đ©đ»âđ» How to build a thriving nonlinear career
I went to my MBA reunion and a tech summit for 6 takeaways so you didn't have to
I went to the OOO Summit and my 1-year Wharton reunion this week, and left both with the same unexpected takeaway:
Weâre entering an era where careers are designed around our lives, not the other way around.
Whether it's tech layoffs or the rise of AI, more people are freelancing, pivoting industries, building side hustles, or starting their own thing.
The bigger whyâŠAs Sahil Bloom put it: âYouâll never be wealthy if your expectations always outpace your assets.â Instead of chasing shiny titles, weâre starting to define our own versions of âenough.â
Even at Wharton, a place known for conventional careers, there was a panel on âNavigating Career Transitionsâ that focused on how people with 10+ years of experience are building fractional portfolios to do work that aligns better with their lives.
In other words, all of our careers are becoming ânonlinearâ in some way.
Before I get to takeaways, and speaking of career transitionsâŠ
If youâre in the middle of a pivot or just starting to think about one, donât let interviews be the thing that holds you back.
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How to build a thriving nonlinear career
You know Iâm all about the tactical advice, so if youâre also wondering HOW to build a thriving nonlinear career, here are the highlights:
On pivoting: One Wharton alum who pivoted from banking to real estate to biotech said her best advice was to âbe the dumbest person in the roomâ when switching to new industries you know nothing about. Ask questions. Learn from experts. And of course, use ChatGPT to access specialized knowledge.
On career gaps and pauses: How you tell your story matters. Highlight what you learned or built during that time. Also, keep an eye out for re-entry programs, theyâre becoming more common, especially at larger companies (e.g. JP Morgan).
On fractional work: You donât need to be a senior exec to go fractional. If your work can be done on a project basis, it can be fractional. Itâs a fast track to growth because you get more reps in less time. (From a Wharton alum and Fractional CMO)
On personal branding: If you want to work for yourself or build something, your personal brand matters more than ever. AI commoditizes development and marketing, so what matters is trust. Andrew Yeung built a multimillion-dollar events company by becoming known for what he does. Eve Halimiâs investing app didnât grow until she started showing up on TikTok. Your personal brand is your content, but also the reputation you build offline.
How to build your personal brand:Know your why
Create purposeful, valuable content that attracts the right audience
Impact them (educate or entertain) in a way that reflects your unique values
On creating and selling: Ankur Napgal said it well: build what you would personally use. People donât pay for featuresâthey pay for the promise and the result. Nathan Barry talked about how to create flywheels that grow themselves.
On building a side hustle when you still have a job: Justin Welsh said you shouldnât quit your job until youâve replaced at least 60% of your income. And if youâre scared of âgetting in trouble,â talk to your manager. Let them know your side hustle isnât affecting your day job.
đž Want to build wealth more intentionally?
If you missed the OOO Summit but want an opportunity to hear directly from one of the speakers (and learn how to pay less taxes), Ankur Nagpal is joining me on a webinar this Wed May 21, to chat about all things wealth building! I donât think this is recorded, so be there!
Generalist Jobs I'd Apply to This Week
Curated US roles (mostly) for generalists and career pivoters with ~2+ years of experience.
Typically includes: Strategy & Ops / BizOps / GM, Chief of Staff, GTM, Program/Project Manager, Product & Product Marketing, etc.
Chief of Staff - Brij (Ecommerce, Seed, NYC preferred)
Provider Partnerships Manager - Latent (Healthtech, Seed, SF)
Growth Strategy - Pogo (Data SaaS, Seed, Fully Remote in US/CN)
Product Operations - Tarro (Restaurant SaaS, Early Stage, NYC)
Generalist - Rogo (AI, Series B, NYC)
Strategy & Ops - Seen Health (Healthcare, Series A, LA)
Solutions Engineer - Boon (Logistics, Series A, SF)
New Ventures Director - FanDuel (Gaming, Private, NYC)
Lead, Payroll Partnerships - Pinwheel (Fintech, Series B, NYC)
Customer Onboarding Manager - Orum (GTM SaaS, Series B, Remote)
Chief of Staff - Seven Starling (Womenâs health, Series A, Remote)
Growth & Partnerships - Airgoods (F&B/Logistics, Seed, NYC)
Enterprise Launch Manager - Navan (B2B SaaS, Late Stage, NYC)
Growth Lead - Amulet (Insurtech, Series A, NYC)
Blockchain Strategy Manager - DRW (Crypto/VC, Private, NYC)
This is NOT meant to be "every tech generalist job under the sun", just roles on my radar that I want to share with you!
In case you missed itâŠ
đFree resources for landing your next role
đ„ Watch this before you get an MBA
Hard truths about career pivots
My productivity hacks for side hustling with a 9-5
5 things to read, watch or listen to if you have a nonlinear career in your 20s
If you find this newsletter helpful, share it with a fellow nonlinear techie!