Career

Does becoming a parent affect academic trajectories? Yes, and particularly so for women: 🔹University employment drops by almost 30 percent for women, much less so for men. 🔹Probability of being tenured is about 35 percent lower for women, no change for men. 🔹Number of publications is 31 to 35 percent lower for women, no change for men. These are among the key results of a new study by Sofie Cairo, Ria Ivandic, Anne Sophie Lassen, and Valentina Tartari using rich Danish admin data. Why do women’s and men’s career trajectories diverge sharply after parenthood? The paper studies a series of candidate explanations and finds that the gap in childcare load seems mainly responsible: "women academics do almost five times more childcare than their male academic counterparts. For example, 55% of female researchers get up at night to take care of the child most or all the time, in comparison to 11% of men". Read the full paper here: Sofie Cairo, Ria Ivandic, Anne Sophie Lassen, and Valentina Tartari (2026), Parenthood and the career ladder: evidence from academia, Centre for Economic Performance discussion paper: https://lnkd.in/eK2gWzSb

4 agency owners. 3 hours of raw conversation. Every secret about scaling from freelancing to 7-figures (from beginner to advanced level) Beginner Stage: -Don't wait to be 100% ready. Start with broken skills but improve FAST -Work for free initially, but be strategic - ask for referrals in return -Create a strong portfolio by doing real projects (even if unpaid) -Take every opportunity to learn and upskill -Money shouldn't be your only motivator - focus on skill development Intermediate Stage: -Start taking your finances seriously - get a CA, track cash flow -Invest money back into the business (I waited 3.5 years for an office - big mistake) -Build systems before you need them -Get comfortable with delegation -Hire people better than you at specific skills Advanced Stage: -Over-hire slightly - it's better than being understaffed -Focus on building a strong team culture -Make your team feel valued beyond just salary -Invest in proper infrastructure (legal, accounting, tools) -Remember: Take care of your team, and they'll take care of your clients To sum it up: In the beginning, you focus on yourself. In the intermediate stage, you focus on the business. But in the advanced stage - you learn that true growth comes from focusing on your team's growth. The moment I switched from "How do I grow?" to "How do I help my team grow?" - everything changed. We shared all this in more detail in the podcast, link in the comments.

The Seven Steps to SUCCESS: A Leadership Blueprint Success is more than a destination; it’s a system. In leadership, success demands clarity, resilience, and action. Break down the word "SUCCESS" to create a framework to drive personal and organizational growth. 1. See Your Goal Clarity is power. Great leaders define the ‘why’ behind their goals. Each goal must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and align with your core values. A team united by purpose wins. TIP: After setting goals, ask: "What does success feel like for each?" It gets your team emotionally invested. 2. Understand the Obstacles Great leaders anticipate hurdles to avoid them. Address: • Internal bottlenecks (ex: workflows, miscommunication) • Disruptive market trends • Resource constraints by prioritizing ruthlessly • Team vulnerabilities by upskilling TIP: Involve your team in identifying obstacles. It drives ownership and innovative solutions. 3. Create a Positive Mental Picture Vision drives momentum. Leaders who visualize success radiate an inspiring energy. • Tell a compelling story • Reframe challenges as opportunities • Celebrate progress to boost morale TIP: Start meetings by revisiting your ‘WHY’ to keep focus. 4. Clear Your Mind of Self-Doubt Doubt kills action. To overcome uncertainty: • Rely on data, insights & instincts • Deconstruct past failures to extract lessons, not fears • Coach your team TIP: Use a daily affirmation (ex: "I trust my intuition and always learn from experience"). 5. Embrace the Challenge Opportunities are often disguised as problems. By embracing challenges, you: • Cultivate a growth mindset • Use mistakes as fuel for innovation • Welcome diverse input TIP: Treat every challenge as a story that's worth telling. 6. Stay on Track Momentum sustains success. The best leaders consistently review and refine. • Revisit key goals & priorities • Enable team members to self-correct • Encourage open feedback loops to fix misalignments TIP: Balance autonomy with adequate support. 7. Show the World You Can Do It Success is measured by results, not effort. Execution is king. • Share wins transparently with stakeholders • Document and communicate lessons learned • Build a legacy by mentoring others TIP: After every project, identify one win and one lesson. This framework isn't just for professional success. You can use it to supercharge growth in all areas of life. Internalize it to lead with purpose and start your journey to SUCCESS today! ♻ Repost if you found this valuable. And follow Eric Partaker for more. 📌 Want to become a world-class CEO? Don't miss our new CEO Accelerator launching soon! Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dX9-yCRm

Law alone is no longer enough. Clients today don’t just want a memo on risk. They want to know how that risk impacts their product launch, their valuation, and their compliance in a world driven by AI and global regulation. This is why multidisciplinary legal teams are emerging as winners. Lawyers who collaborate with economists, engineers, coders, and policy experts aren’t sidelined. They lead. They shape strategy, deliver clarity, and redefine value for clients. I’ve explored this shift in my latest column. Multidisciplinary Legal Teams Are Winning: Here’s Why (See below). Would love to hear your take. Are we ready to break away from traditional models and embrace hybrid teams? #Law #LegalInnovation #FutureOfWork #Leadership #LegalProfession #Strategy

If you REALLY want to support women in the workplace, you need to start: → Offering flexible work arrangements, especially to support mothers. → Encouraging women to go for internal promotions → Paying women fairly and transparently → Creating environments where women’s voices are heard → Calling out microaggressions and biases when you see them → Offering leadership training and mentorship for women → Rethinking how performance and ambition are measured (not just who shouts the loudest) → Making networking and career progression opportunities accessible to all → Championing women even when they’re not in the room → Reviewing your hiring and promotion processes to eliminate bias → Creating policies that support women through all life stages (not just maternity leave) → Holding senior leaders accountable for diversity and inclusion goals → Ensuring workplace policies support women’s health, including menopause and period policies International Women’s Day should be about real, tangible action. Too often, we see businesses celebrating IWD while their leadership teams are still male-dominated, pay gaps persist and workplace policies don’t support women’s real needs. So, if you’re a business leader, hiring manager, or even a colleague... Ask yourself: What are you actually doing to make the workplace more equitable for women? 🤔

I constantly get recruiter reachouts from big tech companies and top AI startups- even when I’m not actively job hunting or listed as “Open to Work.” That’s because over the years, I’ve consciously put in the effort to build a clear and consistent presence on LinkedIn- one that reflects what I do, what I care about, and the kind of work I want to be known for. And the best part? It’s something anyone can do- with the right strategy and a bit of consistency. If you’re tired of applying to dozens of jobs with no reply, here are 5 powerful LinkedIn upgrades that will make recruiters come to you: 1. Quietly activate “Open to Work” Even if you’re not searching, turning this on boosts your visibility in recruiter filters. → Turn it on under your profile → “Open to” → “Finding a new job” → Choose “Recruiters only” visibility → Specify target titles and locations clearly (e.g., “Machine Learning Engineer – Computer Vision, Remote”) Why it works: Recruiters rely on this filter to find passive yet qualified candidates. 2. Treat your headline like SEO + your elevator pitch Your headline is key real estate- use it to clearly communicate role, expertise, and value. Weak example: “Software Developer at XYZ Company” → Generic and not searchable. Strong example: “ML Engineer | Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems | PyTorch, TensorRT Specialist” → Role: ML Engineer → Niche: computer vision in autonomous systems → Tools: PyTorch, TensorRT This structure reflects best practices from experts who recommend combining role, specialization, technical skills, and context to stand out. 3. Upgrade your visuals to build trust → Use a crisp headshot: natural light, simple background, friendly expression → Add a banner that reinforces your brand: you working, speaking, or a tagline with tools/logos Why it works: Clean visuals increase profile views and instantly project credibility. 4. Rewrite your “About” section as a human story Skip the bullet list, tell a narrative in three parts: → Intro: “I’m an ML engineer specializing in computer vision models for autonomous systems.” → Expertise: “I build end‑to‑end pipelines using PyTorch and TensorRT, optimizing real‑time inference for edge deployment.” → Motivation: “I’m passionate about enabling safer autonomy through efficient vision AI, let’s connect if you’re building in that space.” Why it works: Authentic storytelling creates memorability and emotional resonance . 5. Be the advocate for your work Make your profile act like a portfolio, not just a resume. → Under each role, add 2–4 bullet points with measurable outcomes and tools (e.g., “Reduced inference latency by 35% using INT8 quantization in TensorRT”) → In the Featured section, highlight demos, whitepapers, GitHub repos, or tech talks Give yourself five intentional profile upgrades this week. Then sit back and watch recruiters start reaching you, even in today’s competitive market.

You're in a job interview, you get the offer—but the salary? Way lower than expected. The worst move? Accepting on the spot. The second worst? Declining outright. Here's how you can take the 'ick' out of negotiating: 1. Start with Gratitude →“Thank you for the offer.” 2. Share Excitement →“I’m really excited about the role and joining the company.” 3. Address the Salary →“Before I accept, I’d like to discuss the salary. It’s below what I believe reflects the market value for my experience.” 4. Reinforce Your Value →“I’m confident my expertise in A and B, and my contributions to C and D will drive success here.” 5. Reiterate Market Value →“Based on my research and track record, I believe a salary range of X to Y would be more in line with the industry.” Where to do research? Check salary data on sites like Glassdoor, Payscale, and LinkedIn, or ask industry peers and recruiters for real-world insights. Pro tip: Use multiple sources to get a well-rounded view and always adjust for location and years of experience. P.S. Have you ever accepted a salary because you didn't know how to negotiation? I'll go first: Yes, I have...

The fox served the heron on a flat platter. She couldn't eat. Not because she wasn't hungry. Not because she didn't try hard enough. Because the platter wasn't made for her beak. At a recent event, the brilliant Shraddha Jain (aiyyoShraddha) used this fable to explain something that I've been struggling to articulate for quite some time about women growing in the workforce. We debate whether women deserve a seat at the table. We rarely ask whether the table is built for them. Women don't enter the workforce on equal footing. They walk in with one hand already tied — childcare, elder care, home care. These aren't personal choices. They're structural loads. And then life stages hit. With devastating timing. Maternity arrives exactly when a woman is crossing the hardest threshold — from middle management to leadership. The moment she has finally earned the room, her body asks her to step out of it. Menopause arrives when she is on the cusp of moving from leader to executive. Years of experience, sharpest strategic mind, highest stakes — and her body is in flux again. These aren't coincidences. They're biology meeting a system that was never designed around her timeline. Shinjini Kumar, author of 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯: 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢, put it plainly: you're fine, as long as you're home when the child returns from school. As long as you can take leave when a parent needs care. The moment you can't — the question comes. 𝘒𝘺𝘢 𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘪? And when women push through anyway? We don't give them the field. As Shraddha puts it, we post them for fielding 𝙟𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙝𝙞 𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙞. Administrative roles. Safe corners. Away from where decisions are made. So what's the answer? Not menstrual leave that quietly marks her as unreliable. Not menopausal sabbaticals framed as disability. Not policies that solve the optics while cementing the stigma. Infrastructure. For return. With equal footing. Flexible structures that don't freeze her career while she's away. Re-entry pathways that don't make her start over. Leadership pipelines that account for the fact that her most pivotal biological moments land at her most pivotal professional ones. Inclusion isn't an invitation. It's infrastructure. The reservation bill debate is loud right now. But even louder is the silence around what happens after women get the seat. #WomenInWorkforce #GenderEquity #WomenLeadership #InclusionAtWork #Menopause #Maternity #WorkplacePolicy #IndiaInc

Your hobby may be one of the best investments you'll ever make in your career. Do you have one? In today's AI-driven world, technical knowledge alone isn't enough. The ability to **build, create, solve problems, and think differently** is becoming an even bigger competitive advantage. Using your hands—whether it's woodworking, building PCs, restoring cars, photography, gardening, cooking, 3D printing, or DIY projects—develops skills that transfer directly into business: 🔹 Better problem-solving through experimentation. 🔹 Greater patience and attention to detail. 🔹 Higher creativity by connecting ideas across different disciplines. 🔹 Stronger resilience because mistakes become learning opportunities. 🔹 Improved focus in a world full of constant digital distractions. The science backs it up: 📊 Studies have found that people who regularly engage in creative hobbies report **higher levels of well-being and lower stress**. 📊 Research also shows that mentally stimulating leisure activities are associated with **better cognitive performance and lifelong brain health**. 🏁 George Russell doesn't compete at the front of Formula 1 through talent alone. Every race is built on thousands of hours of preparation, simulator sessions, engineering collaboration, data analysis, and relentless practice. Success is earned by mastering the details. Business works the same way. Every project you build with your own hands teaches lessons that no PowerPoint, meeting, or AI tool can fully replicate. Your hobby isn't taking time away from success. **It is helping build the mindset, discipline, creativity, and resilience that create long-term success.** What hobby has taught you the most valuable business lesson? #Leadership via @sholoush #Innovation #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Business #Learning #GrowthMindset #Engineering #Technology #STEM #Productivity #ContinuousLearning #FutureOfWork #Manufacturing #Craftsmanship #ProblemSolving #DigitalTransformation #MercedesAMGF1 #Formula1

Why rely solely on surveys when you can uncover the true state of DEI through concrete metrics? This is a question that echoes in my mind each time I embark on a new journey with a client. Surveys can provide valuable opinions, but they often fall short of capturing real facts and the nuanced realities of individuals within an organization. 🔎 Here are 6 key DEI metrics that truly matter: 📍 Attrition Rates: Take a closer look at why employees are leaving, especially among different groups. This will help you understand if there are specific challenges or issues that need to be addressed to improve retention. 📍 Leadership Pipeline Diversity: Evaluate the diversity within your leadership team. Are there opportunities for underrepresented individuals to rise into leadership roles? Are they equally represented on all levels of leadership? 📍 Promotion and Advancement Rates: Assess if all employees, regardless of background, are getting equal opportunities to advance in their careers. By monitoring promotion and advancement rates, you can identify any biases and work towards creating a level playing field. 📍 Pay Equity: Ensure that everyone is paid fairly and equally for their work. Address any discrepancies in pay based on not only gender, but also race, age, ethnicity or other intersectional factors. 📍 Hiring Pipeline Diversity: Examine the diversity of candidates in your hiring process. Are you attracting a wide range of talent from different backgrounds? Tracking this metric helps you gauge the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts in creating a diverse workforce. 📍 Employee Engagement by Demographic: Measure the level of engagement and satisfaction among employees from various groups. Are there any disparities in engagement levels? Run the crossings of identity diversity and organizational one. By focusing on these 6 concrete metrics, you can gain real insights into your organization's DEI progress based on actionable data that drives progress. ________________________________________ Are you looking for more HR tips and DEI content like this?  📨 Join my free DEI Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dtgdB6XX