section. ➡️ Focus on transferable skills like teamwork, deadlines, or inventory handling — but keep it brief. Problem 4: Projects without purpose Projects sound impressive but lack outcomes. E.g., “Built an AI model to detect human emotion.” Questions recruiters ask: What accuracy did it achieve? Was it deployed? How did it solve a problem? Instead: ➡️ Add metrics — e.g., “Improved emotion detection accuracy by 20% and reduced processing time by 15%.” Here’s the hard truth: Most resumes don’t fail because candidates lack skills. They fail because they fail to communicate impact. If you're not receiving calls from recruiters despite applying to 100s of jobs, it could be due to your resume. Repost this if you found value. P.S. Follow me if you are an Indian job seeker in the U.S. I share insights on job search, interview prep, and more.

I have a question for my freelance friends out there: What’s something you wish more people understood about freelancing or running your own business? Ya know, over the past few weeks, I’ve had some really honest conversations with friends who freelance...the kind of conversations you don’t always see in public. And it made me realize…there’s a lot about the life of being a freelancer that we don’t talk about in the open. So, I want to talk about it. Because here’s the truth: Freelancing isn’t just a different kind of job. It’s running a business. Full stop. But I think a lot of people oversimplify what that actually means. I’ve heard things like, “Just quit your job and become a freelancer,” or “I’m burned out, so I’m thinking I’ll quit and try freelancing instead.” As if freelancing is something you can just casually fall into. As if it’s the easier path. As if all it takes is making a Canva logo and updating your LinkedIn headline to “Freelancer.” But the reality? Freelancing isn’t some carefree alternative to a 9–5. It’s a commitment. A risk. A full-time job plus a dozen other roles you didn’t ask for. And I get it! I really do. On the surface, freelancing sounds like freedom. No boss. No 9–5. Work from wherever. Take on the projects you want. But what most people don’t see is everything that sits underneath that. The mental weight. The financial risk. The constant self-promotion. The dry spells when no one’s hiring and you’re still trying to make rent. The hustle that doesn’t stop just because you’re busy...in fact, it doubles when you’re busy, because you’re already preparing for when things slow down. Freelancing means being your own sales team, your own finance department, your own legal team, your own IT, and your own project manager. You have to market yourself, pitch yourself, sell yourself..over and over and over again. You have to know what you’re good at, price your work accordingly, write your own contracts, handle your own taxes, buy your own software, drive your own professional development, and figure out your own health insurance. You don’t get to coast for a few days between projects. You don’t get paid time off. You don’t get to turn your brain off at 5pm. And even if you have savings and experience and a good reputation...it can still be scary AF. Now don’t get me wrong...I love freelancing. I chose this. I’ve worked hard to make it work. But I also spent almost a decade preparing for it. And I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not something you casually fall into. At least, not if you want to stay in it. Let’s make the conversation more honest for those who are considering this path...and a little more vulnerable for those already on it. Because if you’re out here building something on your own, you shouldn’t have to feel like you’re doing it alone. #eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment

It's the end of the year, and I know quite a few you lawyers out there are thinking about pivoting to a business role. Over the past decade, I’ve had a chance to work directly with 50+ lawyers in all kinds of business roles, including sales, customer success, recruiting, product, etc. and at all levels ranging from entry-level to CEO. It’s given me the chance to identify three common themes about those who have seamlessly made the transition: 1. They rely on their strengths, but don’t make “lawyer” their main thing. Lawyers bring a lot of professional assets the table: generally, we’re detail oriented, highly reliable, and have strong communication skills. All of that is super helpful in any job—but only to the extent it enables us achieve the objectives in our non-legal, business role. For example: It’s great to be someone who reviews documents carefully, not so great to be someone who raises all potential legal risks in every contract they read. 2. They are great at issue-spotting, but with an eye for opportunity, not risk. In your first post-law job, it’s common to be overwhelmed by everything "wrong" that your new colleagues are doing. But here’s why: You have been professionally trained to instinctively think about legal risks & negative outcomes. Instead, consider forcing yourself to issue-spot for hidden opportunities that can help you achieve your business objectives. This may require a dramatic mindset shift, but I promise you it’s worth it. 3. They make the people around them feel important. This is especially challenging for the most senior/successful lawyers who make the pivot, because they’re likely used to being the “most important person” in most rooms they're in (think law firm managing partners & GCs). In a business role, you are constantly engaging with people—internal and external—who you constantly have to win over, with zero "power" over them. Active listening and empathy is a superpower in this world. Just to be clear, these are all based off my anecdotal experience working in smaller high growth business environments. They also include a ton of generalizations. If you've successfully made the transition and have a different view, or if you'd just like to share your own experience, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 

“I applied to 200 jobs on Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed… but no one even saw my resume.” This is what one of my students told me, eyes filled with doubt. And I wasn’t surprised. Because after reviewing 60,000+ resumes, I’ve seen the same painful truth: 90% get rejected by ATS before a human ever reads them. Not because the candidate isn’t talented. But because the resume is invisible. Here’s the reality: Recruiters spend 7 seconds skimming your resume. Job portals use ATS filters to auto-reject anything that doesn’t match keywords. And these small mistakes are costing thousands of people their dream jobs. Here are 10 game-changing details most candidates miss (don’t let yours be one of them 👇): 1️⃣ Missing Contact Info Sounds obvious, but 1 in 5 resumes don’t have a phone number or clickable email. ✅ Put your phone and professional email right at the top, ATS-readable. 2️⃣ No Clear Role Title “Intern” isn’t enough. ✅ Use: “Marketing Intern – Social Media Campaigns” instead. It tells the recruiter what you actually did. 3️⃣ Achievements Without Numbers “Handled client accounts” = vague. ✅ Try: “Managed 12 client accounts worth ₹3 Cr, improved retention by 25%.” 4️⃣ Ignoring ATS Keywords Job portals like Naukri & LinkedIn match resumes by keywords. ✅ Mirror exact job description terms in your skills/experience section. 5️⃣ Not Linking LinkedIn/Portfolio In 2025, recruiters expect proof. ✅ Always include your clickable LinkedIn URL + portfolio/GitHub/Behance links. 6️⃣ Using Fancy Templates That Break ATS Many Canva-style resumes look pretty but fail ATS scans. ✅ Stick to clean, text-based formats in Word/PDF. 7️⃣ Burying Skills at the Bottom Recruiters skim. ✅ Put a “Core Skills” section on the first half of page one. 8️⃣ Generic Summaries ❌ “I’m a hardworking professional seeking growth opportunities.” ✅ Instead: “Data Analyst with 3 years’ experience in SQL & Python, improved reporting speed by 40% at TCS.” 9️⃣ Overcrowded With Irrelevant Details Nobody needs your 12th board marks if you’re 5 years into your career. ✅ Cut the noise, keep it sharp, 1–2 pages max. 🔟 Forgetting to Proofread One typo can ruin first impressions. ✅ Run it through Grammarly + ask a peer to review. I’ve helped 50,000+ candidates land offers at companies like Google, Accenture, KPMG, Barclays, and Wipro by fixing exactly these mistakes. And trust me, your dream job isn’t far. It’s just one strong resume away. If you want my step-by-step guide on “How to Write an ATS-Friendly Resume” that got my candidates hired at top companies, comment YES and I’ll share it in my next post. #resumetips #atsresume #careercoach #jobsearchindia #interviewpreparation

I have had the hardest time dealing with criticism. Initially, I used to get defensive but then I started to ignore it. But while growing, I have also realise that if you really want to grow then criticism is the only component that can help you. It shows the gaps and blind spots and draws your attention to areas that need improvement. This is what I have learned the hard way: → Earlier, I used to misinterpret criticism as a question of my abilities. When I started taking feedback positively, I saw improvement in my work, leading to more client satisfaction. → Growth happens when you are open to improvement in the areas where you’re lacking. The moment you accept your mistakes and work on them, that’s when the real growth begins. → Whether the criticism you receive is genuine or rude, I always make a point of saying “Thank you.” Expressing gratitude to your most negative critics can leave a lasting impact and maintain your humility. I have also started to ask “How can I improve?” much more often. This is not a plot or a random question to me. I genuinely believe in asking this. Nobody is perfect and we all have room to improve, so always ask this to your clients. This has helped me convert people who were jealous of me into people who like what I do. If you want to be in the top 1% of people, then learn to take feedback gracefully. Have you ever faced criticism? How did you deal with them? #graphicdesigner

The number of PhD graduates continues to rise globally, while academic positions remain limited. A recent Nature article highlights this imbalance and the implications it has for doctoral education. In China alone, over 600,000 students were enrolled in PhD programmes in 2023, double the number from a decade earlier. Across OECD countries, the number of new doctorates has nearly doubled since the late 1990s. However, academic job growth has not kept pace. In many countries, the majority of PhD graduates now work outside academia, often in roles that do not directly build on their research expertise. Despite this shift, many doctoral programmes still prepare candidates primarily for academic careers. This creates a mismatch between training and actual career outcomes. Some graduates feel overqualified or undervalued in the jobs they find. Others question whether the PhD provides an added advantage compared to a master’s degree, especially in fields where there is little or no income premium. Rather than viewing this development as a crisis, it should be understood as a call for reform. Doctoral education must evolve to reflect the realities of today’s labour market. This includes placing stronger emphasis on transferable meta-skills, such as communication, leadership, and critical thinking, that are valuable across sectors and roles. PhD training should not be narrowly academic. It should equip researchers to move confidently across boundaries and to contribute in diverse professional contexts. Here is the link to the article:https://lnkd.in/eu_4vUh5 #PhD #HigherEducation #PhDTraining #TransferableSkills #AcademicCareers #ResearchCareers #MetaSkills

I'm 3 years and 2 full-time jobs into my early career journey. Here are 3 lessons I've learned along the way to help motivate the soon-to-be/ new college graduate who's scared of what their future holds: 1) It's okay and never too late to pivot Spring semester of my senior year, I decided to make a career change from maternal and child health to tech. I dove into my job search with a loose plan, lots of manifestation, and a healthy dose of delusion. What's not seen is the 100s of crappy applications I submitted, a job offer I had to turn down, and the endless job rejections until I finally landed my offer at TikTok. My career pivot and the realization that there weren't a lot of early career resources for new grads led to the creation of The Ninth Semester blog, ultimately leading to my new career path in early career recruiting. One decision I made in college has positively impacted my career ever since and now I get to help 150,000 early career professionals navigate their careers. 2) It's okay to be multi-passionate, that's your superpower I used to (and sometimes still do) feel embarrassed for having an inconsistent career path. I went from a communications internship at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, Inc. → a marketing internship at Penguin Random House → a public relations internship at Ulta Beauty → advertising at TikTok → early career recruiting/employer branding at WayUp. I quickly had to learn the art of painting a story with my career experiences and learned that my diverse career path is what makes me unique. There are skills, software, and niche industry knowledge that I've learned from every role that helped me become a well-rounded early career candidate. There's no shame in wanting to learn and explore something different, especially if you're able to take the lessons from past roles into a new one. Identifying and highlighting my transferrable skills has helped a lot with my career confidence. but the biggest lesson I learned? 3)You're on your own timeline. It was hard watching my classmates land opportunities before graduation while I was on my 20th job rejection of the month. Every step I took, including the mistakes I made on my first post-grad job hunt, brought me to where I am today. I wasn't "behind" or a "failure" - it just wasn't my time yet. And that's scary to believe when you're afraid of never landing a job and everyone around you is constantly talking about how the job market is trash. It's easier said than done, but you have to keep going. Even if you have to take breaks from applying or try something unconventional like a TikTok video resume (like me lol) to break through the void of endless job rejections. Or get real with yourself about what's working/what's not and make changes. But trust me, you WILL find a job and you will land exactly where you need to be. Everything always falls into place. #classof2024 #classof2025 #entryleveljobs #internships #jobhuntingtips #postgrad

A client told me this week they weren't qualified to speak about their work. And it hit me hard how many brilliant people hold themselves back. They'd left their job a year ago to start their own business. Despite solving real problems for real clients and learning constantly, they felt they hadn't "earned the right" to share their knowledge. What he gets in his head - but not in his heart - is that we're living in a time where gatekeepers don't matter anymore. The media doesn't decide who gets to be an authority - algorithms and audiences do. Expertise isn't about certificates anymore - it's about shared experience. We're all waiting for something: That perfect moment to feel "official" Someone to tell us we're ready Permission to speak up But the internet removed those barriers. Anyone with genuine knowledge and a method can lead conversations now.