How attention to detail and innovation changed my career

Navigating your career with clarity and confidence isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about being open to the questions. This means recognizing when it’s time to pivot, being willing to ask for what you need, and redefining what success looks like on your own terms. Over the years, I’ve learned that the most meaningful career moves often come from moments of curiosity, courage and reflection. Here are a few takeaways that have shaped how I think about work and growth: 🙋🏼♀️Ask for what you want. I wasn’t hired as a Career Expert at LinkedIn – I saw an opportunity to lead the conversation around careers, and asked my manager if I could own it. I have a 50/50 hit rate of getting what I ask for, and so glad I got a “yes” on this one. :) 🔎Redefine your success. I hate to break it to you, but there is no ideal job. When job hunting, consider what success looks like for you. Maybe it’s full-time remote work, even if it means a slightly lower salary. Not every job will be a dream gig, but understanding what you want and need in your career can help you make decisions that are right for you. 🔀There’s power in the pivot. Most careers are squiggly lines, and that’s okay! Focus on the full story of your career, not just upward movement. With each job or shift you make, you’ll be learning more and creating new pathways that might not have existed if you didn’t take the twists and turns as they came. 🤖The world of work is changing fast, with AI as a catalyst. You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to show you’re willing to learn. So get curious, start small, and keep building! Whether you're just starting out, considering a big career change or navigating leadership challenges, I cover all of this (and more!) in my conversation on the HumanizeHer podcast. Full episode below.

The habit that turns career advice into career opportunities? Your voice You’ve read the career tips. You’ve watched the TED Talks. But growth doesn’t come from reading. It comes from speaking out loud. That’s the habit that builds trust and opens doors for you. Let’s start here: → The Weekly Voice Habit (in 4 simple steps) 1. Record one voice memo or podcast episode each week Just open your phone or Zoom and talk for 10 minutes max. What should you talk about? Something real. Something recent. → A mindset shift → A mistake you handled → A conversation that made you think Not sure what to say? Ask yourself: “What did I learn this week that’s worth remembering?” Start there. 2. Use this super simple structure: → What happened → What you learned → What you’d do differently next time No need to sound clever. Just be honest. Be clear. If you overthink it, you won’t do it. So don’t. You’re not here to impress. You’re here to be understood. 3. Clip the good part and post it on LinkedI Find a 30-second moment that hits. The kind that makes someone stop scrolling and go, “Damn. That’s actually useful.” Post it with something like: “Here’s a mistake I made this week, and what I’ll do differently now.” That’s not content. That’s credibility. And trust me… It lands harder than another “5 tips to boost productivity” post. 4. Do it for 6 weeks (minimum) → One voice memo → One post → One insight → Per week That’s it. Not to go viral. Not to look impressive. But to build actual proof that you think clearly and lead well. And here’s the cool part? While everyone else is still saving carousels and doing nothing. You’re becoming the person people remember. You don’t need more “how to succeed” advice. You already have thoughts worth sharing. Now say them out loud. Let your voice do the positioning. Let your lessons speak for you. That’s how you turn quiet growth into loud opportunities. “Let’s build a world where everyone feels heard — and nobody feels alone.” – Poddy Parrot, your podcast wingman 🦜

What if your greatest strengths feel so natural that you doubt they even count? That paradox is at the heart of the Magic Multiplier Effect—the idea that our most valuable talents often feel effortless, yet produce extraordinary results. When we invest in these natural strengths and align them with meaningful work, we unlock not just higher performance, but deeper fulfillment. In my latest article, The Magic Multiplier Effect, I explore: - How to identify your “magic multipliers” through reflection, feedback, and assessments. - Why effortless excellence can trigger Imposter Syndrome—and why that’s actually a clue. - How engineers (and all professionals) can craft careers that marry innate talent with mission-driven work. Your magic multiplier isn’t just what you’re good at—it’s where your strengths, passion, and purpose converge. What do you suspect your own “magic multiplier” might be? #CareerDevelopment #StrengthsBasedLeadership #FlowState #EngineeringMindset https://lnkd.in/eDmzrVs4 (Or listen to a podcast summarizing the article at: https://lnkd.in/euKPPFBg)

The perfect read for a hectic time. Encouraging and grounding. “It is not a simplistic exhortation to “follow your passion,” nor is it a rigid prescription to ignore weaknesses. Rather, it represents a sophisticated paradigm for career navigation that synthesizes decades of research into a cohesive and actionable approach.”

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by Christine Brooks-Cappadocia (she/her) on the Successfully Ambiguous podcast (episode coming soon!). One of the topics we touched on was young professionals in today’s labour market, and it got me thinking: knowing what I know now, what would I tell my 20-year-old self, just starting out? I’m not a career counsellor, but here are a few lessons I’d share, and I’d love to hear yours too. 1. You don’t need to have it all figured out at 20 (or 25 or 30). Careers rarely follow a straight line and the world is moving fast. What isn’t even on your radar today could become your passion tomorrow. Instead of just focusing on what you want to be, think about what you want to do - this opens doors to more opportunities. 2. The value of a network cannot be overstated. Most professionals I admire are natural connectors. A strong network builds credibility and creates opportunities. Growing it can be as simple as asking others what they do, what excites them, or what challenges they face, and committing to staying in touch. 3. Growth happens in discomfort. Apply for jobs you’re not 100% qualified for (women especially need to hear this). Take on stretch projects. Admit when you don’t know something, and commit to finding the answer. Calculated risks are how you grow. 4. Get to know yourself. What motivates you? What do you need to balance personal, emotional, and professional wellbeing? Just as important is understanding what you don’t know, and learning to see issues from multiple perspectives. Emotional intelligence and critical thinking will set you apart in rooms full of equally smart, equally educated peers. 5. Invest in yourself - continuously. The world is changing fast, and lifelong learning is no longer optional. Stay curious. Pick up new skills — whether it’s technology, AI, languages, public speaking, or even fitness. Small, consistent investments compound over time. At the end of the day: be curious, take risks, build relationships, and keep learning. That’s my TED talk. Now I’d love to hear yours: what advice would you give the next generation of business leaders?

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 “𝙢𝙚𝙝… 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚… 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙗”? You think, “𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬,” like you’re settling for the last lonely avocado at Trader Joe’s. You’re 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 because deep down, you have no idea what you want. And that’s not weird. It’s normal. The real myth? That everyone else has it figured out. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁. Most people just pick something and hope it doesn’t suck. The good news? Clarity isn’t magic, and it’s not luck. It’s a skill you can learn. 🎙️ 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱, 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂: ✅ What career clarity really means (and why it’s not another values worksheet) ✅ The 3 biggest blockers that keep smart people stuck in jobs they hate ✅ My Assess → Align → Apply framework to find clarity and roles you’ll actually love Are you ready to stop guessing and start moving toward work you actually want? Listen now: 👉 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄. #CareerClarity #CareerChange #JobSearch #DreamJob

Today on the The Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast , I’m joined by Sarah Cannistra longtime L&D leader, coach, and the author of “Land Your Next L&D Role: Creating a Career that Works for You.” With more than 15 years of experience across every facet of learning and development—both as a practitioner and as an entrepreneur—Sarah brings hard-won perspective and actionable advice to help professionals navigate career transitions in today’s talent market. In this lively and practical conversation, Sarah opens up about her journey from internal L&D roles to running her own coaching and consulting business, and why she ultimately chose to return to an in-house corporate role—even while writing her book. She candidly shares what she’s learned about the realities of entrepreneurship, the power of stability, and the value of continual growth (plus, the underrated joy of a regular paycheck). In this episode, Sarah covers: - Her “ABCDs of Career Success” framework—Alignment (finding your niche), Branding, Community, and Development—to help L&D professionals land their next role and build a truly rewarding career. - Why clarity about your skills, interests, and values is more important than chasing specific job titles or credentials. - How intentional job searches yield better, faster results than “spray and pray” applications, plus ways to sidestep the common pitfall of endless rejection cycles. - The critical role of mindset and personal branding—how to be seen for your unique value instead of just another applicant in a crowded field. - Tips for leveraging community (without getting trapped in negative job-seeker echo chambers), and why surrounding yourself with the right people is vital for growth. - Real-life exercises for defining your legacy, honing your career story, and advocating for new opportunities—whether inside your current organization or beyond. If you’re planning your next move in L&D, wrestling with tough market conditions, or simply want more control over your career journey, Sarah’s actionable advice and relatable stories will help you move forward with confidence. Sarah’s book, “Land Your Next L&D Role,” is available now from ATD Press, Amazon, and all major booksellers. Tune in for a wealth of inspiration and strategy! 🎧🎧🎧

🚀 Want to Boost Your Professional Growth? Start Here! Success isn’t about luck—it’s about consistent action, learning, and adaptability. Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, building a business, or transitioning careers, here are a few key lessons I’ve learned: ✅ Skill Over Scrolling – Invest 1 hour daily in learning (courses, books, podcasts). Small steps lead to big progress. ✅ Network with Purpose – Engage meaningfully, offer value, and build relationships—not just connections. ✅ Embrace Feedback – Growth happens outside your comfort zone. Seek constructive criticism and act on it. ✅ Consistency > Perfection – Don’t wait for the "perfect moment." Start now, refine later. What’s one habit that transformed your career? Drop it below! 👇 #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #SuccessMindset #Networking Why this works: ✔ Engaging Hook – Starts with a relatable question. ✔ Actionable Tips – Provides clear, concise value. ✔ Call-to-Action (CTA) – Encourages comments to boost reach. ✔ Relevant Hashtags – Expands visibility. Pro Tip: Add a personal story or stat (e.g., *"After dedicating 30 mins/day to learning XYZ, I achieved..."*) to make it more authentic.

Let’s do a self-experiment.   I came across “How your childhood dreams can help your career” episode on This Working Life Podcast by 🎤 Lisa Leong totally by chance (after all, it was released in May last year).   It features INSEAD Business School Lecturer and Executive Coach Paul Harvey, where he talks about “Phantasy Careers.” Those childhood dream jobs that almost all of us had at some point. He explains how these dreams could hold the key to our inner motives than we realize.   When I listened, I first thought about Adi and his initial love for cars (which hasn’t gone away). Music training did shift his direction, but between cars and music what hasn’t changed is his passion to share stories, odd statistics, and ideas. I already see the glimpses in him, where he uses that in coaching his peers in tennis class, leading discussions in class, presenting in school assemblies, and so on.   Then I thought about myself. While I couldn’t really recollect a “dream” job from childhood, what came to my mind is defending my brother and friends (no wonder they used to call me panther), arguing with my dad about people, customs, our behavior, and culture. What also popped up was what my friend’s mom once said about how I would make a good manager someday. Looking back, every role I’ve had has included mentoring, nudging people forward, and supporting their growth.   This is exactly what Harvey’s research highlights. Our childhood phantasies may not always be about our job titles; they may as well be about the underlying drivers and their ability to shape what we come to enjoy as adults.   So, here’s the experiment: 1/ List a job you dreamt as a child 2/ Note down three motives that could have influenced that interest 3/ Ask yourself, do they already feature in some form in your current role; or, 4/ Can you bring some of these drivers back while evaluating your career choice, especially if you are just starting out.   What was your phantasy career? Does it still echo in your life today? PS: Link to the podcast in comments; please go ahead and listen - it might just be what you needed to hear to steer your career. #childhooddreams #dreamcareer #careerchoices

Lately I’ve been reflecting on career transitions—my own and those of people in my network. Listening to Harvard Business Review's recent HBR on Leadership episode “Make a Mid-Career Industry Change with Confidence” brought me back to my own leap from teaching to edtech in 2017. At the time, I was early in my career, but I remember the same questions many mid-career professionals face: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦? 𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦? A few takeaways from the episode that stood out: 1️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿. The common thread across your experiences matters more than a linear path. Employers want to hear how your skills and passions connect to what you want next. 2️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Clarity on the kind of work that lights you up helps you show up authentically in conversations. 3️⃣ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. We often focus on what we’re missing instead of the value we bring. Reframing those doubts is essential. 4️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. Networking doesn’t always have to be about asking for a job. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking, “What can I learn from this person?” Even now, as I think about industries I’d want to explore in the future, I come back to these same themes: the importance of honest reflection, crafting a coherent narrative, and remembering that a career isn’t a straight line—it’s a story we get to shape. 👉 If you’ve made a career or industry shift, what’s one piece of advice you’d share with someone considering the leap? #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #LifelongLearning #HBR 🎧 Want to listen to the conversation yourself? Here's the episode link: https://lnkd.in/eSPu34J3