How to Build a Career in Corporate America

11 Real Rules of Corporate Success  (The Ones Nobody Talks About) From 26 Years in the Trenches Hard truth: Working hard is only 20% of career success. The other 80%? It’s what nobody tells you in business school. 1/ Make Your Manager Look Good ↳ Solve problems before they reach their desk. ↳ Frame solutions as “just following your guidance” – it reinforces their leadership. ↳ Your boss’s success becomes your insurance policy. 2/ Save a Teammate’s Job ↳ I once covered for a colleague during their mental health crisis. ↳ ROI: That colleague now runs a department and still remembers. ↳ They became my biggest advocate in leadership meetings. 3/ Master Invisible Visibility ↳ Don’t just do great work – document it strategically. ↳ Create a “wins folder” in your email – evidence beats memory in review season. ↳ Send those “quick updates” that make a 3-hour task look like a 3-week project. 4/ Emotional Bank Accounts ↳ Keep a calendar note of what people mention they’re struggling with. ↳ Remember birthdays (yes, even Steve from accounting). ↳ Small gestures = big allies when you least expect it. ↳ Help others look good in meetings – they never forget. 5/ The Credit Game ↳ Let others take credit occasionally. ↳ Build a reputation as a credit-giver. ↳ Trust me: They’ll defend you like a lawyer when promotion time comes. 6/ Strategic Humility ↳ Share failures openly, but always with the lesson learned. ↳ Nothing disarms office politics like genuine vulnerability. ↳ Turn your mistakes into mentoring moments. 7/ Build Your Story Network ↳ Every promotion needs 5 people telling your story. ↳ Be the first to celebrate others’ wins. ↳ Your advocates > your achievements. ↳ Coffee chats > LinkedIn connections. 8/ The Power of Appropriate Humor ↳ Break tension in tough meetings. ↳ Self-deprecating humor shows confidence. ↳ Never punch down. ↳ People promote people they enjoy being around. 9/ Gossip Navigation ↳ Don’t dish it. ↳ Don’t receive it. ↳ Redirect it: “Have you talked to them about this?” ↳ Build a reputation as the drama-free zone. 10/ Boundary Mastery ↳ Say “yes” strategically. ↳ Say “no” professionally. ↳ Your boundaries = your brand. ↳ Protect your time like it’s your company’s most valuable asset. 11/ Communication Clarity ↳ Bad news early. ↳ Good news with proof. ↳ Always have a solution ready. ↳ Master the art of the “heads-up” email. The real secret? While everyone focuses on climbing the ladder… Build the relationships that make people want to pull you up. Impact Check: ↳ This approach helped me mentor 17 people to director-level positions. ↳ Most of these take less than 5 minutes a day but compound into career-defining moments. Warning: The opposite of these principles is what I’ve seen sink promising careers. ♻️ Repost to help your network level up. And follow Dharma Ramasamy for more corporate truth bombs!

During my corporate career, I got 4 promotions in 4 years, and the best part is I didn’t have to wait for my manager to see my potential and offer me one. If you too want to move up the ladder faster, you need to stop relying on others, for your turn, or vague feedback like “you’re doing great. Keep doing what you are doing.” Instead, follow these strategies like I did: 1. I documented the value added in my profile directly or directly I didn’t assume people knew the impact I was making. I tracked it. With every project, I kept a record of: → Hours saved → Revenue influenced → Stakeholder feedback → Customer wins So when review time came, I was presenting a business case. Your manager can’t advocate for what they can’t quantify. Make it easy for them. 2. I applied for internal roles. Yes, even when I wasn’t “invited.” Too many people wait to be tapped on the shoulder. I didn’t. I looked at job boards internally, and even if I knew someone more senior might be in line, I applied. Competing against external candidates motivated me to level up how I presented myself and helped me stand out internally as well. 3. I contributed beyond my typical 9 to 5 duties I took on projects that weren’t part of my core role. I facilitated events, joined leadership programs, and signed up to lead Employee Resource Group initiatives. Because I knew visibility and trust come before the promotion, not after. So I invested my time and effort where it mattered. If you want to be seen as someone who can operate at the next level, show them, don’t tell them. 4. I built a circle of advocates who had influence. Having someone who says your name in leadership meetings is a real deal-maker. I invested in relationships across teams and levels because your next opportunity can also come from someone in the room who believes in your work. This is being intentional about who knows what you’re capable of. Lastly, I want you to know that no one is coming to fast-track your career for you. You have to own it. Stop hoping and waiting and start advocating for yourself instead. Position yourself for the opportunities before they open up. P.S. Follow me if you are an immigrant or international student in the U.S. I share practical advice, resources, and insights to help you land your next role.

7 career lessons I’ve learned from mentoring job seekers, reading widely, and spending years inside corporates. No theory. No motivational fluff. Just patterns I’ve seen repeat again and again. 1: If your manager doesn’t trust you, your career will stall, no matter how hard you work. Effort without trust only leads to exhaustion. Spend time understanding what your manager is actually accountable for. Solve that. 2: Make an effort to spend time with people who think differently, work differently, and come from different backgrounds. Most people avoid this. That’s exactly why it works. 3: I’ve gained the most by mingling across functions and hierarchies. Your learning curve will be directly proportional to how wide your circle is. 4: The most obvious career choice leads to average outcomes. Safe moves feel good in the short term. Uncomfortable moves compound in the long term. 5: Don’t get too comfortable in the same role for too long. If you’re doing the exact same work year after year, growth has already slowed. Take on different responsibilities - internally if possible, externally if needed. 6: Before complaining, ask one question: Is this something I can control? If yes, make it a data point and work on it. If no, it’s probably not worth complaining about anyway. 7: Ratings, reviews, and outcomes won’t always be fair. Internal reviews. Internal hiring. External opportunities. You will be judged - regardless of how good your work is. What else would you add to this list? Do let me know in the comments. #careergrowth #Jobsearch

I spent too many years thinking my boss was responsible for my career. Or the company. Or a magical fairy godmother. I thought it was everyone else’s job to advocate for me. To push me. To help me advance and grow. And I completely missed the fact that it was me. It was always ME. Our job is to be the biggest advocate for our careers. We are in the driver’s seat. And we can’t take a back seat and expect someone else to do the driving. Here are ten ways to start advocating for your career not tomorrow, TODAY: 1️⃣ Take a seat at front of the table, not at the back of the room. Be visible. Log onto that Zoom early, make sure people know you are there. Don’t shrink to the corner of the screen or room. 2️⃣ Raise your hand 🙋🏾♀️ Ask that question. Show you’re engaged and thoughtful and there to contribute. I always ask a question early on in the meeting to build my confidence to contribute more later. 3️⃣ Ask to be put on that assignment Make sure you are working on assignments that are priorities for the company. Especially in this market. 4️⃣ Coach your peers on their work You don’t have to have direct reports to have influence. Guide peers who ask for your help: position yourself for the next level by acting like you are at the next level. 5️⃣ Build a career development plan If your boss won’t help you do this, ask a colleague to be a sounding boarding or a friend outside of work. Understand what your goals are this year and what you want your next two roles to be. 6️⃣ Focus on one new skill you want to build What’s one new skill you want to learn that can help with your career growth? Pick it and commit to it. Block 30 minutes on your calendar daily to work on it. Make this time non negotiable. 7️⃣ Take credit for your work Even if they won’t let you in that meeting, share what you are working on with others. Whether that’s it in 1:1 conversations or in team meetings, make sure you let others know the impact you are making. 8️⃣ Get meaningful feedback If your boss keeps saying you’re killing it or avoids giving your feedback, ask others. Show up with what you think your strengths are and areas of opportunity to get their reactions. 9️⃣ Keep a track of your wins Start a Google doc or grab a notebook, and down all of your wins and the end of every month. This makes it easier to do your self evaluation during performance review time and update your resume. 🔟 Always have your resume ready Whether you are looking for internal or external, always have your resume ready. And make sure it’s not saved on your work lap, especially in this market where layoffs are happening every day. How do you advocate for yourself at work? #leadership #culture #inclusion #MitaMallick

Stop climbing the career ladder. Build a career lattice instead. This is the future of work. Instead of climbing straight up like a ladder, you move sideways, diagonally, and up. You build skills across different areas, create multiple paths forward, and become valuable in ways that can't be replaced by one bad quarter or company restructure. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄. There aren't as many management levels to climb. The old "up or out" mentality doesn't work when there's nowhere to go up. 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. The role you were hired for might not exist in 3 years. But if you've built skills across multiple areas, you adapt instead of getting left behind. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀. Your ability to solve problems in marketing AND operations AND data analysis makes you more valuable than being "just" a marketing manager. 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆. When layoffs happen, people with diverse skills and internal networks survive. People stuck in one lane don't. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 - You Lifelong Employability Playbook 𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 • List what you're good at now • Identify what you want to learn • Find the connections between different areas    𝟮. 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 • Work with other departments • Offer to help with initiatives outside your job description • Learn how other parts of the business work    𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Connect with people in different departments • Attend company events and cross-team meetings • Help colleagues even when there's no direct benefit to you    𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 • If you're in sales, learn basic marketing and data analysis • If you're in HR, understand finance and operations • If you're technical, develop communication and business skills    𝟱. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗻 "𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲" 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 • Volunteer to translate between departments • Become the person who understands both the technical and business side • Position yourself as a connector and problem-solver    In the new world of work, your career lattice becomes your competitive advantage. While others compete for the same narrow path up, you've built multiple ways forward. Ready to start building your lattice? Pick one skill outside your current role and start learning it this month. ♻️ Share this to help others build skills that matters Follow Adeline Tiah for content on future of work and leadership

It's easy freak out about the job market right now. But, there is a silver lining in all of this uncertainty. The smart move? Use this time to invest in yourself. I learned this the hard way, wasting too much time trying to make a move during the Great Recession and getting no results. At first, I panicked. Then I realized the job market was completely out of my control and decided to focus on something that wasn't: Expanding my skillset and getting a new certification. ⭐Within 10 months, I was promoted from recruiting to leading PR and external affairs. ⭐Within 4 years, I was recruited to a dream job Bottom line: This isn't the time to just sit back and relax. And panicking won't help. When the job market turns (and it will!) you want to be ready to go. Here's what to do now to set yourself up for success: 1️⃣ Create Your Own Opportunities ↳ Volunteer for high-visibility projects ↳ Solve problems nobody owns yet ↳ Document your wins meticulously 2️⃣ Build Strategic Relationships ↳ Network across departments and externally ↳ Find mentors who challenge your thinking ↳ Be the go-to person others count on for something specific 3️⃣ Learn In-Demand Skills ↳ Master data analysis and visualization ↳ Build AI savvy and experience ↳ Pick up tools to manage complex projects 4️⃣ Develop As A Thought Leader ↳ Share insights from your daily work ↳ Write internal newsletters or reports ↳ Present at team meetings consistently 5️⃣ Volunteer in Your Community ↳ Search for organizations aligned with your values ↳ Find out what help they need most ↳ Take on a leadership role to make connections or build skills 6️⃣ Teach Others ↳ Choose something you genuinely enjoy ↳ Take a deep dive into it so you can teach it to others ↳ Check out community centers, and local colleges for adjunct roles 7️⃣ Start a Side Gig ↳ What can you do that others can't or won't? ↳ Let friends, family and neighbors know what you're doing ↳ Ask people to refer you and share testimonials on social media 💡Career growth isn't just about changing jobs. It's about owning your own professional development. ♻️ Share to help others grow professionally. 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career insights. 📌 Need help with your growth strategy? DM me to chat.

One of the talks I’ve given to a few teams internally at Microsoft is “PMing your career”. Mid-career is the perfect time to step back, see yourself as a ‘product,’ and start managing your career with intention and strategy. Here are 5 axioms I use as part of the frame: ➡️1. Treat your career as a Product with a strategic fit: Every high-performing professional has a unique value proposition. Regularly assess your Personal Product-Market Fit (PMF) to ensure that your strengths, skills, and how you’re positioning them align with the needs of your industry and your company. Strong careers, like great products, adapt to stay relevant and strategically fit. This helps you identify places you might need to grow too. ➡️2. Your resume is (kind-of) Product Review Document (PRD): Like a PRD highlights a product’s features, your resume should capture your top achievements and core skills. Keep it current and aligned with your goals, showcasing how your career product has evolved. ➡️3. Use feedback as your career “Customer Review”: Just as products thrive on customer feedback, your career benefits from input from mentors, peers, and leaders. Thoughtfully incorporate this feedback to stay aligned with your goals and make strategic improvements. ➡️4. Set a career Roadmap: Map out your career with a focus on strategy and clear goals. These checkpoints – skills to gain, connections to build, and roles to pursue – keep you moving toward your vision of success and position you for future opportunities. Ask others who have already taken the path what the checkpoints are. ➡️5. Embrace phases as part of your strategy: Like product lifecycles, careers have phases. In early roles, focus on mastering foundational skills; as you advance, lean into influence and decision-making; and eventually, hone discernment for opportunities. Each stage strengthens your overall career strategy. Hope this helps you today

Your “chaotic” career might be the thing that turns you into an operator who can fix what others avoid. Most people think you need a perfect linear path to reach executive-level operations work. Not true. If you’ve jumped roles, industries, or departments, here’s the secret: You’ve been training in systems design without realizing it. I learned this the long way. I’ve worked in marketing, proposals, process improvement, healthcare ops, data analysis, enterprise automation, and now AI-enabled workflow design. At the time, it looked scattered. Now I see it clearly: Every role taught me how work actually breaks, and why systems crumble long before people do. If your path has been messy or nonlinear, here’s how to turn that into an advantage: 1. Stop defining yourself by your last job title: Your value is in the intersections. 2. Treat every job like systems training: Every broken workflow you’ve touched matters. 3. Shift your identity early: Show up like someone who designs better systems — not just someone who survives bad ones. 4. Use your range: Pattern recognition is an executive skill. You only get it by seeing many environments. 5. Focus on clarity: If you can fix fragmentation, reduce cognitive load, and make work make sense… you’re already operating above your title. That’s how I built my career.nAnd it’s how you can build yours. Your path doesn’t need to be straight. It just needs to be yours.

The advice I gave my son on day one... After graduating, my son started his first corporate job this week. On day one, I sent him a short note with the following advice: • 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Do what’s asked - on time and to a high level. If you say you’ll do something, it gets done - no follow-up required.  • 𝗚𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱. Look for the extra 10–20% that actually adds real value.   • 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. Don’t assume experience always equals the best answer. Being new, you’ll see things others may not. Share ideas with respect, curiosity, and confidence. • 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵. Be simple, concise, and timely. Keep people informed - before you’re asked. People trust what they can see and understand. • 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀. Take a genuine interest in people. Help them succeed. The value of this compounds over time. • 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲. Stay positive, coachable, and solution-oriented, especially when things don’t go your way.   • 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆. Stay curious and ask questions. Choose roles, projects, and teams that stretch you.      • 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. Pay attention to what leadership cares about. Work that supports those priorities gets noticed. • 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. Ask for feedback regularly. Don’t defend it. Say thank you, then use it to grow.   • 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Act with integrity in everything you do. Do the right thing, even when it’s hard. Your reputation is built on decisions and actions you think no one sees. They do. At the start of a career, it’s easy to focus on titles and trajectory. What really matters is building a strong foundation - capability, relationships and reputation. What advice are you giving young people as they head into the workforce?

I have been in the U.S. job market for 4 years. I currently work at a FAANG company, but I’ve seen the worst side of this market, too. I’ve seen what it feels like to do everything “right” and still hear nothing back. And one thing I’ve learned the hard way is this: being qualified is not enough. You also need to be visible, well-positioned, and remembered. If I had to give 5 pieces of career advice to job seekers, these would be mine: 1. Networking is non-negotiable. I don’t say that lightly. Some of the biggest opportunities in my career came from conversations, referrals, and relationships I built before I needed something. When you’re trying to survive and grow in a market that doesn’t automatically know your story, relationships matter. 2. Staying in the backseat will cost you. A lot of talented people think hard work speaks for itself. Often, it doesn’t. If people around you cannot clearly see your impact, they will move on without fully understanding what they’re losing. 3. Job search is not a volume game. Applying everywhere is not a strategy. Ten well-targeted applications with a tailored resume, sharp positioning, and a clear story will take you further than 100 random ones. More applications do not fix poor alignment. 4. Everyone needs a personal brand. Your personal brand is what people associate you with when you are not in the room. It helps recruiters, hiring managers, and peers understand what you do, how you think, and why they should remember you. 5. Build something beyond your job title. A title is rented. It is not owned. Build a voice, a portfolio, a community, content, something that still belongs to you if your role changes tomorrow. The hardest lesson I’ve learned is this: A job can open doors. But your relationships, visibility, reputation, and body of work are what keep opening them. That is what makes a career more resilient. And in this market, resilience matters more than ever. Follow Rufeda, if you're an immigrant or international student trying to break into the U.S job market. I share real lessons on visibility, positioning, and career growth in the U.S.