Adapting To Career Shifts

Are you really happy in your career, or are you just stuck in a path because it’s comfortable? Our priorities shift, and so should our careers. It’s not weak to change direction. It’s a sign of growth and a willingness to align what you do with who you’ve become. 9 Steps to Changing Your Career Path: 1. Reevaluate your priorities ↳ Does your current job align with what matters to you now? 2. Identify your core values ↳ What do you stand for today? Does your career reflect that? 3. Understand the financial impact ↳ What’s the real cost of switching? How will it affect your lifestyle? 4. Leverage your existing skills ↳ How can you apply what you already know in a new industry? 5. Network with those in the field ↳ Learn from people who are already doing what you want to do. 6. Test the waters ↳ Take on side projects or freelance work to get a feel for the change. 7. Update your personal brand ↳ Revamp your LinkedIn and resume to reflect your new direction. 8. Set clear goals and timelines ↳ Make the transition with purpose and action. 9. Let go of the past ↳ Release limiting beliefs about your career and identity. The best time to pivot is when you feel that discomfort. It’s a sign of something better ahead. When was the last time you thought about changing your career?

How do you build a career out of freelancing and actually make it sustainable? Here’s what’s helped me stay engaged, avoid burnout, and make freelancing a stable, financially rewarding path. 1. Diversify your income. Never rely on one client, one industry, or one type of work for your entire income. Spread the risk. When one sector slows down, others keep you steady. This effort has kept my business thriving through economic shifts and client churn over the last twelve years. 2. Pivot when the market shifts. Freelancing is about adaptability. You’ll need to evolve as client preferences change, technology advances, and industry trends shift. Making small and big pivots as a freelancer (in any career) is necessary for long-term viability. 3. Invest in continuous learning. Your expertise skills are your business, so you have to make the time to sharpen them. Take courses, learn complementary disciplines, and explore tools that extend your value. The freelancers who learn fast stay relevant. 4. Protect your enjoyment. Not every project has to be lucrative. Some should simply be interesting. Creative satisfaction fuels consistency. Without joy, freelancing becomes just like a salaried full-time role and burnout will find you fast if all your work is mundane. 5. Design for flexibility, not just $$$. Money matters, but so does how you earn it. Freelancing ideally gives you the freedom to shape your schedule, your clients, and your priorities. Continue to design your practice around your own fulfillment, not just income. Freelancing can be a stable, fulfilling career if you treat it like one. It's an active practice and not the type of job you can leave on autopilot. I wrote more on these tactics for building a lasting career as a freelancer in the latest edition of the Career Freelancer newsletter this week, check it out below. #freelance #selfemployed #solopreneur #freelancetips

Your existing skills may already fit AI. You may not need to become a machine learning engineer to build a career in this space. AI is creating new roles for strategists, communicators, builders, operators, domain experts, and governance professionals. Here are 7 emerging roles to watch: → 𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 Leads enterprise AI strategy, investment, governance, risk management, and organization-wide adoption. → 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 Translates complex AI products, research, and ideas into clear stories for customers, leaders, investors, and the public. → 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 Works directly with customers to understand business problems and build tailored AI solutions using company technology. → 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 Helps teams adopt AI tools, automate repetitive work, redesign processes, and turn experiments into repeatable workflows. → 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿 Uses generative AI, APIs, and low-code platforms to rapidly create prototypes, applications, automations, and digital products. → 𝗔𝗜 𝗚𝗶𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 Provides specialist knowledge, human feedback, evaluation, and real-world examples to train and improve AI systems. → 𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 Studies how AI should behave and helps align systems with ethics, safety, policy, governance, and human values. The opportunity is broader than technical development. Business leadership, communication, consulting, product thinking, research, and domain expertise can all become valuable AI career advantages. Which of your existing skills could transfer into one of these AI roles?

Age is just a number when it comes to chasing your dreams. Your best chapter might be ahead of you. Here's some examples to show it is never too late to start a new chapter: • 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 - Started KFC at 62 after multiple failed businesses • 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 - Published her first Little House book at 64 • 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴 - Entered fashion design at 40, built empire after 50 • 𝗥𝗮𝘆 𝗞𝗿𝗼𝗰 - Founded McDonald's franchise at 52 • 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 (𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀) - Began painting seriously at 78 Here's how REINVENTING after 50 can work (from coaching hundreds of clients) 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 • Decades of experience help you spot opportunities others miss • You know your strengths and can leverage them better • Past failures become valuable lessons, not roadblocks • Better judgment in partnerships and business decisions    𝟮. 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 • Remote work removes age bias from hiring (video calls mean nobody sees your grey hair!) • Online platforms let you start businesses with low overhead • Social media gives direct access to customers worldwide • Gig economy offers flexible ways to test new paths    𝟯. 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 • Start as a side project while keeping your day job • Test ideas with minimal investment before going all-in (do a low-cost probe - test and learn) • Build skills gradually through online courses and workshops (I planned 4 years ahead before I transitioned) • Transition slowly to reduce financial risk    𝟰. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 • Professional networks you've built over decades • Mentorship programs specifically for career changers • Online communities of people making similar transitions • Family support often stronger when kids are grown 𝟱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 • No more climbing ladders for other people - build something that excites you • Freedom to say no to toxic clients and bad opportunities (assuming you got mortgage paid off) • Work with people you actually like instead of just tolerating • Finally pursue that thing you've been curious about for 20 years If this speaks to you, here's some words of encouragement: You're not starting over - you're starting ahead. With life expectancy trending toward 100 years, you potentially have 40+ productive years left. That's longer than most people's entire first career. You have something no 25-year-old has: wisdom earned through experience, networks built over decades, and the clarity that only comes with time. And the best part, you can choose to slow down or accelerate. Start building your next chapter now so you have a smooth transition. (I call this - Build your parachute for a soft landing) What will you start today? Follow Adeline Tiah for stories on reinvention and future of work. Image credit: Ideogram

I’ve coached thousands of job seekers who felt lost and overwhelmed. Here are the 10 steps we start with to find the right path: 1. Your #1 Priority Clarity should be the first thing you invest in. It makes career success SO much easier (at every stage). When you have clarity, you can invest 100% of your energy into that goal. So before you start applying to jobs or grad school? Find your path. 2. The Myth Of “Passion” People think passion is a lightning bolt that suddenly hits you. One day you wake up knowing what you're supposed to do. That's BS. Passion stems from action. It's the result of trying new things. If you want to find your path? You need to act. 3. Map Out Your Ideal Lifestyle Career happiness doesn't come from a job title. It stems from the ability to meet your lifestyle needs: – Target salary – Ideal living situation – Surrounded by people you love – Work that fills your cup Start by defining all of these things. 4. Label Your Energy Next, grab a piece of paper. Make two columns: 1. Energy Creators 2. Energy Drainers Now list out every single activity, task, and project you've worked on. Label each as a creator or drainer. Your career path should be filled with energy creators. 5. Clarify Your Strengths Success is easier when your path plays to natural strengths. I recommend the High 5 Test. It's a 15 minute quiz that will define your top strengths. It'll tell you what each means and how to harness it. Talent: A natural way of thinking, feeling, behaving × Investment: Time spent practicing, developing your skills, or building a knowledge base = Strength: The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance 6. Find People Doing "Cool" Stuff Now you've created clarity around your strengths, energy, and ideal lifestyle. Next, I want you to find people already living that life. Who has a job you admire? What jobs have seemed “cool” to you in the past? Make a list of 30+ contacts. 7. Reach Out & Learn Make a daily habit of reaching out to one person. Be honest about your situation and desire for clarity. Then make sure to build up their achievements and mention why you admire them. Here's the email template I used when I was on this journey: The Winning Template: Subject: Quick Question  Hi [Name], My name is [Your Name] and I came across your information on LinkedIn while I was looking for people who transitioned into [Industry/Field] from a non-traditional background. Your background is really impressive! I saw you do different fields and [Industry/Field] really piqued my interest. If you have a few minutes, I’d love to hear more about your journey and how you landed in your role today. I know that’s a big ask so no worries if it’s too much. I totally understand. Either way, hope you have a great rest of the week!  

If your LinkedIn says ‘Open to work,’ but your mindset still says ‘stuck,’ you are NOT yet ready for the real transition Because a career change begins from ‘YOU’, it’s psychological. The thing is, You can update your title overnight. But reprogramming your identity takes work. And that’s where most people struggle. I’ve helped professionals across industries navigate this and every successful shift came down to 10 non-negotiables: 1. Get clear on your ‘why’ If you don’t know why you’re leaving, you’ll repeat the same mistake again. 2. Audit your strengths Not the ones on your resume, the ones that energize you. 3. Redefine success The next role might not come with the same title or paycheck, and that’s okay if it aligns with growth. 4. Craft your new narrative Tell your story like someone connecting dots, not changing directions. 5. Rebuild your network before you need it The best opportunities come from conversations. 6. Refresh your digital presence Your LinkedIn should reflect where you’re heading, not where you were. 7. Prepare emotionally for uncertainty. Transitions test patience, so ground yourself before you take the leap. 8. Permit yourself to pause Big shifts drain energy. Step back to process the change so you can step forward with intention. 9. Seek feedback, not validation. Ask, “What can I improve?”, not “What do you think of me?” 10. Prioritize your mental stamina You can’t create clarity from burnout. P.S. Which of these 10 do you think most professionals forget? #LinkedIn #Work #Lifestyle #Careergrowth #ProfessionalGrowth

How do you find your path back to work after taking an extended break? After being out of the job market for several years—whether due to retirement, caregiving, or pursuing personal passions—re-entering can feel daunting. I’ve heard this question often and it was recently posed in a webinar with the Intel Alumni Network. "How do you overcome being out of the market for many years, especially when your professional network is outdated?" Here are a few tips for making a successful comeback: 💡 1. Start by Assessing Your Goals What are you hoping to achieve in this next phase? Full-time work, part-time consulting, or nonprofit engagement? Having clarity helps you focus your energy on the right opportunities. **To avoid a scattershot approach, get focused.** 💻 2. Refresh Your Personal Brand Update your LinkedIn profile and resume to reflect your skills, experiences, and accomplishments—even those gained outside traditional employment. **Even more important -- highlight transferable skills that align with your next phase target roles and today’s job market terms.** 🌐 3. Rebuild Your Network Don’t let “outdated” networks hold you back. Reach out to former colleagues and industry peers to reconnect. Attend local or virtual professional events to meet new people. LinkedIn is your best friend here—leverage it to build connections! **I would point you to the book “Friend of a Friend” by Dr. David Burkus to learn about awakening “dormant ties.”** 📚 4. Upskill to Stay Relevant Consider taking a course or certification in your field to bridge any skills gap. This also shows potential employers your commitment to staying current. **Find out what would be most relevant to your target roles.** 🤝 5. Leverage Mentors and Career Coaches If you’re unsure where to start, career coaches can help with guidance, mock interviews, and personalized job search strategies. **Consider building a mentoring team or PBOD (Personal Board of Directors). 🎯 Remember: Your unique experiences—professional and personal—add value. You’re not starting over; you’re building on an incredible foundation. Have you re-entered the job market after a break? What worked for you? Share your advice or questions below! ⬇️ #CareerVelocity

The current workforce landscape is undergoing a tectonic shift, one where AI-driven restructuring has become the standard corporate euphemism for mass layoffs. During this week’s 1Mby1M roundtable, the conversation centered on a stark reality. The era of the safe corporate job is over. Whether AI is the actual driver or merely a convenient excuse for downsizing, the result is the same. Unprecedented professional vulnerability. My message to those still in their roles is urgent. You MUST create a career lifeboat while you are still employed. Our new paper, The Career Lifeboat: A Strategic Framework for Professional Resilience in the Age of AI, explains why every professional must develop an independent income-generating capability before AI-driven disruption forces the decision upon them. It provides a practical framework for building a sustainable entrepreneurial safety net through bootstrapping, customer validation, and revenue-first execution. The Myth of Job Security - For decades, tech workers operated under the assumption that high-level skills guaranteed long-term stability. However, as major tech and healthcare corporations, including Atlassian, Salesforce, and NVIDIA, pivot toward AI-centric strategies, workforce trends are being fundamentally rewritten. The Career Lifeboat philosophy is built on the realization that your primary income source is no longer a guaranteed asset. It is a variable that can be eliminated in a single board meeting. Building Your Career Lifeboat - A career lifeboat is a small, independent business that you launch and nurture while you still have the safety net of a salary. This is not just a side hustle. It is a strategic investment in your own business education. To build a successful lifeboat, you must adopt the core 1Mby1M principles: - Prioritize Customers over Investors: Do not chase funding before you have secured a paying customer. - Focus on Revenue and Profits: True entrepreneurship is defined by unit economics and sustainability, not pitch decks. - Bootstrap First: Avoid early-stage equity dilution that can trap you in a zombie state before you even scale. Learning to build a business is the only true insurance policy against an AI-driven workforce reduction. Specifically for tech workers facing this uncertainty, we have a bootstrapping with a paycheck course to help build Career Lifeboats. The goal is to move from beggar to king by establishing a position of negotiating power. If you have a business generating even modest revenue, the psychological and financial impact of a layoff is drastically reduced. The transition from employee to entrepreneur is a marathon, not a sprint. Start by identifying a case-specific need in a niche you understand. Use a Bootstrap with a Paycheck approach to validate your model without unnecessary financial pressure. Come talk to me at a free mentoring roundtable and ask questions of the 1Mby1M AI Mentor: https://lnkd.in/gB69hhqK

Career pivots at the senior executive level require more than experience—they demand the ability to translate your leadership skills into new industries or roles. If you're navigating this transition, here’s how to position yourself for success: 🔍 Identify Transferable Skills Start by isolating the core leadership skills you've mastered. Strategic thinking, operational excellence, change management, and stakeholder engagement are valuable across industries. Align these strengths with what your target industry prioritizes. 🗣️ Bridge the Language Gap Every industry has its own language. Research how your target sector talks about challenges and success. Replace industry-specific jargon with universal leadership terms that resonate in your new field. ⚡ Highlight Adaptability and Learning Agility Senior roles in new industries often require quick learning and adaptability. Share examples where you led through market shifts, integrated new technologies, or managed cross-functional teams—proving your capacity to thrive in unfamiliar environments. 🏆 Showcase Relevant Achievements Select accomplishments that demonstrate impact aligned with your new goals. Led digital transformation? That’s relevant to tech-driven industries. Scaled operations globally? That’s valuable in any growth-focused sector. Frame your results in a way that speaks to future employers’ pain points. 🚀 Craft a Forward-Looking Narrative Your story should connect past success with future potential. Communicate how your experience equips you to solve challenges in this new space. Phrases like, “My experience driving operational excellence positions me to...” help bridge the gap. A successful pivot isn’t about starting over—it’s about leveraging your leadership in new and meaningful ways. For those who’ve made a successful transition, what worked for you? Let’s share insights below! 👇 #careers #executivecareers #jobsearch

Navigating the UX job market feels like a battle for many. I've seen talented designers face harrowing challenges in their search for meaningful work: - Enduring countless interviews only to face silence. - Receiving job offers that vanish over trivialities. - Being significantly underpaid, despite their expertise. And that's without touching on the harsh realities of layoffs: - Dedicated professionals dismissed with a cold, automated message. - Skilled team leaders finding their access revoked, a stark notification of their sudden job loss. - Severance terms that barely scratch the surface of fairness or decency. The illusion of "secure" employment has shattered. For genuine stability, carving your own path is becoming essential. Doubt your ability to strike out on your own? Let's rethink that. My journey into freelance UX consulting began not long ago. I started small, accepting projects that paid far less than the value I provided. Fast forward to today, and my consultation rates have soared. I'm earning significantly more, working with clients on my terms, and even launching successful online courses—all by leveraging my skills in UX design. And guess what? Age or traditional education isn't the barrier many think it is. If I could rewind, I'd have started even younger. For those wrestling with the uncertainty of today's job landscape, consider investing in yourself. Develop a freelance career or consultancy on the side. At worst, you'll gain invaluable experience. At best, you'll discover a new level of professional freedom and security.