Career Decision Making

After we tracked 57,000 global development job postings through one of our sector's worst years, here's what our recent data reveals about who's getting hired - and why: 👉 Trade and policy jobs dropped 31%. The work didn't. It just fragmented into climate finance, blended finance, digital infrastructure roles. So if you're job searching right now, try swapping your usual search terms for things like "public-private partnerships" and see what comes up. 👉 Infrastructure is the only sub-sector adding jobs (+2.4%). If you've touched supply chains, procurement, construction oversight, asset management - even tangentially - consider leading with it. You don't need to pivot your entire career - you're just emphasizing the parts of your background that align with where organizations are currently spending. 👉 Contract work jumped to 44% of postings. Some people are setting up actual businesses - LLCs, separate accounts, insurance. Not required, but it shifts the dynamic from "hire me" to "are we a fit?" And clients pick up on that shift immediately. 👉 The "spray and pray" application strategy is failing at scale. Our data shows 5 real conversations per week outperform 20 cold applications. 👉 Geographic flexibility can dramatically boost hirability. A role posted as "remote" gets 500+ applicants. Same role in Mozambique or Nigeria? Under 50. If you’ve been thinking about relocating, now might be the time. 👉 Here's a networking question that actually works: Instead of asking "do you know any openings?" try "what's your budget situation looking like?" You'll learn pretty quickly which organizations are actually hiring. We all know 2025 was brutal. A year I never expected to see after covering this sector for 25 years. But here's what we’ve been finding: the people finding work aren't necessarily better qualified - they're adapting quickly to what the market actually responds to now. Take that mindset into 2026. #JobsOnTheRise

10 years of hating my life led to this one truth! Throughout my career, I've been dazzled by glamorous career paths - management consulting, venture capital, startups - to name a few. One crucial question I wish I had asked myself: could I survive this lifestyle for years on end? The honest answer was no. I couldn't picture myself thriving in a world of 80-hour workweeks, constant pressure, and no personal life. Yet it took me 10 years to realize that. One of the stalwarts at IIMA, Prof. Saral Mukherjee used to say: 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴. True strategy isn't about keeping every option open - it's about committing to one path and closing others, so you can focus your limited energy and resources where they matter most. This ties directly to the idea of survival. Choosing a career you can survive - and thrive in - isn't just about making it through the hard days. It's about committing to a path long enough for compounding to work its magic. It's about being ready to pay the price to play the game. Every pivot comes with a cost: lost momentum, a reset learning curve, and starting over. On the other hand, continuity leads to mastery, deeper growth, and exponential rewards. Too often, we're advised to keep our options open, but what if we focused on building careers we don't want to escape from? A career we can survive is a career we can commit to - and that's where true fulfillment lies.

When women over 45 ask me how to protect their careers, they expect strategy. I tell them: "Don't look 50." I'm not being dramatic. It's what the research shows. Among women aged 59 to 64, 88% report experiencing gendered ageism at work. Passed over. Sidelined. Pushed out. And it starts long before 59. One woman I know was passed over for a promotion. The role went to someone fifteen years younger. "Fresh perspective," they said. Another was moved into an "advisory" position. Sounds senior. But she has no budget. No team. No seat at the table where decisions actually get made. A third was told by a recruiter she wasn't a "cultural fit." She'd been in the industry for 25 years. Menopause generally hits women between 45 and 55. The exact years when we're finally senior enough to lead. The exact years when the workforce starts treating us like we're past it. The timing isn't coincidental. We talk about menopause like it's hot flushes and brain fog. Something to manage privately. A health issue. But while our hormones are shifting, so is our visibility. Our perceived value. The language is always polite. "We're going in a different direction." "The team needs new energy." "It's not the right fit anymore." No one says: You're too old. They don't have to. I'm 48. I'm watching this happen to friends. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared it's coming for me too. One woman I read about, 62, uses Botox and filler every month. Not for vanity, but survival. She said: "I can't breathe at night because of the fear. If I lose my job, who's going to hire me now?" So what do you do? Here's what I tell women over 45 who want to protect their careers: 1️⃣ Document your wins quarterly. You'll need receipts when decisions are made without you in the room. 2️⃣ Build relationships two levels up. Decisions about your future happen there. Make sure someone is advocating for you. 3️⃣ Stay visible externally. LinkedIn, speaking, panels, industry events. If they push you out, you need somewhere to land. 4️⃣ Diversify your income. Consulting, advisory work, side projects. Don't let one employer hold all the cards. 5️⃣ Protect your energy like it's your job. Lift weights. Sleep properly. Take the supplements. Not for vanity. Because staying sharp is survival now. 6️⃣ Find your room. The women who survive this aren't doing it alone. They have people who tell them the truth fast enough to act on it. This is why I built The Private Circle. This isn't fair. But it's the game. Save this if you need it. Share it with a woman who does. 📢 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴.

I’ve got an offer from Microsoft. eBay has offered a better sign-on bonus. Looks like Salesforce is also ready to match. Which one should I take? I received this message from a client who needed help in deciding on the right job offer. While it’s a great problem to have, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. When people get multiple offers, they tend to focus only on salary or brand name. But the right question is: Which offer creates the strongest compound return for your career? Here’s how I walk clients through offer selection (especially in tech): 1. Assess the 24-month runway → Will you still be learning and growing 2 years from now, or will you plateau after 6 months? → Will this team give you mentorship or treat you like a fire extinguisher? 2. Study the team structure & decision-making power → Are you working in a core product org or a side initiative that could shut down tomorrow? → Will you own features, influence roadmaps, or be a ticket-taker? 3. Check the track record for promotions → How long do people usually stay in your level before moving up? → Ask: “Who was the last person in this role and where are they now?” 4. Evaluate long-term visa & location safety (especially for international hires) → H-1B sponsorship, green card timelines, internal mobility not all companies are equal. → Get clarity upfront so you don’t scramble later. 5. Don’t forget: your manager > your brand → A great manager will open doors for you. → A bad one will block your growth, erode your confidence, and slow your career down. My client didn’t take the highest offer. She took the smartest one. Today, she’s working at a top company, and she’s thriving there. 📌 Save this if you're comparing offers. Repost if you know someone who's comparing multiple offers. P.S. Follow me if you are a job seeker in the U.S. I share practical advice to help you land your dream role. 

A 27-year-old Millennial sits at a café at 11 PM, exhausted, chasing a promotion. A 23-year-old Gen Z walks by, sipping coffee, thinking: “I won’t do this to myself.” For decades, long hours equaled commitment. Silence meant professionalism. Skipping breaks was called hustle. Then Gen Z arrived—and said NO. And suddenly, the system felt threatened. They’re not lazy. They reject exploitation. They’re not disloyal. They’ve seen loyalty go unrewarded. They’re not entitled. They just want what’s fair. Myths Gen Z is done with: ❌ “Hard work always pays off” – not in the age of layoffs and AI. ❌ “Unpaid internships are valuable” – then why is the CEO paid? ❌ “A degree is essential” – then why does experience matter more? ❌ “Job hopping looks bad” – then why is company turnover normal? Gen Z is simply saying: “We deserve better.” They’re not quitting work—they’re reshaping it: ✅ Freelancing, building brands, creating income streams ✅ Prioritizing boundaries, mental health, and balance ✅ Redefining success as thriving, not just surviving Past generations survived. Gen Z wants to live. And maybe—that’s what real progress looks like. #GenZ #WorkCulture #FutureOfWork #CareerEvolution #MentalHealth #Leadership #WorkSmart

90% of people are getting garbage career advice from AI. Including me, until I figured out this framework. Here's what nobody tells you about using AI for career development: It's only as smart as the context you give it. So I'm finally sharing my full prompting framework that's transformed my career: ✅ Start with context about your actual goal ↳ Not "help with interviews" but "I'm transitioning from data analyst to product manager and have 3 interviews next week" ✅ Set the tone you need to hear ↳ Ask for a mentor who's been where you are, not a robot reading from a career textbook ✅ Share your actual background ↳ Upload your resume, link your LinkedIn, mention the companies you're targeting ✅ Be specific about what you need ↳ "Give me 5 behavioral questions for a product manager role at a Series B startup" beats "Help me prep" every time ✅ Provide examples of your situation ↳ "I led a data migration project but have no direct PM experience" gives AI something to work with ✅ Include your career journey ↳ Where you've been, where you're stuck, what you're trying to achieve ✅ Ask for step-by-step breakdowns ↳ Complex career moves need phases, not one giant leap ✅ Request structured outputs ↳ "Give me: Current State Analysis, 30-Day Action Plan, Key Skills to Develop" makes advice actionable I went from getting the same recycled career advice everyone else got, to now getting advice that could only work for someone with my exact background, goals, and challenges. And that's the thing about AI… it's not magic. It's a mirror that reflects back exactly what you show it. ♻️ Reshare this if it helped and follow me Megan Lieu for more career + AI tips!

"Just follow your passion" is career advice that needs a reality check. While passion matters, success requires more: skills, demand, and practical strategy. The truth? Most successful people didn't start with a burning passion—they developed it through mastery. Instead of chasing pre-existing passions, try this actionable approach: Step 1. Skills Audit: List your natural abilities and acquired skills. What problems can you solve? Step 2. Market Research: Identify where your skills meet real demand. What will people pay for? Step 3. Interest Exploration: Find areas you're curious about, not just passionate about. Curiosity sustains learning. Step 4. Strategic Testing: Take small projects in your target area. Let competence build confidence. Step 5. Value Creation: Focus on becoming irreplaceable in your field. Rare skills command premium rewards. The formula is NOT "passion = money" but "skills + market need + consistent growth = passion & prosperity." Absolute career satisfaction comes from being excellent at something the world needs. Build your passion through deliberate skill development, not wishful thinking. What do you think? Have you experienced this passion paradox? Share your story below. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Joshua Miller #CareerAdvice #ProfessionalGrowth #Executivecoaching

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.

I was talking to someone who had two offers and the compensation differed by 10%. He was confused but after discussing it with me, he is going with the lower offer. Why? 1. It has flexibility of working from home at least 2 days a week versus going to office everyday. 2. The leadership and strategy is stable over last couple of years versus no clarity on the next six months strategy. 3. The manager has a good feedback from his team versus mixed feedback from the team. 4. The firm is financially stable for at least next 3 years versus a financial runway of only one year. Choosing the right job has to be more than just compensation. Being at peace on a daily basis matters. #workculture #mentalhealth