Career development is filled with invaluable lessons and milestones. We asked industry experts to share one piece of advice they wish they’d received earlier in their careers and how they think it would have changed their trajectory. Here are their suggestions and strategies that you can implement to accelerate your professional growth.
- Dream Jobs Don’t Exist
- Build Passion Through Action
- Network Before You Need It
- Track Your Accomplishments
- View Career Development Like a Jungle Gym
- Follow Your Passions and Trust Your Instincts
- Everyone Is Posturing for Advantage
- Good at a Job Doesn’t Mean Good Manager
- Done Beats Perfect
- Working Hard Isn’t Enough
- Outgrow Early Mentors as Goals Evolve
- Depth of Expertise Matters More Than Titles
- Develop Resilience as a Mindset
- Focus on Building Relationships
- Market and Sell Your Value
- Start a Professional Journal
- Your Career Is Your Responsibility
Pieces of Career Advice Experts Wish They Knew Sooner
Dream Jobs Don’t Exist
I wish someone had told me earlier that dream jobs don’t exist—at least not in the way we’ve been taught to believe. We’re sold this idea that if we just find the “right” career, everything will click into place. That work will feel like a calling, our skills will be perfectly utilized, and fulfillment will follow. But the truth? No job will ever be the full measure of who you are. And that’s a good thing.
If I had understood that sooner, I wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to mold myself into roles that never truly fit—overperforming and overworking in pursuit of some elusive ‘perfect’ career. I wouldn’t have equated professional success with personal worth or believed that changing my mind meant I was failing.
What I know now is this: your career is just one chapter in a much bigger story. Your career unfolds over decades. You’re allowed to evolve. You’re allowed to pivot, to outgrow roles, to realize what once excited you no longer does. You’re not obligated to follow a linear path just because it looks good on paper. Careers look more like a jungle gym than a straight ladder to the top.
Had I embraced that earlier, I think my trajectory would have been less about proving myself and more about experimenting, adapting, and choosing what aligns with the life I actually want to live—not just the title that looks impressive.
So if you need permission to change your mind, here it is: Your job is only one part of who you are. Use it to explore, initiate change, help others, make a positive impact, and have some fun along the way.
Danielle Roberts
Future of Work Speaker, Writer, and Coach, Danielle Roberts Co., LLC
Build Passion Through Action
We’re told to find our passion, as if it’s waiting for us somewhere, fully formed. But that’s a myth. Passion isn’t found—it’s built. It’s the byproduct of action, exploration, and growth. If I had stopped searching and started doing sooner, I would have found my voice, my strengths, and my path much earlier.
Looking back, the biggest career shift happened when I stopped trying to figure it all out alone. I started talking about my ideas, my aspirations, and my goals. I asked for input. I invited mentors and coaches into my journey. Because here’s the truth: No one is sitting around planning your next promotion. You have to educate people about what you want. Your career isn’t just shaped by your hard work; it’s shaped by the people who advocate for you. So, build alliances. Surround yourself with champions and sponsors. Don’t assume others see your potential—make sure they know where you want to go.
And if you do this? You’ll find yourself stepping into the uncomfortable sooner rather than later. And that’s game-changing. Because confidence doesn’t come before big moves—it comes after. The sooner you learn to navigate uncertainty, the faster you’ll grow.
Most importantly, expect detours. Careers aren’t linear. If I had understood that earlier, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time worrying about being “on the right track.” The real game isn’t about sticking to a perfect plan—it’s about adapting, learning, and showing up for opportunities before you feel ready.
So, stop chasing passion. Start building momentum. The rest will follow.
Maria Wade
Senior Executive Coach, Maria Wade LLC
Network Before You Need It
One piece of career advice I wish I had received earlier is, “Your network is just as important as your skills—invest in relationships before you need them.” Early in my career, I focused heavily on building expertise and delivering results, assuming that strong performance alone would open doors. While skills and hard work are essential, I later realized that career growth often happens through opportunities that come from connections, not just qualifications.
Had I prioritized networking earlier, I could have accelerated my career trajectory by gaining mentorship, exposure to new opportunities, and industry insights much sooner. I’ve since learned that staying visible, engaging with professionals in my field, and offering value to my network creates career opportunities that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
For example, most of the speaking opportunities and media features came from relationships I nurtured over time. When people know your expertise and trust your value, they think of you when opportunities arise.
Now, I encourage job seekers to build their network before they need it—connect with industry professionals, engage on LinkedIn, and maintain relationships with former colleagues. Had I followed this advice from the start, I likely would have had more career options earlier and could have expanded my impact sooner. Your skills get you in the door, but your network helps you move forward faster.
Margaret Buj
Interview Coach and Talent Acquisition Manager, Mixmax
Track Your Accomplishments
One invaluable piece of career advice I wish I had received early in my career is the practice of consistently tracking my accomplishments with specific metrics: percentages, dollar amounts, and numerical data. This habit not only makes performance reviews easier but also empowers you to tangibly demonstrate your value to employers, thereby enhancing your career prospects.
For instance, being able to show that you increased sales by 25% or saved the company $10,000 in operational costs carries significantly more weight than vague statements without metrics. This practice, if adopted earlier, could have dramatically accelerated my career trajectory by enabling me to advocate for promotions, raises, or new opportunities more effectively.
Instilling a results-driven mindset is essential and pushes you to seek impactful outcomes in your work. Ultimately, tracking metrics is a proactive way to take ownership of your career growth and showcase your contributions confidently. When you can clearly demonstrate how you have helped a company make money or save money or time, it instills a sense of self-assurance and assertiveness in your professional interactions. If you’ve moved the needle in the past, future employers can confidently project that you will do it again.
Lynne Williams
Resumes & LinkedIn – Executive Director, Great Careers Network
View Career Development Like a Jungle Gym
One piece of advice I wish I had received earlier in my career is to view career development like a jungle gym rather than a ladder. This means not getting attached to linear progression but instead seeking opportunities even if that path zigs and zags a bit. It means working to develop new skills and taking ownership of personal growth without waiting for direction. When I embraced this mindset, it significantly accelerated my career.
I began actively seeking out ways to learn and practice new skills, which pushed me to take more risks, accept feedback openly, and show initiative with my manager. The jungle gym approach also encouraged me to embrace vulnerability by asking for help and seeking mentors to guide me along the way. As a result, I built stronger relationships and positioned myself more effectively for new opportunities.
Simone Sloan
Executive Strategist, Your Choice Coach
Follow Your Passions and Trust Your Instincts
The one piece of career advice I wish I had received earlier is to follow your passions and trust your instincts—they are the best guides to both professional fulfillment and financial success. Too often, we’re told to prioritize stability over passion, but history proves that those who lean into what they love often create the most extraordinary careers.
Take Cesar Millan, for example. He arrived in the U.S. with little money and barely spoke English, yet he pursued his love for working with dogs. A simple job washing dogs in a grooming salon led to grooming, training, and eventually a global brand with TV shows, books, and magazines. Many would have dismissed dog training as a low-paying career, but his passion turned it into an empire.
Had I embraced this advice earlier, I would have trusted myself more, taken bolder leaps, and leaned into opportunities that aligned with my passions sooner. Passion fuels resilience, and when you love what you do, success—both personal and financial—follows. I learned this later in life and now, after a successful corporate career and entrepreneurial ventures, I’m leaning full-time into my passion of executive coaching.
Adriana Cowdin
CEO and Executive Coach, Be Bold Executive Coaching
Everyone Is Posturing for Advantage
It may not be a popular thing to say but the thing it took a long time to learn is that everyone is posturing for advantage in a job (and in a job search since I am a former recruiter turned job search and career coach). It took a few years to realize I never heard a hiring manager tell a job hunter, “I have inherited a group that is in deep trouble. My predecessor was fired and so was hers. It doesn’t take a genius to see that my butt is on the line and I need to hire someone to help me save it.”
Instead, they put on happy smile button faces and talk about a great opportunity with a terrific team of people. “Have I mentioned we’re like family?” Maybe the ones in holiday movies that want to kill one another.
Although I already knew people who are looking for work were “exaggerating” their skills and capabilities beyond what was real, this was a big A-HA moment for me because I realized that my co-workers were posturing to look good to our managers and not trying to do the right or best thing.
When the lightbulb went off for me, I realized I didn’t just need to have the best idea, but present it in a way that my managers would “get it.” I became a better communicator, a podcaster, a YouTuber, more successful as a recruiter, and a coach because I needed to express myself with clarity and conviction.
Jeff Altman
Global Job Search Coach, The Big Game Hunter, Inc.
Good at a Job Doesn’t Mean Good Manager
Early in my career, I believed that people who were good at sales should be elevated to sales managers, those good at engineering should be elevated to become sales engineers, and the same with other occupations. It isn’t true. Being good at sales, engineering, or any other occupation does not mean that you’ll also be a good manager.
What I’ve come to understand over the years is that those who move into management are, in effect, changing careers. Selling, engineering, and other occupational fields are quite different from managing and it is normal for someone really good at the underlying occupational field to not have the capacity to become a manager.
If I had understood that as I should have, I probably would have hired an office or general manager as one of my first employees and had that person manage the employees that I would later hire. That would have freed me to focus on the areas where I could best add value. Managing people wasn’t one of those.
Steven Rothberg
Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, College Recruiter
Done Beats Perfect
“Done beats perfect” truly changed my early career growth.
Trading perfectionism for consistent output helped me gain visibility and experience faster than peers who waited for perfect conditions.
I learned this lesson the hard way after sitting on promising project ideas for months. Instead of waiting to launch the perfect marketing campaign, I started shipping weekly improvements to existing ones.
One quick A/B test on email subject lines taught me more about customer psychology than weeks of research would have.
This mindset shift accelerated my career significantly. When junior team members now ask for advice, I share how releasing that “good enough” social media strategy led to insights that shaped our current high-performing approach. Taking action revealed opportunities that planning alone never could.
Progress beats perfection. When you focus on consistent output rather than flawless execution, learning happens naturally.
Aaron Whittaker
VP of Demand Generation & Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency
Working Hard Isn’t Enough
Working hard isn’t enough.
First in, last out, and the person everyone turned to when they needed something done fast and right. Everything somehow ended up on my desk if it needed to get done. And honestly, I took pride in being reliable and hardworking—it felt great to be the one people trusted. But then I noticed something: promotions that seemed like a perfect fit for me were going to others. And honestly, why wouldn’t they? From my boss’s perspective, I was handling everything quickly and effortlessly. Why would he want to move me out of that role? And did he really know what I was extraordinary at? After all, I was managing everything—somehow.
That was my wake-up call. I realized hard work wasn’t enough to climb the ladder. I needed to be more strategic. I focused on defining my unique strengths, becoming the go-to expert in one key area, and learning to say no to things that didn’t align with my goals. I also made sure my contributions were more visible to decision-makers and tied to what really mattered: moving the organization forward. That shift taught me that it’s not just about working harder; it’s about working intentionally. It’s a lesson that has shaped my career ever since.
That shift changed my entire trajectory. It’s not about working harder—it’s about working intentionally.
Too often, professionals assume their effort alone will be noticed and rewarded. But intentionality and visibility matter. Positioning matters. You have to make sure the right people know the value you bring—not just your clients or colleagues, but also the leaders making decisions about your future.
Sylvie Di Giusto
Keynote Speaker & Author | Helping Professionals Lead Better, Sell Faster, Persuade Instantly, Sylvie di Giusto
Outgrow Early Mentors as Goals Evolve
I wish someone had told me it’s okay to outgrow your early mentors and seek new ones as your goals evolve. Early in my career, I assumed that a mentor-mentee relationship had to last indefinitely. In reality, my first mentor helped me discover my entrepreneurial spirit but wasn’t equipped to guide my bigger aspirations. If I’d known earlier that it was perfectly normal (and even healthy) to part ways and find new mentors aligned with my evolving ambitions, I might have accelerated my growth and pursued larger opportunities sooner. This insight can free you to continually seek the right people who can help you reach your next level.
Ali Mirdamadi
CEO / Founder, Juujbox
Depth of Expertise Matters More Than Titles
For me the most valuable insight I wish I’d received earlier is that expertise depth matters more than role titles. Early in my career, I chased promotions instead of mastery, moving from role to role too quickly. When I finally spent three years focusing deeply on technical SEO rather than pursuing the next title, my career actually accelerated faster. For example, by becoming the go-to expert for site migration projects, I started attracting opportunities rather than chasing them. Enterprise clients specifically requested my involvement in their projects, which led to better opportunities than any internal promotion could have provided.
One complex migration project opened doors to consulting opportunities I wouldn’t have been ready for in a higher title with shallow expertise. My income grew three times faster once I focused on building deep expertise rather than collecting job titles. The industry recognition from genuine mastery created more opportunities than any resume-driven career moves.
Matt Harrison
Svp of Product and Client Experience, Authority Builders
Develop Resilience as a Mindset
If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of career advice it would be this: develop resilience—not as a skill but as a mindset. We focus on acquiring technical expertise or networking but no one tells us that setbacks, rejections, and failures will be just as much a part of the journey as successes.
Early in my career, I equated obstacles with personal shortcomings. A rejected proposal, a missed opportunity, or an unexpected challenge felt like a reflection of my abilities rather than just part of the process. If someone had told me then that resilience isn’t about avoiding failure but about how quickly and effectively you adapt and recover I would have approached challenges with a very different energy.
For example, I once spent weeks preparing a pitch that I was sure would win a major opportunity—only for it to be rejected with no feedback. At the time I saw it as a dead end. But in hindsight had I been more resilient I would have seen it as a learning opportunity. Instead of dwelling on rejection I could have sought feedback, refined my approach, and treated failure as data not defeat.
Resilience changes the trajectory of a career because it changes your view of risk. When you know you can handle setbacks you take bolder steps—whether that’s pitching a new idea, changing industries, or pursuing leadership roles. If I had internalized this earlier I wouldn’t have hesitated as much in key moments. The truth is resilience doesn’t just help you survive challenges—it gives you the confidence to seek them out knowing that growth happens in the uncomfortable.
Soubhik Chakrabarti
CEO, Canada Hustle
Focus on Building Relationships
One piece of career advice I wish I had received earlier is:
“Focus on building relationships, not just skills.”
Early in my career, I was obsessed with mastering SEO, automation, and digital marketing—constantly learning, testing, and refining strategies. While that technical expertise got me far, I eventually realized that relationships drive opportunities more than raw knowledge ever will.
If I had understood this earlier, I would have:
- Started networking sooner – Connecting with industry leaders, attending more masterminds, and collaborating with others would have accelerated my growth exponentially.
- Leveraged partnerships earlier – Instead of always focusing on solo execution, I would have built strategic partnerships that opened doors to bigger opportunities faster.
- Invested in personal branding earlier – I used to believe my work would speak for itself. In reality, your brand and reputation amplify your expertise, bringing in better deals, collaborations, and credibility.
I don’t regret my journey, but if I had prioritized relationships and visibility as much as technical expertise, I would have scaled my business and personal brand much faster.
Now, I make it a priority to give value, build connections, and create opportunities through relationships—because success isn’t just about what you know, but who knows you.
Danny Veiga
Founder, Chadix
Market and Sell Your Value
The best advice I wish I had received earlier in my career is the importance of consistently marketing and selling your value. We’re often encouraged to focus on mastering our job skills, but there’s rarely any emphasis on the need to make sure others recognize our value for career advancement.
Michelle Enjoli
Career Development Speaker and Coach, Michelle Enjoli International
Start a Professional Journal
A piece of advice I wish I received in my 20s is to start a professional journal. Unlike the personal journaling habit I kept for years, a professional journal would have captured every challenge and triumph throughout my career in detail. This would have been a valuable reference when applying to graduate school, interviewing for jobs, and especially in setting my next goals.
By reflecting on important experiences and trends in my work life with more consistency, I would have redirected my trajectory to entrepreneurship sooner. Developing a business focused on what I do best has been a game-changer for career satisfaction, and my positive impact has further reach now than it did as an employee. Today, I keep a daily work journal to track accomplishments and consider future pivots as I continue to grow as an entrepreneur.
Dr. Jena Pugh
Graduate School Strategist, Dr. Jena Pugh, LLC
Your Career Is Your Responsibility
“Nobody will get you where you want to go—it is up to you.” This harsh piece of advice is something I wish I had heard earlier in my life. While blunt, it highlights an important truth: our dreams are ours to achieve. There is no secret path to success, and nobody will carry you along with them. Navigating your career is your responsibility alone. Seek advice from mentors and advisors, but remember, taking action is up to you!
Sam Panitch
Co-Founder and CEO, Elevation Nation
