Gen Z isn’t just using social media to scroll; they’re using it to build their careers. Zety’s Gen Z Misinfluence Report shows platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have become central to how this generation navigates work, from discovering job opportunities to making major professional decisions.

But this shift comes with a tradeoff. While social media is unlocking faster, more accessible career pathways, it’s also exposing Gen Z to a wave of bad career advice—creating a new tension between opportunity and risk in the modern job search.

Key Findings

• The trust gap: All Gen Z respondents (100%) use social media for career advice, with nearly half (45%) trusting creators and influencers more than traditional recruiters or career coaches.
• The cost of “misinfluence”: Despite high trust levels, a staggering 94% of Gen Z admit to following viral career advice that was misleading or negatively impacted their job search.
• Social media as a job board: 69% of Gen Z have successfully secured a job through Instagram and 28% have done so through TikTok.
• The “vibe check” recruitment barrier: Almost all (99%) of Gen Z research a company’s social media before applying, and 63% will walk away if the content feels “overly polished” or inauthentic.

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The Rise of the Social Media Career Coach

Social media has become the ultimate career counselor for Gen Z. All respondents (100%) report using social platforms for career advice or tips. Further, 45% say they trust career advice from social media more than traditional sources (career coaches, recruiters, etc.).

When seeking out advice, Gen Z strongly prefers highly visual and creator-led platforms:

• YouTube (80%)
• Instagram (73%)
• Facebook (40%)
• X (Twitter) (38%)
• TikTok (32%)
• Reddit (30%)
• LinkedIn (26%)

What this means: Career influence is becoming more decentralized, with creators shaping how Gen Z defines success, growth, and opportunity. This shift raises important questions about how credibility is evaluated when guidance is driven by reach and engagement rather than formal expertise.

Viral Advice Is Driving Major Life Decisions (and Mistakes)

Consumption of social media career advice is driving major career shifts. Based on tips they’ve seen online, Gen Z workers report taking the following real-world actions:

• Changed industries or fields (60%)
• Started a side hustle (41%)
• Quit their job (36%)
• Began freelancing or gig work (31%)
• Negotiated pay (27%)
• Enrolled in a course or certification program to build skills (16%)

Relying on unverified viral content comes with severe risks, however. Despite placing immense trust in these platforms, a staggering 94% of Gen Z admit they have followed social media career advice that proved to be misleading or harmful to their job search.

What this means: Career decisions are increasingly influenced by fast-moving content cycles, where visibility can outweigh accuracy. As a result, missteps aren’t isolated—they scale quickly, amplifying the impact of poor advice across a large audience.

Gen Z’s Job Search Playbook

When it comes to building professional connections and finding open roles, traditional networking is taking a back seat. With 98% of Gen Z effectively using social platforms to land jobs, this generation is bypassing professional sites in favor of everyday consumer apps.

Respondents report successfully securing a job or internship through social media platforms such as:

• Instagram (69%)
• Facebook (39%)
• X (Twitter) (36%)
• Reddit (30%)
• TikTok (28%)

The following platforms are also used to network:

• Instagram (74%)
• Facebook (38%)
• Reddit (33%)
• TikTok (29%)
• X (Twitter) (28%)

What this means: The job search is blending into everyday digital behavior, making career discovery more continuous and less intentional. This evolution expands access to opportunities while also increasing competition in spaces that weren’t traditionally designed for hiring.

The ‘Vibe Check’ and What Deters Gen Z From Employers

For companies trying to recruit younger workers, it’s crucial to maintain a positive social media presence. The data shows that nearly all (99%) of Gen Z workers use social media to research a company before applying.

These are the biggest social media red flags that can quickly turn Gen Z candidates away:

• Overly polished or inauthentic marketing content (63%)
• Posts with political or controversial statements unrelated to the job (59%)
• Inconsistent or confusing messaging across company platforms (44%)
• Negative comments from customers, clients, or previous employees (24%)
• Excessive focus on perks or superficial achievements over meaningful work (22%)

What this means: Candidates are evaluating companies through a lens of consistency, tone, and transparency across platforms. Small signals, like mismatched messaging or overly curated content, can influence perception early and shape whether a company feels worth engaging with.

Beyond the Scroll: The New Professional Reality

As social media continues to shape how Gen Z approaches work, the challenge moving forward isn’t just access to information; it’s making sense of it.

For both job seekers and employers, success will depend on navigating an environment where influence is constant, feedback is immediate, and perceptions are formed long before any formal interaction takes place.

Methodology

The findings presented are based on a nationally representative survey conducted by Zety on February 23, 2026.

The survey collected responses from 919 Gen Z workers and examined their use of social media for career guidance, networking, job searching, skill-building, and decision-making, including the real-world actions taken based on advice found on digital platforms.

They answered different types of questions, including yes/no; open-ended, scale-based questions, where respondents indicated their level of agreement with statements; and multiple-choice, where they could select from a list of provided options.

All participants were screened to ensure they were currently residing in the U.S., actively employed, and part of the Gen Z generation (aged 18–27) at the time of the survey.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant concept confined to science fiction. From recommendation systems on streaming platforms to advanced diagnostic tools in hospitals, AI is reshaping the way industries operate. The rise of technologies pioneered by organizations like OpenAI and Google DeepMind signals a broader transformation that is redefining careers across the globe.

For students standing at the crossroads of academic choices, the key question is no longer just “What do I want to be?” but “What skills will remain valuable in an AI-driven world?”

How AI Is transforming job roles

AI is not simply replacing jobs; it is redesigning them. In healthcare, doctors increasingly rely on AI-powered imaging systems to detect diseases earlier and more accurately. In finance, algorithms analyze market patterns in seconds, tasks that once took analysts days. Even creative fields such as marketing, journalism, and design now integrate AI tools to generate content, predict trends, and personalize customer experiences.

Rather than eliminating entire professions, AI is automating repetitive and data-heavy tasks. This shift allows professionals to focus on strategy, creativity, and human-centered decision-making. For example, accountants today use AI software for data processing but must interpret results, advise clients, and ensure regulatory compliance. Teachers use adaptive learning platforms but remain essential for mentorship and emotional support. The future workplace is not human versus machine; it is human plus machine.

The rise of interdisciplinary careers

One of the most significant changes AI brings is the blending of disciplines. Careers are no longer confined to narrow silos. A business graduate with data analytics skills, a biologist who can code, or a designer who understands machine learning principles holds a competitive advantage.

Fields such as data science, cybersecurity, robotics, and AI ethics are expanding rapidly. However, students do not necessarily need to major exclusively in “Artificial Intelligence” to succeed. Instead, combining a core discipline with technological literacy is often more powerful. For instance, a law student who understands AI regulations can specialize in technology law. A healthcare student with knowledge of health informatics can shape the future of digital medicine.
This interdisciplinary approach reflects the evolving demands of employers. Companies seek adaptable professionals who can bridge the gap between technical systems and real-world problems.

Future-Ready subjects to consider

Computer science and data analytics remain strong foundations in the AI era. Learning programming languages, understanding algorithms, and mastering statistics provide students with versatile tools applicable across industries. Engineering disciplines, particularly in robotics and automation, are also poised for continued growth.

At the same time, subjects rooted in human insight are becoming more valuable, not less. Psychology, communication, design, and ethics play a crucial role in ensuring AI systems are user-friendly, fair, and aligned with societal values. As debates around AI bias and data privacy intensify, expertise in ethics and public policy will become indispensable.
Business and entrepreneurship also deserve attention. As AI lowers barriers to innovation, students who understand market strategy, digital transformation, and product management can leverage AI tools to create new ventures. The future belongs not only to those who build technology but also to those who apply it creatively.

Adaptability as the ultimate skill

Perhaps the most important lesson for students is that no degree guarantees lifelong security. The pace of technological change means that continuous learning is essential. Micro-credentials, online certifications, and professional workshops are becoming part of a lifelong education model.

Critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and collaboration are durable skills that complement technical knowledge. Machines can process data, but they cannot replicate empathy, leadership, or complex ethical judgment. Students who cultivate both technical proficiency and human-centered skills will remain resilient amid change.

Choosing with vision, not fear

Career planning in the age of AI should not be driven by fear of automation but by awareness of opportunity. AI is a tool that amplifies human capability. Students should reflect on their interests and strengths while aligning them with emerging technological trends. By choosing adaptable fields, embracing interdisciplinary learning, and committing to continuous growth, they can build careers that thrive alongside intelligent machines.

The future of work is evolving rapidly, but it is also rich with possibility. With thoughtful planning and a willingness to adapt, today’s students can become tomorrow’s innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers in an AI-powered world.

Career growth concept illustration. Young woman walking up the stairs, Career development. Vector in a flat style Career growth concept

Every young professional entering the workplace wants to be “successful.”

Few pause to ask what that word means to them.

The early years of a career are often driven by socially defined milestones: a well-known employer, a respectable job title, a fast-track promotion, and a certain salary by a certain age. Success becomes something to chase—urgently and unquestioningly—based on standards we inherit rather than consciously choose.

But success, like failure, is a word we often misuse. It is meant to describe outcomes of events, not people.

You can fail at an interview, miss a promotion, lose a job, or take longer than your peers to figure things out — and still be a capable, intelligent, valuable, worthy person. Likewise, getting into a top company or earning a high salary does not automatically make someone “successful” in every aspect of their life.

Success is situational. So is failure.

Yet, for freshers stepping into the corporate world, the pressure to internalise every outcome as a verdict on their self-worth is immense. A rejected application becomes “I’m not good enough.” A slow start to a career becomes “I’ve fallen behind.” One mistake at work becomes “I’m a failure.”

Over time, this way of thinking can be deeply damaging.

Social definitions hijack personal meaning

Most young professionals do not consciously define success for themselves. Instead, they absorb it — from peers, family, recruiters, LinkedIn posts, compensation comparisons, social media and societal expectations. Success becomes synonymous with speed, visibility, and external validation.

But these definitions are rarely complete.

Someone may climb the corporate ladder quickly while feeling deeply unfulfilled, burned out, or disconnected from their values. Another may take a winding career path — changing roles, industries, or even taking breaks — while slowly building skills, confidence, and clarity about what truly matters to them.

Where one story is applauded and the other questioned, the assumption is often that the first person has succeeded and the second has failed. The reality, however, is far more nuanced.

Failure is not a personal identity

One of the hardest lessons for freshers is learning to separate what happened from who they are.

Not getting the job you want is not proof that you lack talent. Struggling in your first job is not evidence that you chose the wrong career — or that you are an incapable person. Early career setbacks are not red flags for a doomed future; they are part of the learning curve that almost no one talks about openly.

When failure is treated as an identity rather than an experience, it can paralyse growth. People stop experimenting, taking risks, stepping out of their comfort zone, or asking for help — not because they lack potential, but because they fear being “exposed”.

Understanding that failure is an event, not a label, allows young professionals to recover, recalibrate, and move forward with greater self-awareness.

Define your own version of success

This is why it is crucial, especially early in one’s career, to pause and ask: What does success mean to me?

For some, it may mean financial stability. For others, it may mean having more money than their peers — a bigger house, a bigger car, more frequent foreign trips. And for some others, it may be defined by learning opportunities, meaningful work, flexibility, or social impact. There is no single correct, universally acceptable, or universally applicable definition of success. So go ahead and define it for yourself, not as a benchmark of your worth but more as a north star showing you where to go next.

Your own personal definition may evolve over time, and that is perfectly normal. What matters is that your success is intentional, not inherited.

When you define success for yourself, external benchmarks become reference points rather than determinants. Comparisons lose their grip. Career decisions become more aligned with purpose rather than panic. Your personal growth becomes the most important goal.

Resilience as a career skill

Careers today and going forward will rarely be linear. Roles will evolve, industries will shift, and job security — once taken for granted — will no longer be guaranteed. In such a world, resilience is not a soft skill; it is a survival skill.

Resilience comes from understanding that neither success nor failure is permanent. That a bad phase does not erase past learning, and a good phase does not guarantee smooth sailing forever. Success is a transient event, as is failure.As the basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”

For freshers, courage means staying curious rather than defensive, reflective rather than reactive, and honest rather than performative.

A sustainable way

The corporate world will always have metrics. That is probably the one thing that will not change. What can change is how young professionals internalise those metrics to define themselves.

When success is defined too narrowly and failure too personally, the cost is often mental health, low confidence, and a lack of fulfilment. When success is defined more holistically, setbacks become teachers rather than threats.

Early in your career, you will succeed at some things and fail at others. Neither will define you in entirety — unless you allow them to.

Taking the time to define success for yourself may be one of the most important career decisions you ever make.

To help young engineers navigate their paths to future career success, we asked some young professionals in the industry for advice on how to fast-track your way to long-term career success.

1. Go Above and Beyond Your Job Description

Extending your scope of influence beyond the job description and contributing to other departments can make a huge impact, says Arek Gdowski, an engineer at Dehumidifier Corporation of America, Inc. (DCA). He not only develops engineering solutions within DCA but also assists the IT department.

“You would think you’re just going to focus on engineering only, and you’re just going to do your one [role]— but it doesn’t end there; it goes outside the box,” he says. “You quickly understand that you really don’t have just one job — you have many.”

Gdowski also urges young engineers to be outspoken to set themselves apart from colleagues and accomplish more by presenting new approaches or solutions to challenges.

“Don’t be afraid to speak out and say your new ideas, because many of the things I thought were just an idea that came to mind suddenly became a reality,” Gdowski says. “Take that step and don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of failure, because you will fail many times before you succeed.”

2. Work Collaboratively

Rachel Pacheco, a chemical engineer and senior manufacturing manager at Genomatica, says that working collaboratively is the key to being effective and successful not only in your engineering job but in any role across disciplines.

“Communication is the center of everything,” Pacheco advises. “That’s understanding how much to communicate, when to communicate, [and]in what format to communicate.

On top of communication, it’s about building strong relationships,” she adds. “Especially because we work in such a multidisciplinary field, having a strong relationship with mutual respect, openness, honesty, and transparency is absolutely essential.”

Pacheco goes on to advise that these strong relationships are the platform on which you can build your career, and these connections can help you further develop your skills, approach challenges in a new way, and eventually move up in the ranks within your company.

3. Stay Focused on the Task at Hand

Despite Gdowski’s broader influence within his company, he understands the weight of his responsibilities and urges young professionals to stay focused on what’s in front of them.

“You’ve got to take one project at a time. The brain can’t focus on many things; there’s no such thing as multitasking,” he says. “You have to focus on one thing, finish that one, and then move to the next one.”

Gdowski cites balancing his responsibilities as one of the biggest challenges of his job and encourages engineers to ask for help if they need it.

4. Find a Mentor

According to Gallup, workplace friendships can lead to fewer safety incidents, more engaged employees and customers, and higher profits. These relationships can also turn into mentorships, leading to continued professional development beyond formal training programs and an improved understanding of a company’s culture.

At DCA and other industrial companies, Gdowski says there are often team members “[who]will guide you… [who]will teach you.” Gdowski notes that these collaborative mentorships don’t need to be with someone directly above you, since everyone is working toward the same goal: success.

“The connections between every part of our business make it easy as well because everybody is trying to help everybody else,” he says. “Nobody is trying to work against somebody else; we’re working together as a team.”

While this may seem like more of a one-sided relationship, Joel Stone enjoys sharing his passion and inspiring future scientists and engineers by speaking at conferences.

“Inspiring younger professionals and letting them know that there’s someone with experience that’s willing to help keeps me going,” he explains.

5. Be Motivated by More Than a Paycheck

While having a job may be important to help you support the other areas of your life financially, it shouldn’t be the only reason for pursuing your chosen career.

Pacheco says her passion for biotechnology goes beyond what she earns at the end of the week. She urges young professionals to consider this not only in biotechnology but across every discipline.

“A lot of us aren’t doing what we’re doing for big paychecks,” she explains. “We’re doing it because it’s something we’re really passionate about and it’s a cause that we believe in.”

As a beginner engineer, you may not always feel this level of passion in your early roles, but it’s important to use that motivation to push yourself toward future success.

While Gdowski didn’t necessarily love his first job at a graphics company, he used the opportunity as a starting point for his longer-term career path by securing residency in the U.S. The role, which required 12-hour shifts, was “just labor work,” Gdowski says. “You just work on the machine, either press or finishing parts. I think four [months]we worked… It’s really hard work.”

However, he used the job as a chance to demonstrate his dedication and work ethic, working harder than his coworkers and using his two months of vacation to continue putting in time on the machine line. He says his career path “found him” as a result; he landed his current position at DCA six months after his first job ended.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned during my career journey was the importance of being committed to playing a significant role in advancing my career. For you to make your career your career, you should always be focused on the following five questions: Do you, not your manager, have a roadmap for your career? Do you understand your development gaps for the next step on the roadmap? Do you have a network of mentors and sponsors? Are you known for something by somebody? Do you proactively invest in your skills and personal development? In this age of industrial disruption, driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), everyone must commit to continuous learning to remain relevant and competitive. Invest time in developing AI skills, because we are seeing a significant boost in productivity and efficiency from its use, and workers are smarter, faster, and can shift their focus to higher-value work. Your management is in place to assist and calibrate you with your planning, but you cannot wait for your management and must take more responsibility in helping your career along.

The typical career cycle lasts approximately 35-40 years, and it is best to consider your career in stages. The early stage is the first 5-10 years, the mid-stage is the next 10-25 years, and the late stage is the final 5-10 years. Your progress, or growth, will be both vertical and horizontal. Vertical growth is driven by new opportunities and promotional advancements, enabling the acquisition of new skills and experiences. Horizontal growth will encompass new opportunities and lateral movements to expand your skills and experiences. During each stage of your career cycle, there are also three distinct and critical phases: “development and growth”, “performance and results”, and “leadership and care”. The development and growth phase is about constantly expanding your foundation beyond your educational background, accumulated skills, and various job experiences. Performance and results are about successful execution against measurable outcomes, leveraging other resources, and building teams that help meet your commitments. The leadership and care phase involves investing time in understanding and developing people, as well as setting the right tone on critical topics, both internally and externally.

You will play many roles during your career cycle, and your success will depend on your situation, driven by the things you can influence and the support system you are exposed to. The various roles I played helped define my career as I gained an understanding of what was essential and fundamental to my progress. During the early stage of your career cycle, the primary focus is on development, which involves acquiring skills and gaining experience through education, training, and on-the-job learning. In the development and growth phase, your role is that of an adapter. You must be able to adjust and change according to the environment, situations, and people you are dealing with, including those you work for and those you lead. In the performance & results phase, your role is that of an inquirer. Seek wisdom by listening and learning as much as possible from knowledgeable people, thereby enhancing your ability to make meaningful contributions. In the leadership and care phase, your role is that of a mentor. This is about establishing the early habit of providing insights, advice, and counsel, regardless of your seniority.

The mid-stage of your career cycle is characterized by vertical and horizontal growth, involving the acquisition of skills and experiences through promotional advancements and lateral expansion opportunities. In the development and growth phase, your role is that of a player. Be confident in your acquired skills and experiences, and earn the chance to take on more significant assignments. In the performance and results phase, your role is that of an achiever. Establish a reputation for driving substantial outcomes. This is also the phase of your career where you experience the most vertical and horizontal growth based on your contributions. In the leadership and care phase, your role is that of a builder. Draw upon the experience you have accumulated to assemble and develop the necessary talent and know-how to use it effectively.

During the late stage of your career cycle, utilize your accumulated skills and experiences as a means of “contributing in place.” There are likely not many opportunities left for advancement, and because of the knowledge you have attained, you become more of a resource for helping others rather than helping yourself. In the development and growth phase, your role is that of an instructor. Use your accumulated knowledge and share your experiences to help develop others in the workplace. In the performance & results phase, your role is that of a trooper. Make selfless contributions where needed and support what is most important for the development of others, the organization, and the company. In the leadership and care phase, your role is that of an advocator. Use your voice and leverage your reputation to leave a legacy and history of contributions that will serve to influence employees, the company, and the industry.

At some point during the late stage of your career cycle, you must start making plans for what I call the post-career stage. Think about how actively involved you want to be in the next chapter of your life. You will be faced with options, and full retirement is only one of the choices. You may remain in your career, either as a full-time worker with another employer or transition to part-time roles that can leverage your skills and knowledge. Alternatively, you can remain active and engaged in some form of work where you can still make significant contributions, such as joining the board of a public or private company, a university, or a non-profit organization. Finally, assuming your finances are in order, you have the option to retire, where you can leave the workplace behind for a life of fun, freedom, and relaxation.

When it comes to your career, your development, growth, and progress will depend on how you effectively navigate the career cycle. There is an advantage that lies with those who can masterfully harness the power of curiosity throughout this cycle. I call it the “curiosity advantage.” By continually exploring new ideas, adapting to unfamiliar situations, and productively challenging the status quo, you can gain a significant advantage if you are unbounded by a desire to learn and understand more deeply. Exploring new ideas can be advantageous for your career, as it often leads to acquiring new skills, making you more competitive and desirable as a contributor. Adapting to unfamiliar situations outside of your comfort zone may lead to new opportunities, including new roles or entirely new career paths. Finally, productively challenging the status quo can enable your career by showing courage and strategic thinking for driving new ways of efficiency, differentiation, and change.

Tips To ‘Spring Clean’ Your Career And Prevent Burnout

In a recent Forbes.com story, I explored how cluttered work spaces fuel stress, drain focus and make it harder to unplug at the end of the day, while calm, organized environments support mental health, productivity, peace of mind and work-life balance.

Amanda Augustine, resident career expert for TopResume and a certified professional career coach, told me that physical clutter is only part of the problem. Over time, cumulative career stress creates mental clutter that can lead to burnout. Augustine suggests that your professional life needs de-cluttering as much as your home or workstation.

Now that it’s Spring, she encourages you to approach your career the same way you would approach a spring clean. Throw out what no longer serves you to make room for what’s next. Take inventory, clear out what’s no longer useful, and focus on what will actually help move them forward.

Augustine explains that you don’t necessarily need to make a dramatic change, adding that taking the time to reflect can help you make more intentional decisions about what comes next. She shares the following tips for giving your career a proper “spring cleaning”:

1. Take inventory before setting new goals

Before setting ambitious new career goals, take time to reflect on the past year. What energized you? What consistently drained you? Which responsibilities helped you grow, and which ones simply added stress or distraction? This kind of reflection can help you identify patterns, reassess your priorities and avoid carrying unnecessary baggage into your next chapter.

2. Audit your skills (and let go of what no longer fits)

Review the skills you’ve developed over the past year and determine which ones are actually helping you move closer to your goals. Then identify any gaps that could hold you back from your next opportunity.

Instead of trying to learn everything, focus on building or strengthening two or three skills that are relevant and in demand within your field. A more focused approach is often far more effective than trying to collect skills that don’t meaningfully support your career growth.

3. Refresh your resume with relevance, not volume

Career clutter can show up on your resume, too. This isn’t about endlessly tweaking bullet points; it’s about making intentional edits that support your current career goals. Your resume should tell a clear story about where you’re headed, not simply document everything you’ve ever done.

Trim outdated information, reduce the emphasis on early-career roles, and highlight accomplishments that align with the type of work you want next. If you’re targeting leadership positions, focus more heavily on strategic contributions, decision-making, mentoring and measurable results instead of day-to-day tasks.

4. Curate your network instead of collecting contacts

De-cluttering your professional network doesn’t mean removing people from your LinkedIn connections. Instead, it means being more intentional about where you invest your time and energy. A smaller, more engaged professional network is often far more valuable than a massive one filled with inactive contacts.

Reconnect with former colleagues, mentors and peers who have supported your growth or challenged you professionally. Focus on nurturing relationships that align with your current goals, rather than trying to maintain surface-level connections with everyone at once.

5. Set fewer goals, but make them measurable

Once you’ve cleared away some of the clutter, identify three to five concrete career goals for the year ahead. That could include earning a promotion, transitioning into a new role, taking on greater leadership responsibilities or improving your work-life balance.

Break each goal into smaller quarterly milestones so your progress feels manageable and measurable. Remember: if everything is a priority, then nothing truly is. Clarity comes from deciding where to focus your time, attention, and energy.

6. Protect your time with smarter boundaries

Career clutter often shows up in the form of over commitment. While you can’t always say no to every work request, you can become more intentional about how you spend your time.

Prioritize work that directly supports your goals, delegate whenever possible and regularly evaluate the meetings on your calendar. Determine which ones genuinely require your participation and which could be handled more efficiently through an email, shared document or asynchronous Slack update.

Boundaries also apply to when you work. As technology continues to blur the lines between working hours and personal time, it’s important to protect the beginning and end of your workday whenever possible. Unless there’s a true emergency, give yourself permission to unplug so your career growth remains sustainable instead of exhausting.

7. Clear out low-value career noise

Unsubscribe from job alerts you never read. Let go of industry newsletters that pile up unopened in your inbox. Organize your professional files and reconsider side projects that consume your energy without supporting your long-term goals.

Creating both mental and practical space can make it easier to focus on what truly matters and recognize the right opportunities when they appear.

8. Schedule a quarterly career check-in

Instead of waiting until burnout sets in, schedule time every quarter to reassess your progress, priorities and overall career satisfaction. Ask yourself what’s working, what isn’t and whether your current path still aligns with your long-term goals.

Use this time to update your “brag book” by documenting recent accomplishments, contributions and progress toward your goals. Regular check-ins can help you stay proactive about your career growth and ensure you always have an up-to-date record of your achievements when it’s time for performance reviews, negotiations or a new opportunity.

A Final Wrap

“Spring is a natural time to pause and reassess,” says Augustine. “Most professionals get so caught up in the day-to-day demands of work that they rarely stop to ask whether their career is still aligned with their goals, priorities and values.”

As the season shifts, millions of Americans are reassessing not only their living spaces, but also their professional lives. Google searches for “career change” have increased by 152% over the past year, a sign that this season of renewal is prompting many workers to rethink their careers.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, 58, says that Gen Z won’t get their dream jobs on day one. His latest advice to the generation of young workers is to “pay your dues” to be successful.

“You have to be willing to start at the bottom,” Jassy said earlier this year on Capital Group’s Power of Advice podcast. “You have to do whatever people ask you to do, within reason.”

Jassy told the podcast that young workers have to build a foundation and earn a reputation for being dependable, meticulous and hard-working. He said the people who rise through the ranks are the ones willing to do the unglamorous work without flinching, while those who avoid hard work tend to stall.

Over nearly 30 years at Amazon, watching the company scale from a few hundred staffers to a 1.5 million employee giant, Jassy has seen one pattern again and again: the top performers are the ones fixed on learning and reinventing themselves, not simply repeating whatever worked last time.

“You just have to be a learning machine,” Jassy told the podcast.

Jassy never planned to make it to the C-suite

Jassy initially dreamt about athletics and sportscasting rather than running a tech giant, according to The New York Times. In an Amazon blog post, the CEO notes that in his 20s, before joining Amazon, he spent time in sportscasting and sports production. He also worked in retail, including a job at a golf shop, and in coaching, working with his former high school soccer team.

“It’s great to have an idea,” Jassy said on the podcast. “But it’s very useful to try a lot of different things to figure out what you don’t like and what you do like.”

After several years of bouncing between jobs, Jassy went back to school for an MBA at Harvard Business School in the mid‑1990s. That proved to be a turning point. GMAC, a non-profit association of leading graduate business schools, notes that in 1997, days after finishing the MBA program, he joined Amazon.

Jassy was hired as a marketing manager at a moment when Amazon had only around 250 employees and had just gone public. Early on, he worked on customer retention and marketing projects and later helped oversee the company’s music sales business, per Business Insider.

In 2003, he helped pitch and then build what became Amazon Web Services (AWS), starting with a small internal team and the idea of turning Amazon’s infrastructure expertise into a standalone cloud business, per Technology Magazine.

AWS launched in 2006 and eventually became Amazon’s most profitable division, cementing Jassy as one of the company’s most important leaders well before he took over as CEO in 2021.

“You never know which things you’re going to like,” Jassy said on the podcast. “In my lifetime, I have not predicted the things that I have loved.”

Such factors also have an influence on the perception of one’s career, and often place medical or engineering professions at the top of a social hierarchy. People perceive different jobs as stable and respectable, irrespective of their own level of satisfaction or appropriateness, according to a report published by the Pew Research Center (2021). Such perceptions become even more evident when an individual is transitioning through a career change. Creative jobs or freelancing are normally considered unusual career paths and could be severely scrutinized. Individuals who work in non-traditional professions feel the need to justify their career choices, especially if they are from a culture that focuses on a strong connection between social status and profession, according to research published in Work, Employment and Society (2018). Responses like these are often implicit, but they have an effect on how individuals respond to questions regarding their profession.

Social validation can also have a major effect on career decisions. People can continue in careers based on external expectations even if they do not align with personal goals. There is a tension between autonomy and approval, where decisions must be made based on personal desire and external approval. Career decisions have multiple meanings, which include statements of ambition and identity within a cultural framework. It is this multiple meaning of career decisions that helps explain why they appear more complicated than they would be if based simply on economic or individual needs.

One piece of lasting wisdom from Buffett came during Berkshire Hathaway’s 2004 annual shareholders’ meeting, when a 14-year-old boy from California posed a question.

“What advice would you give a young person like me on how to be successful?” asked Justin Fong, a young shareholder at the time.

Buffett offered a simple, yet thought-provoking answer: “It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours, and you’ll drift in that direction.”

This follows other common leadership advice: Surround yourself with people you admire. But Buffett took that advice one step further, saying young professionals should spend time with people who are “better” than them, although he didn’t expand on what exactly that meant.

Still, Buffett’s former business partner, the late Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger, echoed the sentiment.

“If this gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group, the hell with ’em,” Munger said.

Buffett said in his final shareholder letter this fall that he’d be “going quiet” after his retirement, but his endless career advice will continue to live on.

What other executives and researchers say about Buffett’s advice

Several other executives and successful businesspeople have given similar advice to younger generations: Spend time with people you wish to emulate.

Billionaire Virgin Atlantic cofounder Richard Branson wrote in a 2023 LinkedIn post that people should surround themselves with those who are “smarter than you.”

“Give them everything they need to grow, and your business will thrive,” he continued.

Apple cofounder Steve Jobs also gave similar advice in a 1992 lecture, saying it just makes plain sense to hire smart people.

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do,” he said.

Academic research also shows it can be beneficial for working professionals to surround themselves with high-achievers. A 2017 study from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management found that sitting within 25 feet of a high-performer improved coworkers’ speed or quality by up to 15%, generating an estimated $1 million in annual profits per firm.

“The beautiful part of it is that when we put these people together, they’re not going to materially suffer on the area of strength,” said Dylan Minor, one of the researchers on the study and a former Kellogg faculty member. “They’re only going to improve on their area of weakness.”

Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 tech workers for the study, and call this phenomenon “positive spillover,” but warned it can work in the opposite way, too.

“Once a toxic person shows up next to you, your risk of becoming toxic yourself has gone up,” Minor warned. With toxic workers, “we see their imprint and negative effect across an entire floor.”

So, why do nearly two-thirds of women choose work-life balance over salary? According to Beth Lawlor, president of U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, the answer is simple.

“Statistics show that women are substantially more likely than men to take time away from their careers to care for others,” she says. “In fact, a found that a full 50% of women aged 25-54 who are not in the labor force cited caring for others as the main reason they are not working.”

As a result, Lawlor believes that women’s careers tend to be crooked lines, more “lattice” than linear, so finding a way to blend life with work (rather than balancing it evenly) is critical. Following are her seven principles for women to consider when thinking about career growth.

7 principles of a woman’s career journey

1. Create your own internal board of directors.

“Oftentimes, as women, we tend to check in with our posse or our husbands or wives, because they love us and prop us up,” Lawlor explains. “But a better approach is to create a board of directors of people who you respect but who are not always going to tell you what you want to hear. They’re going to tell you what you need to hear. Having diverse opinions—different genders, in your industry, out of your industry—that really is a very thoughtful approach to how you make big decisions.”

2. Remember your values and stick to them.

“That sounds very, very basic, but integrity really matters,” she says. “No one ever gets promoted from writing an awesome email, but plenty of people get fired for writing a horrible email, or a too-colorful email, or an accusatory email. So be thoughtful; think about who you are as a person.”

3. Accept that your plan may change.

“I always give the example of a safari,” says Lawlor. “You’re dead set on seeing a lion and her cubs, and you’re so busy looking for the lions that you miss the giraffe, and you miss the hippopotamus. My advice to women is, don’t be so prescriptive with your careers and with your life. Give yourself permission to make choices where your heart leads.”

4. Never stop learning.

“Even if you’re in a job that you hate, it teaches you what you don’t like,” she says. “No matter where you are on the food chain, you always want to learn, and you can always learn from people at all levels of the organization.”

5. Failure isn’t a bad thing.

“I was laid off from a job 10 years ago,” Lawlor recalls. “Sometimes it’s hard to bounce back. It wasn’t fine what happened to me, but I’m thankful it happened because it taught me to focus on the lessons I learned, like resilience. Sometimes, the biggest growth opportunities come from failure. I came out better on the other side.”

6. Support other women.

“We have to support one another from a career perspective,” Lawlor says. “And we need to give permission to one another, as women, to make choices on where our hearts are and not always where our minds are.”

7. Know your worth outside of work.

“For women, you have other stuff to identify who you are, outside of your career,” she concludes. “Everybody has a different path. And, knowing your worth outside of work, it’s just an incredible gift.”

Work-life balance: Tips for taking a career break

Given that careers can be lattices and that breaks are sometimes necessary, there are important considerations you’ll need to make before stepping away from the workplace. First and foremost, Lawlor says, make sure you can swing it financially.

Start by speaking to a financial advisor. “Think of the financial advisor as being like Ferdinand Magellan,” she says. “You’ve got somebody that’s an explorer who wants to uncover what your goals are. What things are really important to you? What do you worry about? What will give you peace of mind? What’s your risk tolerance? A financial advisor can be the steward of your finances while you’re going out doing something great that you love to do. We’ve got you. That’s what we do.”

If you need to keep the money coming in, think about doing some freelance or consulting work. “Have some kind of plan, but accept that your plan may change, and that’s OK,” she says.

But whatever you choose to do, stay relevant. “Stay connected, stay networking with people,” Lawlor advises. “Stay in women’s groups, stay on LinkedIn, write an interesting article. Stay relevant by keeping your name out there. Maybe take some courses online; listen to podcasts. Don’t just disappear and not listen to what’s interesting, relevant and newsworthy in the industry that you’re in.”

Even though it may seem counterintuitive to step back from a career, it can be advantageous, offering perspective on what really matters to you. When you return to the workforce, Lawlor advocates wearing what you’ve achieved as a badge of honor.

“Sometimes a certain demographic may say, ‘Oh, you took a break to have kids.’ I would say, ‘Yeah, and thank goodness I did because my kids are amazing. That is one of the greatest accomplishments in my life.’

“It’s all in how you position it,” she adds. “Be proud of what you gained as an individual during that time. And when you say it with confidence, people believe you, and they honor that.”