Some observations on career satisfaction for ambitious mid-career folks in tech (from having coached hundreds of talented & ambitious people over the years):
1) Your career satisfaction in mid-career has little to do with how good your LinkedIn looks and more to do with your ability to combat career envy when it arises.
2) Corollary: Some of the most âsuccessfulâ people on paper feel dissatisfied (and even sad, remorseful) because they havenât found effective ways to cope with career envy.
This problem is global, but it is especially prevalent in the San Francisco Bay Area (and more so in the South Bay, Peninsula, SF).
3) This is not just a problem for managers and executives. Startup founders and CEOs are similarly susceptible.
4) This problem is getting worse with even more polarized outcomes of hot AI companies.
5) Taking a temporary break from LinkedIn can be a useful tactic when youâre experiencing career envy.
6) Other people will tend to judge your career by one or more of
7) No one judges your career by your
8) Many ambitious people choose their next job based largely on Title / Money / Scope.
It makes sense, because these factors do actually make you happy when you accept the offer.
But they will stop making you happy starting the very first day of your new job.