Barriers to Career Growth

The number of PhD graduates continues to rise globally, while academic positions remain limited. A recent Nature article highlights this imbalance and the implications it has for doctoral education. In China alone, over 600,000 students were enrolled in PhD programmes in 2023, double the number from a decade earlier. Across OECD countries, the number of new doctorates has nearly doubled since the late 1990s. However, academic job growth has not kept pace. In many countries, the majority of PhD graduates now work outside academia, often in roles that do not directly build on their research expertise. Despite this shift, many doctoral programmes still prepare candidates primarily for academic careers. This creates a mismatch between training and actual career outcomes. Some graduates feel overqualified or undervalued in the jobs they find. Others question whether the PhD provides an added advantage compared to a master’s degree, especially in fields where there is little or no income premium. Rather than viewing this development as a crisis, it should be understood as a call for reform. Doctoral education must evolve to reflect the realities of today’s labour market. This includes placing stronger emphasis on transferable meta-skills, such as communication, leadership, and critical thinking, that are valuable across sectors and roles. PhD training should not be narrowly academic. It should equip researchers to move confidently across boundaries and to contribute in diverse professional contexts. Here is the link to the article:https://lnkd.in/eu_4vUh5 #PhD #HigherEducation #PhDTraining #TransferableSkills #AcademicCareers #ResearchCareers #MetaSkills

A client told me this week they weren't qualified to speak about their work. And it hit me hard how many brilliant people hold themselves back. They'd left their job a year ago to start their own business. Despite solving real problems for real clients and learning constantly, they felt they hadn't "earned the right" to share their knowledge. What he gets in his head - but not in his heart - is that we're living in a time where gatekeepers don't matter anymore. The media doesn't decide who gets to be an authority - algorithms and audiences do. Expertise isn't about certificates anymore - it's about shared experience. We're all waiting for something: That perfect moment to feel "official" Someone to tell us we're ready Permission to speak up But the internet removed those barriers. Anyone with genuine knowledge and a method can lead conversations now.

Graduates are having a hard time finding jobs. And of course, AI is to blame. Or is it? What if the issue isn’t just technology replacing entry-level roles? What if we have more graduates than the labor market actually needs? 📊 According to UNESCO, the number of college graduates has more than doubled in the past 20 years. 🎓 But the number of degree-requiring jobs? Not even close. In the past decade, we’ve seen diploma inflation—as more people earned degrees, employers raised entry-level requirements. And now we’re flipping the script: We're shifting toward skills-based hiring. New grads are entering a workforce where: – Fewer roles require a degree – Skills, more than credentials, are the new job currency – An uncertain economic outlook slows hiring demand – And yes, AI is automating parts of the jobs they trained for So, is AI really the disruptor? Or are we seeing a deeper mismatch between education, skills, and work? Let me be clear: I’m a strong believer in education. Degrees open doors, expand minds, and create long-term opportunity. Young people should absolutely continue to pursue higher learning. But we also need to be honest about what a job really requires: – A degree alone is no longer a ticket to stable employment – Sometimes, experience and skills matter more For graduates, it’s devastating when they've done everything “right”, they've earned a degree and still can’t land a job. The world of work is shifting. Our hiring practices are evolving. Now it's time to close the gap between what we teach and what work truly demands. As employers, educators, and HR leaders, we have a role to play: - Let’s be clearer about what jobs require. - Let’s build better bridges between learning and earning. What’s your take? Are we preparing graduates for the reality of today’s job market? And what can we do—together—to help them get started and get ahead? #futureofwork #HR #ai

Probably the one piece of advice I shouldn't have listened to : "Just Fit In" Recently, during a coaching session, I watched a brilliant leader struggle with a question that brought some old memories back. "Everyone around me seems to be following the same playbook," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "How can I make a real difference when the pressure to conform is so strong?" Her words took me back to the early days of my career when someone advised me : "Just try to fit in." Here's what my coaching experience has taught me – the moment you try to "blend in" is precisely the moment you "lose out". It's as if you are trying to lower your own light to somehow match the dimness around you. Not only does it diminish your potential, but it also robs others of something precious: your real, authentic self. I remember working with a leader who was trying desperately to fit into the "traditional leader" mould in a tech company. She'd suppress her natural creativity, hide her vibrant personality, and force herself into a serious, reserved demeanor that felt totally alien. Needless to say, she was not getting the results she wanted to. Then something quite remarkable happened. During one of our sessions, she made a decision – she chose to be herself. It wasn't easy but she recognized that she could be no one but herself! The quirky, creative, occasionally unconventional leader she naturally was. The impact was profound. Her team's engagement went up, innovative ideas started flowing, and her authentic connections deepened . She had now tapped into something powerful: the unique combination of experiences, insights, and wisdom that only she possessed. Think about it – no one else has lived your exact journey, faced your specific challenges, or learned your particular lessons. As Naval Ravikant calls it, it's your "specific knowledge". Another client captured this perfectly when he told me, "My breakthrough came when I stopped copying other leaders, and started being the leader that I already was." Your authenticity creates a kind of magic that can't be replicated. It's not just about what you know or what you can do – it's about who you are. The leaders who leave lasting impacts aren't the ones who look to always conform. They have the courage to bring their whole selves to work. They know that their most powerful asset isn't their skill set, but it's themselves. As Oscar Wilde famously said. "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" #coachshyam

At the recent #StartupMahakumbh2025, Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal highlighted a critical choice for India's future: Should we continue supporting startups that offer quick, easy-to-scale solutions like food delivery apps, or should we aim higher - focusing on deeper innovation in fields like semiconductors, AI, and advanced tech? While, thought-leaders are dissecting his speech and are sharing their views - I wish to bring about a question that points directly to the heart of an even larger issue facing India today - 'The GAP between what our education system is producing and what the job market truly needs.' In recent years, India's higher education sector has grown dramatically, reaching around 43 million students enrolled across universities and colleges. Yet, as of 2024, only about 51% of Indian graduates were considered ready for employment. Alarmingly, more than 40% of graduates below the age of 25 remain unemployed, while unemployment among less-educated individuals stands at just 11%. Clearly, something is deeply misaligned. One major reason behind this mismatch is our education system itself. Colleges are still teaching outdated content without enough focus on practical skills, innovation, or problem-solving capabilities needed by today's companies. Graduates often end up taking jobs far below their qualifications, especially since 73% of non-agricultural jobs still lie in the informal sector - positions that seldom require the specialized knowledge students acquire at universities. But, this isn't just about 'systems' it's also about 'mindsets.' Too many young graduates aim only for short-term jobs that provide quick income rather than investing effort into building meaningful, impactful careers. Bridging this gap calls for action from all sides. Educational institutions must update their programs and nurture real innovation. Businesses must partner actively to clarify their skill needs and invest in training talent. Most importantly, students themselves must strive for meaningful learning and growth, not just degrees. Only then can India harness its young talent fully - turning our demographic potential into a true economic advantage. If you're a student, educator, or industry professional - start today by sharing one practical suggestion on how colleges and companies can work together to build job-ready skills. Let's take real steps toward solving India's 'education-employment' mismatch. Comment below! #employabilitygap #futureofwork #skillIndia #manavaani #manavspace #employanbility Image courtesy: ETGovernment

🎓 Colleges are preparing students for a future that’s already being rewritten in real time. With AI rapidly reshaping how work gets done, many universities are struggling to keep their curricula aligned with what employers actually need—because the job market is evolving faster than course catalogs can. Today’s students are graduating into roles that may not have existed four years ago. Meanwhile, entry-level expectations are shifting from task execution to managing AI-powered tools, systems, and strategy. So what can be done? ✅ Closer partnerships between employers and universities to co-design curricula ✅ More real-time, industry-led certifications and AI training programs ✅ A shift in focus from static job prep to continuous, lifelong learning ✅ Teaching adaptability, critical thinking, and digital literacy as core skills—not electives The future of work won’t wait for the next academic cycle. If higher ed can’t move faster, employers—and learners—will look elsewhere. How are you seeing this play out in your industry? #FutureOfWork #AI #HigherEd #TalentDevelopment #LifelongLearning #WorkforceReadiness #SkillsGap

High performance doesn’t always lead to recognition. And I’ve seen too many brilliant engineers pay the price for staying quiet. Here’s why high performers often get overlooked and what to do about it: The problem isn’t your output. It’s that no one’s connecting the dots between what you’re doing and what the business cares about. Want to get promoted? Stop assuming good work will speak for itself. Here’s what actually works: 1. Practice visible impact. Every 1–2 weeks, share a short summary of what you’ve contributed, outcomes, not just tasks. If leadership can’t name your wins, it’s not on them. 2. Build a stakeholder map. Who influences your next promotion? Are you building relationships with them, or just hoping your manager will do the work for you? 3. Track influence, not just delivery. Did your input shift a roadmap? Unblock another team? Help make a decision? These are leadership signals, write them down, talk about them. 4. Align with what matters upstream. Start tying your work to team OKRs, business goals, and cross-functional needs. This is what shows you’re operating at the next level. The truth? Promotion isn't just about how much you contribute. It’s about how clearly others understand your contribution and your potential. And if you’re not shaping that story, someone else is.

Only one in eight certificates delivers meaningful pay or career gains within a year. That is the finding of a new Wall Street Journal piece drawing on Burning Glass Institute data. Even credentials from elite schools, costing tens of thousands of dollars, often barely move the needle on advancement or pay. The issue is not just certificates. It is the wider gap between what people learn, whether in universities, online courses, or non-college programs, and what industry actually values. Early career candidates are stuck in a loop: told to invest in education, then told their skills do not match employer needs. With already combustible trends in early career hiring, honestly what are we doing here? We need ongoing crisis alignment between universities and employers, every single month of the year. What exactly are students being prepared for if employers do not see them as qualified? And for those outside of college, what clear pathways exist to make them job-ready in ways companies consistently recognize? There are models that work. Healthcare shows us this clearly. Nursing, radiology, and other tightly aligned credentials yield about $5,000 more in annual pay within a year. That is what happens when industry and education are in sync. Solutions do not have to be elaborate. Even very short, practical materials would help: • The top skills you should learn to be competitive in role X • The essentials curriculum Y must cover for graduates to succeed in field Z • At the university level, curriculum should reflect what industry actually needs. Employers across many fields tell me constantly, “what this school is teaching does not align with what I need.” That gap must be closed through real collaboration between academia and industry. Without this kind of guidance, what are people really taking classes and earning credentials for? Employers have a major role here as well. Constantly shifting job requirements and confusing screening systems make it harder for candidates to understand what is truly valued. It is not only universities missing the mark. In our community, I would certainly play my part in highlighting resources like this. But in lieu of real alignment, early career professionals and career switchers are left to play a guessing game. In games there is also a supply and demand problem, but the larger point is true across industries. People are told again and again that what they have is not relevant, without being given a clear map of what is. If we do not fix this, we risk producing a generation of graduates and credential-holders who feel irrelevant before they even begin their careers. We owe early career people more than a guessing game. We owe them clarity, practical guidance, and a real bridge between education and work.

Years of experience? Irrelevant. If you’re hiring by tenure instead of skills, you’re stuck in the past. “Years of experience required” is outdated gatekeeping. It perpetuates bias, mediocrity, and missed opportunities. You’re excluding top talent: self-taught pros, career-switchers, and unconventional experts. Experience doesn’t equal expertise—it’s just time served, often riddled with bad habits. Meanwhile, the self-driven, skilled candidates outpace your veterans. Data proves it: Ditching experience requirements boosts applications from top non-traditional candidates by 70%. Leading companies are cutting these outdated requirements because skills—not years—drive innovation. Think you’re safeguarding quality with experienced hires? Wrong. Real expertise comes from solving real problems, not clocking stagnant years. Clinging to the past means losing today’s top talent. My 2025 hiring strategy? Skills-based, experience-agnostic. ▶️ Job descriptions focus on competencies ▶️ Interviews test real-world problem-solving ▶️ Decisions prioritize potential over tenure This isn’t soft—it’s strategic. It attracts top-tier global talent, dismantles bias, and focuses on results. Companies stuck in the “10+ years” mindset? You’re building a museum, not an organization. The future belongs to those who value talent and skills. Are you evolving, or clinging to broken traditions? Your move.

If you pay close attention, you can see the design industry losing ground on design maturity in real-time. In the last few months, I’ve seen design recruiters: 1) Lament that there aren’t enough visual designers 2) Celebrate that experienced managers are finally willing to consider player/coach roles I worry this signals that, as the tech industry contracts, the design industry is backsliding, and it's affecting us all. ✍️ Dedicated managers are being asked to push pixels again (giving them less time to mentor reports) 🎨 Experienced ICs are being asked to focus more on visual design (giving them less time to influence strategy) 🤷♂️ Junior designers can’t get into the industry at all Companies might be happy that designers are doing more of what they consider "actual designing.” However, after this period ends and the tech industry stabilizes, I believe two things will be true: 1. Lower expectations of designers will be the new normal for many companies 2. We’ll need to work hard to raise expectations and bring the design industry back to where it was a few years ago