Career

Students are asking me: “𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫?” ❌ No, of course not. Industry experience is one of the most valuable things you can put on your resume but you can get creative with how you get that experience. Some of the best opportunities aren’t posted — they’re shared. Here’s how to make real progress without a formal internship: ⸻ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐩 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 ⭐️ Check Eventbrite + Meetup — connect with local professionals, even for funzies ⭐️ Big names recruit heavily at SWE, SHPE, NSBE — I got my Apple internship through SWE ⭐️ Niche events: SF Tech Week, Afrotech, Latinx in Tech, Grace Hopper, MLH Hackathons, etc. Not-so-secret tip: These events let you upload your resume to conference-specific databases, and many secure next-day interviews/offers from this. ⸻ 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 ⭐️ Look into Capital One’s Early ID, Google STEP, Goldman Sachs Insights, Facebook University, etc ⭐️ Campus ambassadorships — Microsoft, Notion, Adobe, etc → These often lead to referrals, experience, and paid gigs ⸻ 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 ⭐️ Research with a professor (just ask!) ⭐️ Helping a startup on a short-term project ⭐️ Freelance or launch your own product ⸻ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 — warm connections ⭐️ Professors: Many are ex-industry professionals — they have connections to companies or even graduated students in the workplace ⭐️ Alumni: Find grads from your school, ask about their path — then ask about opportunities ⭐️ Local companies & startups: Easier access, faster timelines ⸻ 5️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 — 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 If you’re not learning 𝘰𝘯 the job, treat learning 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 a job. ⭐️ Courses: Coursera, edX, AWS (Google IT, IBM Data Science, Meta Front-End) ⭐️ Certs: CAPM, Lean Six Sigma, Scrum Master ⭐️ Projects: Scrimba, Frontend Mentor, GitHub -> show, don’t just tell Highlight “Projects” section on your resume + “Featured Posts” on LinkedIn ⸻ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 ⭐️ LinkedIn | WayUp | Handshake | Jobright AI | Simplify New roles drop daily. Don’t count yourself out early. ⸻ 6️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝. ⭐️ Read: 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 — soft skills get you hired. ⭐️ Rest: Take that trip. You’ll never have this kind of freedom once PTO kicks in. Protect your energy — it’s a long game. I never liked reading myself, but committing to 1 book this year, small wins :) === 🔁: Repost to your network if you found this useful or tag a friend ➕ Follow me: Anna Chen for weekly career tips and job postings #NoInternshipNoProblem #EarlyCareer #NetworkingTips #UndergradOpportunities #TipsIWishIKnewEarlier

In a world where every executive has a firm handshake and a stack of business cards, how do you become the person everyone remembers after a conference? After attending dozens in the past decade, I've developed a strategy that transforms conferences from transactional meetups into relationship goldmines. ♟️Pre-Conference LinkedIn Strategy The real networking begins weeks before the event. Review the speaker and attendee lists, then connect with key individuals on LinkedIn with a personalized message: "I noticed we’re both attending the Stand & Deliver event. I'd love to connect. See you soon." This pre-conference connection creates a warm introduction and significantly increases your chances of meaningful engagement. 👗👔The Memorable Wardrobe Element In my early career, I blended in at conferences. Now? I'm known for wearing a little more color (often D&S Executive Career Management teal) or patterns that are professional yet distinctive. When someone says, "Oh, you're the one with the great dress," you've already won half the networking battle. 🤝Contribute Before You Collect** Instead of collecting business cards, focus on providing immediate value in conversations. Can you connect someone to a resource? Share relevant research? Offer a solution to a challenge they mentioned? The executives who stand out aren't those who take the most cards—they're the ones who solve problems on the spot. What networking approach has worked for you at recent conferences? Share in the comments below! #ExecutiveLeadership #NetworkingStrategy #ConferenceSuccess #ProfessionalDevelopment

89% of those who have been mentored say they’ll go on to mentor others. So, how do you find great mentors and convince them you're worth helping? LinkedIn is a great place to start. Ever since I fell into the clean energy industry, people I met here, like Erin Greeson, Joseph F. Tassone Jr (both pictured), and NICO JOHNSON 🎙️ have spent countless hours sharing what they've learned with me. Which is incredibly humbling, because... I didn't know anything about this industry three years ago. I just knew that I wanted to work in a fulfilling field. So I started writing about the tiny, tiny sliver of things I did know about and posting them here. And it attracted some of the most amazing people I've ever met. But I still had to convince them I was worth hanging out with... Here are three rules I follow that continue to bring great people into my circle: 1. Create Before You Ask Write and post what you know or what you're passionate about. Seriously, the benefits outweigh the annoying parts. Writing content here has given me access to SO many people I never would have met otherwise. It gives people an idea of who you are and what you're about before you even meet them. 2. Reach Out and Compliment Without Asking for Anything When someone you admire engages with your post, message them and thank them. Then talk to them like a person. Without asking for anything. That's it. If they want to engage further, they will! 3. Show You’re Teachable Once someone gives you advice, act on it. Listen, say thank you, and follow up with what you did based on their guidance. People LOVE sharing what they've learned. They love hearing that what they taught you worked even more. I have SO much more to learn. And a long career in climate tech ahead of me. I can't wait to see who else I get to meet and learn from 😁

🚨 “𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗮𝘀.” That’s what a 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 told us after getting laid off. 10+ years in tech. DevOps. SRE. AWS-certified. Built systems But even with all that experience... He hit a wall.  He said:   👉🏾 “I’m used to pushing myself. But this time, I couldn’t see the road. I didn’t need more motivation. I needed direction.” Let me keep it 💯 with you... 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗼.   Anyone would, especially after a layoff. Why?   Because nobody teaches us how to 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, only how to grind harder.   That’s a setup for burnout. Here’s what he 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 needed: ✅ A clear, structured learning path (because he needed to add a few skills)   ✅ Real-world projects to PROVE his value   ✅ A coach to help him build 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆... 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 ✅ A hiring game plan aligned with his 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 His goal?   👉🏾 Land a DevOps/SRE leadership role   👉🏾 While raising two kids   👉🏾 Building a consulting biz   👉🏾 And STILL making time for family 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 🟢 You just need to realign with whats happening in the industry! 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿.   The gas? That’s strategy, and once you have that, then you can take the action you need. So... If you’ve been sitting in neutral.  it’s time to fuel up and hit that damn gas. Level Up!

Looking for a job? Build a portfolio. Not just a résumé. If I were job hunting in 2025, here’s what I’d do. Build ONE great portfolio project in the next 30 days. Something that shows - not tells - your skill, thought process, and creativity. I say this as someone who's also hired half a dozen people in the past 2 years. There's too much noise out there. You've got to find a way to stand out. Here are 3 roles and 3 portfolio projects you can build in the next 30 days to stand out: 👩🏽💻 1. Product Manager Build: A new feature for an app you love → Pick a product (Spotify, Notion, Duolingo) → Design a new feature: user problem → solution → wireframes → Write a PRD (problem, KPIs, edge cases, success metrics) One of the most creative ways I've seen a friend get an interview was this: He mocked up a "Spotify Social Listening" feature - then sent it to Spotify PMs. This got him an immediate response and interview. Tool stack: Notion, Figma, Canva, ChatGPT, Whimsical 📱 2. UX/UI Designer Build: A 2-week redesign challenge → Pick a real-world flow that sucks (e.g. booking train tickets on IRCTC lol or the entire Goodreads web app) → Interview a few users (just ask around within your friends) → Redesign the flow with better UX → Share your case study on Behance or your website Write a post on the entire process you followed. Tool stack: Figma, Maze, Framer, Medium 📊 3. Data Analyst Build: A dashboard + case study → Choose a public dataset (NYC taxi data, Netflix ratings, upcoming Indian startups) → Clean + analyze it using SQL/Python → Build a dashboard in Tableau or Power BI → Publish your insights + charts as a case study Once again, write a post on the entire process you followed. Tool stack: SQL, Python, Tableau, Canva, Medium ... It's easy to get stuck in the rut of applying to jobs every day. Try something a tiny bit different... and you can easily stand out from the noise. Best of luck! 🌿 Found this useful? Repost it to help someone who’s job hunting. 🟢 Want a free guide to acing your first PM interview? Comment below “portfolio” below and I’ll send it over. :)

Unfortunately, many job seekers aren’t comfortable with self-promotion because they see it as bragging. Or they don’t do it because they lack confidence in their value as a candidate. I’ve spoken to thousands of job seekers who UNDERESTIMATE and UNDER MARKET their skills and accomplishments. The problem is that we are passed over for better opportunities and higher earnings when we don't market our skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Employers can't guess or assume your abilities; you must make them clear and compelling. Self-promotion is a powerful tool for career advancement when done authentically and effectively. Here are 5 ways to draw attention to your qualifications and skills without sounding arrogant. 1. Quantify Achievements: Show the impact of your leadership by quantifying your achievements. Did you increase revenue or reduce costs? By how much? Did you lead a team? How big was it and what were the results of your team's work? Use concrete numbers where possible to illustrate your effectiveness. 2. Highlight Leadership and Strategic Skills: As an executive, it's important to demonstrate not only your ability to manage, but also to lead and strategize. Highlight experiences where you've set strategy, guided teams through change, or demonstrated thought leadership. 3. Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each application, highlighting the most relevant experiences and accomplishments. 4. Use Action Verbs and Power Words: Start each bullet point with a strong action verb like "led," "spearheaded," "orchestrated," etc. This helps create a powerful image of you as a proactive leader. 5. Add High-Priority Hard Skills: Add relevant hard skills for your target role to your resume in four key places: your headline at the top of your resume, your core strengths section, the accomplishment section, and within your work experience. BONUS TIP: Showcase Your Executive Presence: Executive presence is a blend of temperament, competencies, and skills that send all the right signals. Show instances where you've had to make tough decisions, guide a team, or navigate a company through challenging times. Want a free executive resume template that helps you put all these strategies into action? Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/euFAH39f #Resumes #Careers #LinkedInTopVoices

If your one-on-ones are primarily status updates, you're missing a massive opportunity to build trust, develop talent, and drive real results. After working with countless leadership teams across industries, I've found that the most effective managers approach 1:1s with a fundamentally different mindset... They see these meetings as investments in people, not project tracking sessions. Great 1:1s focus on these three elements: 1. Support: Create space for authentic conversations about challenges, both professional and personal. When people feel safe discussing real obstacles, you can actually help remove them. Questions to try: "What's currently making your job harder than it needs to be?" "Where could you use more support from me?" 2. Growth: Use 1:1s to understand aspirations and build development paths. People who see a future with your team invest more deeply in the present. Questions to explore: "What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?" "What parts of your role energize you most?" 3. Alignment: Help team members connect their daily work to larger purpose and meaning. People work harder when they understand the "why" behind tasks. Questions that create alignment: "How clear is the connection between your work and our team's priorities?" "What part of our mission resonates most with you personally?" By focusing less on immediate work outputs and more on the human doing the work, you'll actually see better performance, retention, and results. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #leadershipdevelopment #teammanagement

Internships are your fastest path to a great job! During my bachelor’s degree, I did 5 internships in 5 different domains—each one building on the last. That diverse experience helped me land my first product management internship in the U.S., which then led to another offer as a PM. Eventually, all these experiences combined made me a strong candidate for my current job! In today’s ultra-competitive job market, internships aren’t just optional—they’re essential. They help you stand out and increase your chances of landing interviews. I started with an unpaid internship because I lacked experience, but I used that as a stepping stone. One opportunity led to another, and soon, I was working with some of the best companies out there. 👩🏻💻If you’re a student: ✅ Find internships early – Many top companies start hiring interns months in advance. Set up alerts on job boards like LinkedIn, Handshake, and Glassdoor. Maybe say yes to an unpaid internship? ✅ Network your way in – 80% of jobs aren’t posted online. Reach out to alumni, attend career fairs, and connect with industry professionals on LinkedIn. ✅ Leverage side projects – If you don’t have experience, create it! Work on personal projects, contribute to open-source, or freelance to build a portfolio. ✅ Be open to startups & smaller companies – Big brands are competitive, but startups offer hands-on experience and faster growth opportunities. ✅ Keep learning – Certifications, online courses, and workshops can help you gain new skills that make you a stronger candidate. By the time you graduate, you’ll already have a competitive edge in your job search! 🚀 #career #tips #students #linkedin #internship

Stop babbling! Struggling to ask a clear, concise question is a very common thing that I see damage executive presence. If you want to be an executive, you must speak like one. Here is how to make a better impression: In all my classes, we always do a live Q&A. Everyone has experienced someone who gets up to the microphone and rambles without arriving at a clear question, leaving others wondering what they are talking about. Surprisingly, this even happens in my executive class, “Cracking the C-Suite,” where people are hoping to get Chief Officer jobs. Before the Q&A, I always tell the class that this is a chance to practice and demonstrate their Executive Presence by asking a concise, clear question. I then give them time to prepare. While a few succeed, most do not. The main reasons that some struggle are these: 1) They do not write out their question. It is one thing to struggle when you are put on the spot, but all of these people have time to prepare. However, they simply decide what they want to ask in their minds and do no further preparation. This is a mistake. Write your question down in its clearest and most concise version. 2) They do not practice the question. After writing the question down, it would take less than a minute to speak your question out loud a couple of times to get used to stating it quickly and clearly. You should practice your question as though it were a short public speaking opportunity. In essence, it is. 3) They over-contextualize and qualify We all think our own lives are fascinating and that the context of our situation really matters. But, in most cases, it doesn't. The core questions that people ask are very simple, such as "my boss micromanages me - how can I change that?" The exact type of micromanagement makes almost no difference. Cut out all but the most necessary context, and realize that if the person answering your question needs more context they can simply ask. 4) Verbal Fidgeting We often say too much because we are nervous and uncertain, and saying too much makes us look and sound exactly that way. I call this verbal fidgeting because it is touching and playing with words to ease our nerves, just as we sometimes do with physical objects. Executive presence is amplified by short, powerful, direct, declarative sentences. Recognize if you have the tendency to “fidget,” and combat it by preparing and practicing your question until you no longer need to. Readers—who in your life could benefit from stronger speaking skills? Send them this post. And, share any other tips for improved speaking/question-asking.

I used to wake up dreading my calendar. Every notification felt like another brick on my chest. Until I realized: the old rules were breaking me. So I set out to rewrite the rules. Here are 8 boundary-setting tips that actually work: ❌ Old rule: Work Defines Your Identity ✅ New rule: Separate Your Worth from Your Work 💡 Action: Schedule 2 hours weekly for a non-work hobby ❌ Push Through Until Burnout ✅ Honor Your Body's Signals 💡 Recharge with a 10-minute break every 90 minutes of focused work ❌ Always Be Available ✅ Guard Your Time Intentionally 💡 Batch all emails into 2-3 set times daily ❌ Keep Struggles To Yourself ✅ Be Kind to Yourself & Seek Support 💡 Book monthly check-ins with a trusted mentor ❌ Hope Others Guess Your Limits ✅ Over-Communicate Your Boundaries 💡 Set response time expectations in your email signature ❌ Treat Everything As Urgent ✅ Distinguish Between Urgent and Important 💡 Use prioritization by each day labeling your top 3 tasks as "Important" or "Urgent" ❌ Follow Unrealistic Schedules ✅ Create a Routine That Works for You 💡 Design a 30-minute morning routine that energizes you ❌ Put Self-Care Last on the To-Do List ✅ Schedule Self-Care Time First 💡 Block 30-minutes of personal time daily The old rules are the quiet thief of joy and purpose. These new rules will help you thrive in work AND life. Which old rule do you need to break first? ♻️ Repost to help others break the old rules. 🔔 Follow me (Nadeem) for more like this.