Career Advancement Tips

Cybersecurity Looks Cool, Until It’s Time to Do the Work Sometime last year, someone reached out to me wanting to get into cybersecurity. They seemed passionate, had done a bit of reading, and asked all the right questions. We had a call. I asked about their “why” and what part of cybersecurity they were most interested in. They sounded eager and driven, so I offered to mentor them. I sent them beginner resources, explained how to approach the learning, and asked them to check in weekly with their progress and questions. Week 1: Silence. Week 2: Still nothing. I followed up, and that’s when the excuses started. “School’s been hectic.” “I’ve been busy.” “The videos are too long.” Many people are inspired by the idea of Cybersecurity; what they see in movies or on social media. But very few are ready to do the actual work. Cybersecurity isn’t all hoodie-wearing hackers and cinematic code on a screen. It’s hours of reading documentation, figuring out subnetting, failing at labs, trying to understand logs, Googling error messages, and learning protocols that aren’t exciting at first glance. It takes: - Curiosity - Discipline - Consistency; even when motivation is gone Passion is a spark, but discipline and consistency is what keeps the fire burning. This post isn’t to shame anyone, it’s a reminder that every rewarding career comes with a less glamorous side. And if you’re serious about cybersecurity, you have to embrace that too. #CybersecurityCareerGrowth

Never miss a chance to participate in industry exhibitions and forums. They are a perfect opportunity to understand the industry better, study competitors and view demos (which might be difficult otherwise), engage in meaningful discussions with peers, spot trends and bets the industry is making. Above all, you will have the pride of representing your organisation, showcasing your solutions / value differentiators thereby increasing brand awareness and winning customers. I have always raised my hand at such opportunities. I love to be involved right from stall and artifacts design, story boarding demos, planning fun competitions, to making presentations at such events. It has always led to enriched learnings and valuable networking. If you have been part of multiple day expos, I am sure you can relate to how we try to identify lean timings during the day when we can leave the stall to walk around and check out others, esp the competition! To make the most of such events, here are some tips to consider: 1. Be mindful of the attendees and customer segments who will visit and plan your stall tuned to their interest areas (what do they want + what do you want them to know). What you present, how you present, aesthetics, layout- everything follows. 2. If there is info on stall layouts/spots, guest speakers and panel discussions, plan for your must visit stalls and speakers ahead of time. Rotate stall manning accordingly. 3. Dry run your demos multiple times and in the exact configuration and environment expected at the event. Obviously, rehearse your speech in case you are presenting. 4. Expos are the best time to test ideas using small pilots and gauge user reaction. 5. Everyone loves gifts and take aways. Make it meaningful and memorable. 6. Ensure all members are aware of the lead gen process and follow it diligently. And if you promise to get back to someone on any queries, do ensure you close the loop post event. 7. Do not leave your stall unattended. 8. If you are an introvert and attending one such event, do not be bothered by lack of colleagues or friends accompanying you. You can look around at your own pace and slowly you will find yourself opening up, asking questions and enjoying the atmosphere. 9. Do network and have fun! If there are post event get togethers, do not miss it. What are your favourite events and memories? #learningneverstops #industryevents #learning #networking #businessdevelopment #professionaldevelopment #eventplanning #exhibitions #selfdevelopment ----------------------- Some memories: presenting at the IoT Congress in Barcelona, giving away an Alexa to a game winner, final test of a demo setup, cheering on participants at our immersive zone at Excon

According to the World Economic Forum’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, around 𝟑𝟗 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 are expected to change by 2030. Among the 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. This shows that the 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. For professionals today, it is no longer enough to be technically competent in your domain. What sets 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 is how well they 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 into everything they do. I have noticed that individuals who begin saying things like “I optimise for resource efficiency” or “I design with circular value in mind” get asked different questions and enter different conversations. One memory that stands out is a marketing lead I advised. They reframed a campaign as “reducing material waste in the value chain” instead of simply “brand awareness.” The outcome changed: client meetings became 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫. Here are seven 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 that will define 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 in the coming decade 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Recognising your role as part of wider ecological, social, and value chains 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Designing for reuse, repair, and renewal rather than single use 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 – Interpreting energy use, carbon footprint, and resource flow data 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Guiding teams through sustainable transition 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 – Accepting that what you know today will evolve and proactively adapting your competence 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Taking conscious responsibility for resource impact 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Innovating with both business growth and ecological and social impact in mind 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭 If you want to remain relevant in the decade ahead, start weaving these green skills into your current role instead of waiting for a “green job” label. The market will reward those who think sustainably from day one, not just those who switch roles. Which green skill will you develop in the next six months, and how will it shape your professional story? LinkedIn #LinkedInGreenSkills #COP30 #FutureOfWork #CareerGrowth #Sustainability #GreenSkills

Calling all Fall Intake Masters Students in the UK! As you embark on this new chapter, here are some essential "to-do" things to help you make the most of your academic experience and pave the way to a successful career: 1) Connect & Network : Start building your professional network right away. Attend orientation events, join student societies, and connect with classmates, professors, and industry professionals on LinkedIn. Networking is key to future job opportunities. 2) Research & Plan: Understand your program's curriculum, and set clear academic goals. Create a study plan to manage your time effectively, balancing coursework and personal life. 3) Engage Actively: Don't just attend classes – participate actively! Ask questions, engage in discussions, and seek guidance from professors. Building strong relationships with faculty members can open doors to research opportunities and recommendations. 4) Skills Enhancement: Identify the skills you want to develop during your Masters and explore extracurricular activities, workshops, and online courses to complement your learning. 5) Internships & Placements: Start researching internships, placements, and part-time job opportunities in your field early on. The UK offers numerous opportunities for work experience while you study. 6) Stay Informed: Keep yourself updated on industry trends and developments. Subscribe to relevant newsletters, follow thought leaders on social media, and attend conferences or webinars. 7) CV Building: Begin working on your CV and LinkedIn profile. Highlight your academic achievements, skills, and any relevant work experience. Your online presence is often the first impression for potential employers. 8) Seek Support: Don't hesitate to seek support from your university's career services centre or from people from LinkedIn. They can help with job searches, CV reviews, interview preparation, and more. By proactively pursuing these "to-do" items, you'll not only excel in your Masters program but also position yourself for a successful transition into the job market. Remember, your journey is what you make of it, so make it count! Feel free to connect with me if you have any questions or need advice along the way. Wishing you all the best for an incredible academic and professional adventure! #journey #career #UKeducation #networking #jobsearch #tips

How to stop applying for SEO jobs & get jobs to apply to YOU: Yes, this is possible by building your personal brand on LinkedIn (has happened to many of my students.) Follow these 4 simple steps: 1️⃣ Stop creating SEO content on LinkedIn Most SEO beginners I see create content around the same rehashed SEO advice. Firstly, everyone who is trying to build their personal brand on LinkedIn is doing this. Secondly, since you are an SEO beginner, there is a chance that people won’t take your content seriously. So, instead of creating content, start documenting your SEO journey on LinkedIn. Talk about your project website(s): - what did you implement? - what went right? what went wrong? - what did you learn from it? - what are going to do next? This is a much better way of creating content on LinkedIn when you are just getting started. 2️⃣ Optimise your profile Your LinkedIn profile acts like your landing page, portfolio, & resume—all-in-one. When a recruiter lands on your profile, you need to make sure they see the right things. Your headline, “About” section, “Experience”, “Featured”, “Posts”, everything should be optimized for the kind of job you are looking for. 3️⃣ Engage, engage, & engage An optimized profile and content are not enough. You need to get out there and interact with people on posts & comments. This could be LinkedIn influencers, other SEO specialists, HRs of companies that you want to work with, or people who work there. This will get you and your content more eyeballs. 4️⃣ Send cold DMs Networking is powerful & you can do this on LinkedIn via cold DMs. Reach out to recruiters, SEOs, etc., from the companies you want to work with. NEVER just say “hi” and, worse, get into unnecessary small talk. It is OK to start with “hi” or small talk, but make sure you keep everything in one message. Don’t expect the person to go back & forth with you on the small talk. Appreciate their content, and introduce yourself, instead of directly asking for a job. Let them know that you exist, & get on their radar. To sum it up, build your personal brand on LinkedIn as an SEO specialist with these 4 simple steps: 1️⃣ Document your SEO journey 2️⃣ Optimize your profile 3️⃣ Engage with people on their posts 4️⃣ Network via cold DMs Follow these 4 steps, and in a couple of months, you’ll automatically get jobs applying to you on LinkedIn. Have you tried implementing any of these steps yet? Let me know in the comments below.

Your salary isn't stuck...your strategy is. Here's how I have broken through the pay ceiling. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a salary band despite your growing responsibilities... you’re not alone. Administrative professionals often outgrow their job descriptions long before their pay reflects it. But here’s the thing I have come to learn... Salary bands don’t define your worth your impact does 💥 Here are 3 strategies to position yourself for a raise, promotion, or next-level opportunity: 1️⃣ Be Seen as the "Go-To" Expert Instead of waiting for recognition- create it. Elevate your expertise by leading initiatives, solving problems before they escalate, and becoming indispensable in key areas (AI tools, project management, stakeholder engagement). Visibility = Value. 2️⃣ Show Your ROI Businesses speak the language of impact. Track the time, costs, and efficiencies you create. Did you streamline a process? Free up executive bandwidth? Reduce inefficiencies? Document and share these wins strategically especially at performance reviews. 3️⃣ Think Bigger Than Your Job Description The fastest way to move beyond a salary band is to operate at the next level before you ask for more money. Align your work with the company’s goals, volunteer for high-visibility projects, and position yourself as a strategic partner, not just a support role. The key I have found to be true? Salary follows impact. Show up, add value, and advocate for yourself in the same way you advocate for your execs. ❓What’s worked for you in breaking through salary barriers? Share your insights!👇 ♻️ Follow me for more relatable posts that you can share to add value to your network #personaldevelopment

Community is a climate solution. In December, I helped ClimateVoice organize a webinar called "Green Team Success Stories: How Employees Advance Climate Action at Work" and now, we're following up with a blog post that goes a level deeper! This article provides an exclusive glimpse into how employees from Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Pinterest, and Salesforce have self-organized into employee sustainability communities (often called Green Teams) for years, showcasing their successes, challenges, similarities, and differences. Their efforts have shifted the dynamics of who can engage in sustainability work at these companies, created industry leading green innovations, and in each case, unlocked more resources and support for sustainability work. I authored this month's Connect the Dots newsletter to recap the session (find a link to the recording in the comments below) and explain just how powerful and transformative these communities can be. ✋ Green Teams work in organizations of all shapes and sizes and mostly run on volunteer labor, enabling individuals to align their passion and purpose with their work, while providing valuable career development opportunities and improving employee attraction and retention 🕸️ Their decentralized structure breaks down organizational silos, fostering connection and collaboration across the entire workforce, while increasing overall climate literacy 🪴 They uniquely embed sustainability throughout every part of an organization, driving innovation while reducing environmental impact simultaneously. 💡Most importantly, they transform sustainability from an operational task driven by a single team to a core part of organizational culture, making sustainability part of everybody’s job in the process. We learned that the challenges employees face doing this work are more similar than different: lack of place (no sustainability community), lack of time (burnout, layoffs, and competing priorities), lack of influence (employees are not considered a critical stakeholder), lack of knowledge (little to no climate literacy in the workforce), and crucially, lack of support (no top down sponsorship from a Chief Sustainability Officer or executive). The good news is that all of these obstacles can be overcome, and the employees in Green Team Success Stories: How Employees Advance Climate Action at Work told us how each had uniquely done it in their organizations. Read on to learn more and share your experience with green teams in the comments below. Help us tell your story! Kevin Houldsworth Mia Ketterling Alyssa Chen Prashansa Sonawane Nidhi Kaul Céline Zollinger Antoine Cabot 🌱Lindsey Peterson Rohan Nijhawan Sam Gooch Zoe Samuel Holly Alpine (née Beale) Van Riker Aiyana Bodi Chris Bradley Patrick Flynn Manav Goel Nina Panda Kimberly Forte Abraham Chen, MBA Ryan Eismin, PhD Peggy Brannigan Dana Jennings Elizabeth Shelly Maddie Stone Cecilia Emden Hands 🌱Kati Kallins Lucy Piper Katelyn Prendiville Nivi Achanta

I’ve gotten a sense of control back for my client Daniel (not his real name). Here are my top tips for senior leaders with ADHD who feel out of control at work. Daniel is doing well at work, or in his words, "appearing to be." He was recently promoted, his boss liked him, and he is delivering. But just barely. Behind the facade was a chaotic schedule, frequent anxiety about missing out something, and a constant struggle to keep himself on track. We worked together to help him regain his sense of control about work. This is what we did: 1. Understand your core difficulties Every ADHD person experiences ADHD differently. What is an issue to one may not be to another. So what exactly is it that you find difficult? For Daniel, it was keeping track of his commitments. Even writing them down did not mean that he would keep them because he seldom checked what he'd written down. So we simply outsourced it to his phone. Every commitment he made would be immediately put in a phone reminder tied to either time or place. Which brings me to the second tip. 2. Bring in external forces Know that you will not be able to rely on your own innate ability to manage many of the things neurotypical people find easy. Organisation, time management, or even getting started on things (procrastination anyone?). Thus, you need something external to you to help you manage. This can be someone. Many of us grew up with nagging mothers who helped manage us. Or it can be something. Most of us who outgrew nagging mothers choose this. 3. Set up something to manage for you What's something you can do? Think SET - structure, environment, technology. Structure is the set up of your life. Having your own house is a structure. Having a full time job is a structure. By changing the structures of your life, you can make it easier or harder for yourself. For instance, if getting started is hard for you, being in a team can make it easier. Your strong sense of responsibility as a leader will make it so that you would do for the team what you won't do for yourself. You won't want the team affected by your procrastination. Environment is what you surround yourself with. Working in a cafe sounds amazing, but it is a nightmare for ADHD people. The number of distractions from sight, sound, smell, and movement will make it impossible for you to focus. Instead, work somewhere quiet and isolated if possible, like a cubicle. Focus will be easier. Technology is simply using tech to manage for you, like what Daniel did. There are many apps and tools that can manage different things you find difficult. From calmness tools to manage emotional instability, to reminder apps to get you to refocus. Try out different ones to see what works for you. Daniel hasn't solved all his problems, but he now has a system that he can rely on which works for him. If like him, you need help with managing your #ADHD, DM me and let's talk. #leadership #neurodiverse #neurodiversity

💪 Amira could squeeze blood from a stone when it came to supplier contracts. Last quarter, she fought tooth and nail to slash $280K from an agency retainer and won. 2 weeks later, she was in her own salary review. Her boss offered a 3% raise “in line with company policy.” She smiled, said “thank you,” walked out... No counteroffer. No pushback. Not even a question. 💸 6 months later, she found out that Matt, same role, less tenure, was making $32,000 more than her. He’d asked for a $25K raise and a signing bonus during the same review cycle. 💭 Amira had fought harder for the company’s dollars than for the dollars in her own pocket. 🧠 Why She Didn’t Negotiate: • She didn’t want to “ruin the moment” after hearing good feedback. • She told herself she’d revisit it “next year” when she had more wins. • She worried she’d seem ungrateful, forgetting Matt wasn’t worried at all.    💡What they don't tell you: 1. You’re teaching the company how cheap you’re willing to be. Every time you accept less without question, you set a new benchmark for what they can get away with.     2. They’ll respect the negotiator you are with them more than the compliant employee you are for them. You earn power by protecting your own interests, not by sacrificing them for the team.     3. The loyalty you’re proud of is the same reason they can pay you less. If they think you’ll stay no matter what, why would they pay you more? Loyalty without leverage is a discount code with your name on it.     🎯 How to Stop Discounting Yourself: 1. Bring the same fire to your salary as you do to your vendor negotiations: -- You’d never walk into a supplier meeting without knowing the numbers. Do the same for yourself: research market benchmarks, pull proof of your impact, quantify it in dollars, and walk in with a clear figure. If you wouldn’t accept a vague offer from a vendor, don’t accept one for your own paycheck.     2. Ask for the uncomfortable number. -- The number that makes you pause, that you’re afraid will get a “no,” is usually the one that closes your gap. If it feels safe, it’s already too low. You’re not there to make your manager’s budget easier,  you’re there to be paid your market value.     3. Negotiate like they expect you to, because they do.  -- Companies budget for raises assuming some people will push back. When you don’t, you’re handing them back profit they already set aside for you. You are not doing them a favor by being “reasonable” — you’re subsidizing someone else’s paycheck.     🔥 Our signature program at THE ELEVATE GROUP -  From Hidden Talent to Visible Leader - had a waitlist of over 1,500 professional women, which closed on the 10th Aug. If you missed joining, but you follow me, this is your private second chance. 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 “𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘” and I’ll send you the link to grab the VIP waitlist offer before it disappears on the 13th Aug. 👊 Because every time you discount yourself, you’re funding someone else’s raise.

Advice to Young Professionals Entering FMCG 1- Master the Basics Relentlessly Learn the fundamentals of sales, distribution, merchandising, and supply chain. No digital tool or AI model can replace deep understanding of how products move from factory to shelf and into the hands of consumers. 2- Respect Execution, It’s Everything Strategy matters, but in FMCG, execution wins. A brilliant plan that’s poorly executed is worthless; a simple plan executed flawlessly changes the game. 3- Stay Close to the Market Spend time in stores, with distributors, and talking to shoppers. The best insights don’t come from PowerPoint slides, they come from the shop floor which we name first moment of truth (FMOT) and real consumer behavior. 4- Numbers Don’t Lie, but They Don’t Tell the Whole Story Data is powerful, but context matters. Learn to balance analytics with intuition, and always ask the why behind the numbers. 5- Relationships Build Careers Whether with customers, distributors, or colleagues, your network is your long-term asset. Treat people with respect, even in tough negotiations. You will cross paths again. 6- Adapt or Become Obsolete FMCG evolves faster than almost any other industry. New channels, consumer behaviors, and technologies will constantly disrupt your playbook. Keep learning, unlearning, and relearning. 7- Never Underestimate Resilience This is a business of daily battles, lost sales, empty shelves, cash flow squeezes. Success comes to those who bounce back quickly and keep moving forward. 8- Think Long-Term, Act Short-Term Always deliver today’s numbers, but keep an eye on tomorrow’s opportunities. Balance urgency with vision. 9- Integrity is Non-Negotiable In FMCG, trust is currency. One broken promise or unethical shortcut can undo decades of reputation. 10- Love the Business If you don’t genuinely enjoy the energy, speed, and constant challenge of FMCG, it will drain you. But if you embrace it, it’s one of the most rewarding careers you can have.