Career Change Confidence

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞..." That’s what they told me, too. When I transitioned from taxation to Investment Banking, mergers & acquisitions, I heard it all— ❌ “You don’t have the right background.” ❌ “It’s too late to switch now.” ❌ “Start from scratch or stay where you are.” But I refused to let a job title define my future. Instead, I focused on what I did have: Analytical skills, Financial acumen, and the ability to solve complex problems. I learned, I networked, and I proved my worth. Your “irrelevant” experience is actually your secret weapon. Most people think: ❌ “I need to hide my background in marketing now that I’m going into tech.” Smart people think: ✅ “My marketing background gives me a unique edge in tech because I understand user psychology in ways pure technical people never will.” Remember, career transitions aren’t about starting over. They’re about repositioning yourself. If you're looking to make a switch, here’s how to do it without wasting years: 1️⃣ Leverage Transferable Skills – Your past experience holds value. Learn to reframe it. 2️⃣ Start creating before you apply – Proof of work speaks louder than any resume. 3️⃣ Network with Intent – The right conversations open doors faster than cold applications. 4️⃣ Position your experience strategically – A compelling story beats a perfect background. 5️⃣ Upskill smartly – Learn what actually matters for your new role. I know how tough it can be because I’ve been there. But I also know that making a career pivot is possible—without starting from scratch. If you’re looking to transition careers and don’t know where to start, let’s talk. I’d love to help. Drop a comment or DM me. Your past doesn’t define your future. You do. LinkedIn LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Guide to Creating #mindset #career #transition #knowledge #skills #upskill

I have been rejected A LOT. Day by day, week by week, month by month – you catch the drift. I've faced my fair share of setbacks, but I'm still moving forward. Over the years, I've shifted my perspective on failure and rejection. I used to be paralysed by the fear of rejection, preventing me from pursuing many opportunities within my reach. The pivotal step was reframing rejection as redirection, leading me to believe that whatever will be will be. If it doesn't happen, it wasn't meant for me. More often than not, I find excitement in what emerges from rejection and how it shapes me in the process. 1. Acknowledge Your Failures: Accept that failure is a part of life. 2. Take It One Step at a Time: Approach life day by day, week by week, and month by month. 3. Change Your Perspective: Shift your view of failure from a negative to a positive. 4. Conquer the Fear of Rejection: Overcome the fear that holds you back. 5. Reframe Rejection: See rejection as a redirection in your journey. 6. Accept What Will Be: Believe that whatever is meant to happen will happen. 7. Find Excitement in Growth: Look forward to personal growth from rejection.

Taking the first step is always the hardest. Fear of failure can hold us back from achieving what we’re truly capable of. Questions like these often stop people in their tracks: - "What if I fail?" - "What will others think?" - "What if I’m not good enough?" Bu the truth is failure is not the end—it’s a stepping stone. In my journey, I’ve been part of multiple startups. Not all of them succeeded. Some failed spectacularly. But each one taught me lessons I couldn’t have learned otherwise. If you’re hesitating to start something new, here are three practical steps to help you move forward: 1. Start Small: ↳ Dedicate just 20-30 minutes a day to your new idea or project. Small, consistent efforts compound over time. 2. Learn Continuously: ↳ Expand your skills beyond your current role. Online courses, books, or even shadowing someone can open new doors. 3. Connect with the Right People: ↳ Surround yourself with those who are already doing what you aspire to do. Their insights and experiences can guide you in ways you never imagined. The most successful people I know didn’t avoid failure—they embraced it, learned from it, and kept going. So, take that first step. Start small, stay consistent, and let the journey teach you. What’s one thing you’ve been putting off because of fear? Share your thoughts below.

7 Questions To Ask Yourself (When You Don’t Know Which Career Path Is Right For You): 1. What Energizes Me? Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Label one side “Energy Creators” and the other “Energy Drainers.” Now reflect on all the projects, initiatives, etc. you’ve worked on over the past few years. Label and categorize each one. Now look out for roles where the majority of the work is focused on energy creation. 2. What Do People Come To Me For? Everyone has a specific skill or strength that other people look to them for. If you’re not sure what it is? Ask 5 friends and 5 colleagues this question and see what they say. That can help you identify a skill that’s in demand that you’re also recognized for being good at. 3. What Problems Do I Enjoy Solving? Every job has problems. In fact, work and business are really the process of identifying and solving problems. So if you’re going to be spending your life solving problems, it’s important to know which ones you like to solve. Reflecting on this will help you see which challenges you enjoy taking on. 4. If Money Wasn’t An Issue What Work Would I Do? Most of us work to make a living. But it can be helpful to start from a place of what you love to do, and then work backward into the overlap between that and making an income. You’d be surprised at how many jobs exist where people are able to work on things they’re passionate about while also earning. 5. What Does My Ideal Workday Look Like? Some people love traveling for work, some hate it. Some people love sitting at a desk all day, some don’t. Some people love combing through spreadsheets, and…you get it. Painting a picture of the ideal day will help you dial into jobs that align with that schedule, workflow, and balance. 6. What Am I Willing To Struggle For? Most things that are truly worth doing are hard. If you’re not willing to take on some big challenges, to do hard work, and to deal with some uncertainty? You’re limiting your potential. So think about paths and outcomes that you feel are worth struggling for, then aim to align your work and career with that. 7. Whose Career Do I Admire? Finally, think about someone whose career you admire. A friend, a former colleague, etc. Reach out to them and ask them if they’d be willing to chat more about their journey and their job. This will give you a ton of insight into what they do and how they got there so you can see if it’s a good fit for you!

Many people feel like their work is not noticed and ask how to get proper visibility. Here is my short, blunt answer to this and the playbook to address it: 1) You must believe that your work deserves to be seen. Believe enough to be willing to act. If you do not, then you have a confidence and self-image problem more than a visibility problem. 2) You must accept that it may not be noticed without effort. This is the hardest part. Many people believe deeply that "my work should speak for itself." Waiting around for what "should" happen might be noble in your mind but I can tell you it is ineffective... because people are busy and they can overlook your work without any ill intentions. They are focused on their own problems, not on you. What you take as them neglecting you is in fact them being focused on other things. 3) Thus, you must highlight your own work. Two ways to do that: a) Send a status report out broadly. No one can argue with sharing your status. But that brings your work in front of people week after week, and cannot help but make an impression. b) Praise others - your peers, your team - frequently. Again, no one is going to tell you not to say "I worked with Sally this week and she did a great job getting us to goal XYZ." But if you praise Sally one week, Ethan the next week, and Raj the week after that... the common element is YOU. Second, you are the one in people's inbox. There are probably lots of other ways to highlight your own work without directly pointing to yourself an your work. Readers - share your methods for appropriately highlighting your contribution without bragging?

Leaving the United Nations: A Leap into the Unknown—3 Years Later Three years ago, on March 2022, I left the UN system. Not really by choice. Not by plan. But because life had other ideas. At that time, I was serving as International Staff for the UN Mission in Colombia, navigating the aftermath of COVID, and facing a family health crisis 10,000 kilometers away. The realization hit me hard: I couldn’t continue my career from a distance. After 20 years of service, I walked away—without a plan, without a safety net, without knowing what was next. And here’s the truth: It was terrifying. It was a shock. But it was also the best move I ever made. If you’re standing at a similar crossroads—wondering whether to leave the UN, international organizations, or any long-term career—or being requested to leave because of the "funding crisis", this is for you. What I Learned About Reinvention: 1️⃣ Your skills are more transferable than you think. Working in the UN gives you problem-solving, negotiation, crisis management, and leadership skills that private sector leaders pay for. Don’t underestimate your value. 2️⃣ Embrace uncertainty as an opportunity. Leaving a structured, mission-driven career feels overwhelming. But uncertainty is where growth happens. It forces you to rethink, reinvent, and rediscover what you truly want. 3️⃣ Network strategically. Your UN network is gold. Reach out. Connect with those who transitioned before you. Build new relationships in industries that interest you. You’re not starting from zero—you’re starting from experience. 4️⃣ Monetize your expertise. Whether it’s consulting, managing or leading social impact initiatives, there are countless ways to leverage your UN background. Find the intersection between your passion and what the world needs. 5️⃣ Identity is not a job title. Walking away from a prestigious role can feel like losing part of yourself. But you are not your position—you are the impact you create, no matter where you work. If you’re thinking about leaving, or you are actually asked to leave, ask yourself: 🔹 Am I staying/ I wish to stay because I love it—or because the unknown feels too risky? 🔹 Does my career still align with the person I am becoming/my professional values? 🔹 If fear wasn’t a factor, what bold step would I take? Leaving the UN was never my plan. But three years later, I can say this: 🤚 The future I didn’t plan turned out better than the future I once feared. To those at a career crossroads: trust your gut. If it’s time to move on, take the leap. You are more capable, adaptable, and resourceful than you realize. If you're looking for guidance on transitioning out of the UN system and building a fulfilling career, let’s connect. You don’t have to do it alone! p.s this is the plane view of the Andes, the day I left Colombia

Fear of failure can hold us all back, but I’ve found a simple mindset shift that helps me take the plunge without being paralysed by fear: I treat everything as an experiment. An experiment isn’t about succeeding or failing. It’s about testing a hypothesis, learning, and collecting data. So, whenever I feel the jitters about a new project, I reframe it as an experiment to take the pressure off. Here’s how it works: 1. Start with a goal What’s something you want to achieve?  Let’s say you’re aiming to start a YouTube channel. 2. Turn your goal into a hypothesis Ask yourself, “What am I curious about? What do I want to find out?” You might enjoy making videos about travel. 3. Design a simple experiment Break it down into manageable steps to test your hypothesis. Post three travel videos in the next three months. After running the experiment, check your results.  Did you enjoy making the videos? Were you consistent? If it felt natural and enjoyable, that’s a good sign that this path is worth exploring. Here’s another example if you’re thinking of starting a business: Goal: Build a successful business. Hypothesis: I can help people by building websites. Experiment: Email ten people who might benefit from having a personal website and gauge interest. If you get five positive responses, great, it’s a sign there’s demand. If not, that’s okay too. You’ve collected data to refine your approach. The key takeaway? Even if your experiment doesn’t go as planned, it’s not a failure – it’s just data. Tweak your hypothesis, adjust, and try again. Over time, these experiments help build self-awareness, which, in turn, lessens the fear of failure. You’re learning and evolving rather than “failing.” BTW, if you’re an aspiring creator who’s let fear get in the way of putting yourself out there, you might want to check out my YouTube scorecard. 👇 https://lnkd.in/e5-GhB7N

It’s graduation season, and I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I wish I’d learned sooner, so I can share them with new grads. Here’s the first one: Passion is necessary, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Too often, we hear “follow your passion,” as if passion alone guarantees success or fulfillment over the course of your career. In reality, you have to consider passion alongside four other critical factors: Your unique assets (What skills, experiences, or perspectives do you bring to the table AND where do you have a genuine advantage over others? Market realities (What problems are people willing to pay to solve? Which industries are growing, and which are shrinking?) Supply & demand (Is there real demand for what you want to offer?) Timeliness fit (Ask yourself: will this path sustain your interests, values, and well-being? Is it going to position you to have a next step in the area you want to explore next?) Hopefully, this is helpful to those of you thinking about what’s next in life, from someone who has been there…just a short time ago.

𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭—𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 🚀 For a long time, I thought career growth meant doing my job well. I was wrong. The people who stand out don’t just complete tasks—they evolve, adapt, and refine their skills constantly. That’s what separates high performers from everyone else. When I started embracing continuous improvement, everything changed. 📌𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽����𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁. Instead of assuming I was doing fine, I made it a habit to ask, “What’s one thing I can improve?” It was uncomfortable at first, but it helped me grow faster than I ever expected. 📌 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 "𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀" 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀. Waiting for promotions or major training sessions to improve was slowing me down. Instead, I started making small tweaks every day—refining my communication, improving my workflow, and staying ahead of industry trends. Tiny shifts, big results. 📌 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁. Growth never happens in your comfort zone. I took on tasks I wasn’t completely ready for, knowing that figuring it out would teach me more than any course ever could. And it did. 📌 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁—𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. No successful company stays the same for years, so why should I? The best professionals update their skills, mindset, and approach regularly. That’s how they stay relevant. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. #ContinuousImprovement #CareerGrowth #SelfDevelopment

From Training to Learning: Embracing Continuous #Growth as Professionals Over the years, my journey in Learning and Development (L&D) has shown me how crucial it is to understand the evolution from "training" to "learning." While the two terms are often used interchangeably, they represent distinct paths in professional growth, and recognizing their differences can make all the #difference in one’s #career. 🏁Training was where I started—focused, structured sessions designed to teach specific skills or tasks required for a particular job scenario. 🖊️Whether it was guiding a team on using new software, handling customer inquiries more effectively, or ensuring safety compliance, training has always been about immediate application. 🖊️It’s essential, no doubt, but it’s only one part of the puzzle. 🏁Learning, on the other hand, is a broader, more continuous process. 🖊️It goes beyond the confines of a training room or an online module. 🖊️Learning involves absorbing and retaining information, expanding one’s knowledge, and developing new perspectives over time. 🖊️It’s about preparing for future challenges, embracing curiosity, and being proactive in one’s growth journey. 🖊️This shift from just training to fostering a culture of continuous learning has been transformative in my own career. 👩💻🧑💻My Advice to Fellow Professionals: Don’t just stop at training. 💥Use it as a foundation, but aim higher. 💥Grasp every learning opportunity that comes your way—whether it’s through mentorship, cross-departmental projects, or even self-directed study. 💥The most successful professionals I've seen are those who never stop learning, who see every challenge as a chance to grow. 💢Remember: Training equips you for the present, but continuous learning prepares you for the future. Embrace both, and you’ll be ready for whatever comes next. 💢How do you balance training and learning in your career journey? 💢Let’s share and inspire each other to keep growing!