Exploring Career Challenges

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

After nearly 31 years in sales, I've seen a lot. Many young people think that a career in sales is a ticket to easy money, filled with travel and the thrill of meeting new people daily. However, there's a harsh reality beneath the surface. One of the most troubling aspects of working in sales, from entry-level positions to upper management, is the disrespect that sales staff often endure across various industries. It's often overlooked that without sales professionals, the revenue simply wouldn't exist. These individuals come to work every day, facing criticism and disrespect not just from potential clients, but also from existing clients, their management, and even their colleagues. They strive to approach new clients respectfully, only to be met with scorn or condescension. If they fail to meet their KPIs, they risk losing their jobs, and even within their own companies, respect can be elusive. Sales isn't easy; it requires resilience and a thick skin. I've also learned a valuable lesson about respect. The salesperson you dismiss or disrespect today might someday rise to become the manager or owner of the company you wish to partner with. It’s astonishing how often we forget to treat each other with dignity, and I find it alarming how prevalent this entitlement is across all walks of life. Respect and understanding can foster better relationships, whether it's with warehouse staff or upper management, and it influences everyone we interact with daily.

Struggling with the job search? Stop submitting dozens of online apps and crossing your fingers. Try this instead: Start by setting aside 2-3 days. Use that time to research the heck out of companies in your target industry. Learn about their products, customers, finances, people, and culture. You’ll cross a lot of places off your list — that’s a good thing! Work to narrow down the list until you have 15 companies you really love. Now focus 100% of your time and energy on those companies. Invest time creating highly personalized resumes and cover letters, then apply. Begin building relationships with potential referrals. Start with people you know — can anyone in your circle introduce you? Then message decision makers (hiring managers, potential peers) directly. Finally, think about how you can go above and beyond to show how much you want to work there. Can you share potential solutions to a challenge? Can you help identify a new opportunity? Can you perform a competitive analysis? Can you gather feedback on a new initiative? Package that up in a deck and lead with it (I call these Value Validation Projects). Moral of the story? Stop going 100 miles wide and one mile deep. Instead, choose a small set of companies you’re genuinely excited about and invest 100% in them.

Instance from #2023 Manager: "I want all employees to be at their absolute topmost effectiveness. Make sure all priorities are assigned." Me: "Most of the team is currently occupied with a massive list of routine tasks." Manager: "Doesn't matter. They need to be highly creative with their output. Just make sure they are putting in their 10 to 12 hours of solid work." I had to pause. Because there is a fundamental disconnect here that leadership often misses. I told him: "When people have too much on their plate and are buried in multiple tasks, they just try to survive the day. They don't have the bandwidth to be creative." Let me tell you the honest truth about creativity that gets lost in the corporate hustle: Creativity requires time. It isn't a switch you can just flip on after 9 hours of back-to-back routine tasks. Creativity requires sitting with yourself. Creativity requires space to experiment. You need the freedom to try, fall, fail, and get back up again. In a constant, severe time crunch, you might force out a quick, rough idea. But thinking it through from an execution point of view? That becomes next to impossible. A message to leadership everywhere: Heavy workload does not equate to high-quality innovation. Assign the work, set the goals that is perfectly fine. But if you truly want your employees to think out of the box, you have to give them the actual breathing space to do it. A cluttered mind just executes routine. A free mind creates. What are your thoughts on this? #workculture #creativity #workplace

Job searching can feel like gloom and doom—but I want you to focus on a different rhyming word instead: BLOOM. Yesterday, I attended the North Carolina Museum of Art's Annual Art in Bloom opening day. I was inspired by the stunning floral arrangements on display, and I left feeling hopeful—reminded that growth happens when you nurture what’s already there. That got me thinking about how career growth works the same way. Here’s a framework you can use to keep momentum during a challenging job search along with some free job search resources: B.L.O.O.M. B – Brainpower your career Before you dive into a job search, the thought work comes first. Jumping straight into applications without a plan is like trying to navigate a new city without a map—you might get somewhere, but it won’t be efficient or strategic. 1. Build your target company list Use tools like Crunchbase and LinkedIn to identify companies that align with your career goals, values, and desired growth trajectory. Look beyond obvious names—consider companies that are scaling, have strong leadership, or are in industries where your expertise is in high demand. 2. Identify decision-makers Once you have your list, use platforms like Hunter and TheOrg to find the right contacts—executives, hiring managers, or functional leaders—so you know exactly who to connect with. 3. Leverage your centers of influence Think about mentors, colleagues, and past collaborators who can help open doors. Share your target company list with them and ask for introductions or guidance. Strategic referrals often get you further than cold outreach alone. L – Leverage your strengths Focus on what you do best. Make sure your resume, LinkedIn, and interviews highlight your unique value—not just a laundry list of responsibilities. See comment section for a resource on how to build out result rich resume bullet points. O – Optimize your brand Your personal brand is more than your resume. Share thought leadership, highlight achievements, and make it clear why you’re the right person for the roles you want. See comments for a white paper on how to write a LinkedIn profile. O – Organized strategy Treat your search like a project. Track applications, follow-ups, and networking opportunities. Small, consistent actions add up faster than sporadic bursts of activity. M – Move forward with confidence Job searches can be slow and unpredictable. Keep taking action, stay visible, and don’t let setbacks shake your belief in your skills and potential. Make daily and weekly outreach goals. **You should not be measuring how many jobs you are applying to each day. Instead, focus on decision-maker conversations.*** When you approach your career like this, you’re not just surviving the search—you’re planting seeds for growth and opportunity, and eventually, you bloom. 🌸

Canada’s talent problem is becoming harder to ignore. The question is no longer only whether Canada can attract talent. It is whether people can see a future here. This spring, Statistics Canada released data showing that Canadian emigrants are disproportionately young and educated: 67% are between the ages of 20 and 44, and close to 70% hold a university degree. Statistics Canada’s April labour market data also showed youth unemployment at 14.3%, well above the pre-pandemic average. Brain drain should concern us. But the harder issue is what Canada is doing with the talent that stays and the talent that arrives. Many skilled immigrants are already here, yet too many are still underemployed, underpaid, or blocked from using the education, credentials and experience they bring. Recent research from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Conference Board of Canada shows that high-skilled immigrants are among those most likely to leave. That is the contradiction. Young talent is struggling to see opportunity. Newcomer talent is still too often underused. And Canada is trying to solve a productivity problem while leaking human capital on both ends. For the GTHA, this is not a narrow labour-market issue. It is housing affordability, wages, career mobility, credential recognition, employer practices, civic belonging, and the basic question of whether people can build a future here. We cannot talk seriously about productivity, competitiveness or growth while treating talent, housing, immigration and economic mobility as separate conversations. That is the conversation we need to have. #CdnImm #Talent #NewcomerTalent #Productivity #RegionalProsperity

Canada can’t afford to waste top talent. I’ve seen it happen too many times. Talented newcomers come to Canada full of ambition—only to get stuck in jobs that don’t match their skills. We say we need more doctors, engineers, and tech talent, yet we make it nearly impossible for skilled immigrants and international grads to succeed. If we want to stay competitive, we need to fix this. Here’s what’s happening according to Marshia Akbar, Director of the BMO Newcomer Workforce Integration Lab, and Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair at Toronto Metropolitan University: ✅ Skilled immigrants face major barriers – Many arrive with in-demand degrees and experience but struggle to get jobs that match their qualifications.  ✅ International grads earn less than their Canadian peers – Even with Canadian education, they make 20% less in their first year after graduation. ✅ The “Canadian experience” requirement is outdated – Employers hesitate to hire without it, even though it’s legally prohibited in Ontario. ✅ Hiring biases and credential roadblocks hurt our economy – Underemployment drives top talent away, with 34% of immigrants leaving Canada within their first five years. The choice is clear: We either unlock the full potential of skilled newcomers—or risk falling behind. How can we make sure talent doesn’t go to waste?

Some of the best product strategy sessions don't happen in a boardroom. They happen during a customer call that unexpectedly turns into a deep-dive on reality. Just had one of those conversations that perfectly crystallized the challenges facing sales leaders today. The insights were too good not to share: ↳ On Market Positioning: Companies generating $5M-$100M almost universally reject the "mid-market" label, self-identifying as "enterprise." This isn't just semantics; it's a core messaging challenge. ↳ On Scaling: The default strategy for hitting higher targets is still to "throw more bodies at the problem", hiring more reps instead of unlocking the full potential of existing teams. ↳ On Management: The most valuable activity, personalized coaching and role-playing, is impossible to scale effectively with human managers alone. It's the biggest bottleneck to growth. ↳ On Risk: A 6-9 month sales ramp time is still accepted, meaning companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars before knowing if a new hire will truly work out. ↳ On Feedback: Even well-intentioned coaching from a new manager is often met with friction. Trust must be built before feedback is fully accepted. ↳ On Process: For modern, process-driven teams, how you achieve your number (activity, methodology) can be just as important as hitting the quota itself. Outcomes alone don't tell the whole story. ↳ On Tools: Despite the proliferation of CRM platforms, many teams still rely on manual spreadsheets to track daily rep activity, creating data chaos. This is why we're building SalesTable – AI Sales Enablement for Modern Teams. This is the problem space. The future of sales leadership isn't about more managers; it's about augmenting them with intelligence that scales. What's the most resonant insight on your team? #Sales #GTM #B2B #AI #RevenueOperations #Founder

Revolutionizing Agriculture Through Data-Driven Decisions and Technology!! Agriculture is undergoing a significant transformation driven by data analytics and digital technology. Despite innovations like drones, sensors, and geospatial technology aimed at improving productivity, farmers often face challenges adopting them due to high costs and inadequate awareness of their value. To ensure success, the agri-ecosystem must involve farmers, policymakers, AgTech companies, and financial institutions collaborating to promote data-driven decisions. The Power of Agricultural Data: Modern agriculture deals with complex supply chains and requires massive amounts of data encompassing crop cycles, weather, and market trends. This data helps farmers determine optimal planting strategies and input usage for sustainable farming. Companies like Absolute, and Cropin leverage cutting-edge technologies like IoT and AI to support precision agriculture, offering solutions for efficient irrigation, pest detection, and crop monitoring. Soil Testing and Irrigation Optimization: Real-time soil monitoring technologies enable farmers to make better decisions by tracking moisture and nutrient levels. Affordable portable tools and services like Upaj help farmers optimize fertilizer and water use, enhancing soil health and reducing costs. Insurance and Financial Tools: Data-driven insurance tools minimize risks by offering parametric coverage based on weather conditions, providing quicker payouts and mitigating crop losses. Additionally, financial institutions use data analytics to assess farmers’ creditworthiness and offer lower-interest loans, boosting productivity. Bridging the Digital Divide: Governments must improve communication of support programs through data-driven channels and local representatives to help farmers access subsidies and crop advisories. User-friendly apps and initiatives can empower farmers with critical information to make informed decisions. In conclusion, embracing digital agriculture offers unparalleled potential for sustainability and productivity, requiring collaboration between governments, technology providers, and farmers. In a recent interview I shared a detailed perspective on the points above.

A friend of mine was recently laid off, and he reached out to ask for some advice on how to approach his job hunt. One thing I told him was that this is actually the perfect moment to pause and reassess. A layoff is painful, but it also forces you to confront an important question. What do you really want to do next? Not what is available today. Not what a recruiter happens to send you. What you actually want to do. The type of company you want to be part of. The kind of work that energises you. The teams you enjoy working with. The parts of your previous roles you loved, and the parts you never want to repeat again. Once you have that clarity, the next steps become an exercise in intentional searching instead of just taking the first job that comes along. One thing I have noticed is that many people approach their job hunt in a very passive way. They wait for opportunities that appear on job portals or from recruiters, and they choose from whatever happens to show up in front of them, instead of what they actually want. There is a better and far more intentional way to approach your career. Instead of browsing endlessly on job sites, start with clarity. Here is the approach I would challenge you to try. 1 / 🎯 List five companies you genuinely want to work for Not fantasy dream companies, but realistic ones that excite you. Companies that would hire someone with your skills today. Companies you would be proud to join. 2 / 🧩 Identify the roles that suit you best Look at your skill set, strengths, and experience, and write down the roles in each of these companies that you would be qualified for. Focus on roles you can realistically get now, not ten years from now. 3 / 🤖 Use AI to expand your list of roles Use ChatGPT or any AI tool to help uncover roles in these companies that you may not know exist. Sometimes the best fitting roles are the ones you never thought to search for. 4 / 🔍 Search LinkedIn to check availability Look for these roles on LinkedIn. If they are not open, look for people who currently hold these positions or for hiring managers who oversee these teams. These contacts can give you clarity on timing and requirements. 5 / ☕ Reach out and make your own luck Send a message, ask for a coffee, or ask if their team might be hiring soon. Many opportunities never make it to the job boards, and many people are willing people are to share information or offer guidance. Far too many people jump straight into panic mode and take the first role that appears in front of them. But your next job shapes the next few years of your life. It deserves more thought than that. If you are in a similar situation or considering a change, give yourself the space to be deliberate. Think about the companies that excite you. Think about the roles that fit your strengths. Take ownership of the process and reach out to people. Make your own luck. Build a career you actually want, rather than one that happens by accident.