Early Career Advice

I’m rejecting the career ladder metaphor in favor of the career river. Here’s why: 1. The ultimate goal of the career ladder is: reach the top. The ultimate goal of the career river is: reach your ocean - a thriving, wide-open ecosystem fed by other rivers to explore. /

Don’t force yourself to do anything you hate. If you get too good at this, you won’t be able to figure out when to quit.

Make decisions easy for busy people. You will rise fast in your career if busy people like working with you. Here’s a tip: when you have a problem to solve, come prepared with a suggested next step. If you have a question, phrase it in a way they can answer yes/no. If there are multiple options, lay them out and ask them to pick one. Try to avoid e

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I like to think of careers as less like ladders and more like lily pads. In retrospect, some hops might look as if they were on a path, while others might look like a digression. Some might prioritize work, others might prioritize life outside of work. But whatever you hop to next, know you’ll have the chance to hop again. Little in life is permane

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