Career Stage Identification

Where are you in your career journey? We can think about careers across 3 dimensions: Money 💰 | Time ⏳ | Alignment 🙂 Alignment is tricky to define. To me, it means: - You’re happy on most days - Your skills fit the role - Quick test: Do you wake up excited for work on most days? (Some bad days are fine) Different mixes of money, time, and alignment can create 5 stages: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 5 – 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 / 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐲 Low money | Low time | Low alignment Work is just a paycheck or a dead-end routine. You’re either doing it to get by or because you can’t see the next step. Examples: gig workers 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 4 – 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Low money | Some time | Alignment may or may not be there You’re investing in skills; the payoff isn’t here yet. How you use this time decides whether you stay stuck or move forward. Examples: entry-level IT, apprenticeships, retraining 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 3 – 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐜𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐬 High money | Low time | Low alignment You’re well-paid but drained—you stay for the money, not joy. Examples: consulting, investment banking, mid-managers crammed in meetings 🔄 At this stage, some trade money for more time in a lighter role. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 2 – 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 Enough money | Time may be high or low | High alignment “Enough” = you cover needs, enjoy some lifestyle, save a little, and absorb 1–2 shocks (like a medical bill or short job gap). You feel aligned with your work, but balance is still tricky. Examples: a doctor who loves the craft, a manager/IC who enjoys the role 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 1 – 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 High money | High time | High alignment Work and life blend naturally. It gives you more energy than it drains. Hours may be long, but purpose and control keep you going. Examples: successful entrepreneurs, niche experts, creators, or someone who left corporate for a non-profit/small biz and built life around what matters to them ⚠️ 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: Examples are tentative. A founder might be in Golden Handcuffs, while a manager could be in Fulfilled. Geography, cost of living, caregiving, and health shift what “enough” means. And time isn’t just hours worked—it’s also control over your schedule and the predictability of your day. 💭 We don’t climb this ladder once— most people oscillate as priorities change: sometimes chasing money, sometimes craving time, sometimes seeking meaning. Where are you right now—and where do you want to go next? — Hope it helps you reflect 🙂 #work

Your career has broadly 3 phases: 1. Early Stage (0–5 years) In this phase, companies hire primarily for attitude. They look for: > Are you willing to put your head down and work on what’s assigned? > Are you eager to learn, adapt, and stay dependable? You may not have absolute clarity on your long-term path — and that’s okay. At this stage, it’s your coachability and curiosity that matter most. You grow by: → Obsessing over learning and absorbing from every opportunity → Making career switches every ~2–3 years for exposure and acceleration → Job application mix: ~80% job boards, 20% referrals ⸻ 2. Mid Stage (5–12 years) Now, you’re expected to have clarity: on the role, domain, location, and the kind of company (startup, MNC, etc.) you want to work with. Hiring managers are more conservative with lateral hires — they want proof of outcomes, not just potential. You grow by: → Building deep expertise in your chosen space → Learning to showcase your work — online and within the org → Making internal or external moves every ~3–6 years → Job application mix: ~50% job boards, 50% referrals ⸻ 3. Leadership Stage (12+ years) At this stage, no company is waiting on Naukri or LinkedIn hoping someone applies. Opportunities are created through trust, visibility, and networks. You grow by: → Expanding your strategic thinking and decision-making impact → Building influence — inside and outside the company → Investing in relationships that open doors Job application mix: ~20% job boards, 80% referrals/network pull ⸻ Every phase demands a different version of you. What phase are you in? And are you playing the right game for it? #career #growth #jobsearch #leadership #careeradvice

Nail the Interview. Sharing 5, 10, or 15 years of experience in 30–60 minutes isn’t easy — and that’s exactly why having a clear structure helps. The interview isn’t only a résumé walkthrough. It’s your chance to show that you understand the role, the level it sits at, and the problems it’s meant to solve. Every role lives within a career stage — and each stage comes with specific behavioral expectations. Stage 1: Helper / Learner / Supporter – reliability, curiosity, team-first mindset, willingness to learn. Stage 2: Individual Contributor / Expert – ownership, deep execution, functional or technical mastery. Stage 3: Vertical Leader / Coach / Complex Contributor – leading people and projects, navigating complexity, developing talent, driving delivery across functions. Stage 4: Rainmaker / Sponsor / Innovator – setting direction, influencing beyond your team, making high-impact decisions, delivering enterprise-level or market-moving outcomes. Your examples should reflect the stage you’re applying for — not just the one you’re in. If you’re aiming for Stage 4, for example, focus less on tasks and more on bets, outcomes, influence, and decisions that moved the business forward. For instance: instead of saying “I managed a team that delivered a new feature,” say “I identified a market gap, made the case to expand our product suite, secured internal buy-in, and led the launch — resulting in $10M in new pipeline within two quarters.” That shift in framing shows you’re already operating at the next level. Once you understand what’s expected at the role’s level, shape your story around it. Use examples of what you’ve led, solved, scaled, or transformed — and connect it to what they need. Show them you’ve done the homework: mention recent moves, pain points, or strategy shifts. Ask thoughtful, forward-looking questions that reflect curiosity and commercial awareness. Let them see you as someone who isn’t just capable - but ready. This isn’t about scripted answers or over-polished stories. It’s about clarity, presence, and intent. Know what you’ve done. Know what you bring. Know what you’re ready to solve. That’s how you nail the interview — and earn the role. And the best part? This structure works — across industries, roles, and levels. Whether you’re in tech, finance, ops, or creative — clarity and strategy always stand out. #JobSearch #InterviewTips #CareerGrowth #ExecutivePresence #CareerStrategy #JobInterview #CareerAdvice