How a serial entrepreneur found success after making a switch

Promotions are among the biggest milestones of a person’s career. Employers can use promotions to recognize your growth and increased experience. Yet, you’re likely aware that promotions aren’t always evenly handed out to employees. With the help of LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team, we parsed the data to find out which roles enjoy the most promotions. We also looked at the regions and industries that have seen the most promotions over the past 12 months. You can check out the lists in the most recent edition of #GetAhead by clicking here or the button below.

The New Year is often a time of reinvention and hope. With 2022 less than a month away, you may be thinking about making a move in your career during the next year or supercharging whatever new path you may be on. If so, you’re not alone.

LinkedIn data recently found that 59% of people responding to a survey in October were actively or considering changing industries. George Anders, who is my LinkedIn News colleague, wrote that the reasons people are looking to make a switch are many.

“The hunt for better compensation tops the list, being cited by 54% of people considering a different industry,” he wrote in a recent edition of his Workforce Insights. “But better alignment with personal values is nearly as common, at 48%. And more opportunities for advancement are also a top-three factor, at 44%.”

For those of you considering a career change, a recent conversation of mine may provide some guidance. Candace Nelson, who is best known as the founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, stopped by #GetHired Live to tell me about her career and offer advice to people looking to make a change.

Nelson, who is now an angel investor, started her career in finance during the first dot-com boom. The celebratory dinner of the finance world during that time stoked her love and interest in food. When the dot-com bubble burst, she decided to follow her passion.

“When I was left without a job, I thought, it's time to just pivot completely,” she told me. “I want to do something that I really love. And, I decided to go to pastry school.”

Pastry school allowed Nelson to try out the culinary world as a new career path. While not everyone can take the time to invest in new education, she told me there are other ways to “stress test” a career change.

“It's one thing to love what you're doing on the weekends as a hobby, but turning that into your career is really something very different,” she said. “Whatever way you can test that… There are so many courses online right now. There are so many easy ways to upskill. People now are just taking their hobby and they're side hustling it.”

Networking is also an important area to mine for people considering a career change, Nelson added. “Reach out to people in the industry that you want to get involved in and find out if it really is what you think it is,” she said. “You don't want to be idealizing what you want to go into. You want to really know what is this work on a day-to-day basis.”

Nelson told me that it’s also important to have a soul-searching moment to decide if the path you’re on is the right one for you.

“I felt like I was pushing a ball up a hill,” she said. “Once I started doing what I love doing, it just felt easy. It was like, ‘Oh, I didn't realize it could feel this easy.’ … It really has to be a soul-searching moment and a personal moment for you. I hate to make it sound so — you know — woo-woo, but it really has to be something that you feel in your heart.”

For those of you considering where you want to take the leap and start your own business, Nelson also suggested testing the market.

“Try to test the market in a small way,” she said. “I did take a leap but I also — while I was building and creating Sprinkles — was selling cupcakes out of my West Hollywood apartment. What I found was there really was a need for it. The word of mouth and the buzz was already starting even before I opened my store. That was great verification that I was on the right path.”

To check out my full conversation with Candace Nelson on #GetHired Live, click here!?

? Welcome the newest member of team #GetHired

#GetHired has grown a lot since I clicked publish on the first edition in 2019. We now have several international editions, a weekly LinkedIn Live show, an upcoming podcast, trending news stories and a new newsletter. Now, we’ve just welcomed Gianna Prudente, who has been with LinkedIn News in various capacities over the past year, to the #GetHired team. Be sure to follow her and learn about her below!

“Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be working with Andrew on #GetHired, helping job seekers land their next role. A little bit about me: I joined LinkedIn last summer through its fellowship program and began working on the team again in March while finishing my senior year at Syracuse University. As someone who is early in their career, my reporting will be focused on helping Gen Z professionals navigate the changing world of work.”

Follow Gianna by clicking here.

? Other news to help you #GetHired:

• How would you feel about interviewing alongside other job applicants? Many job seekers are already nervous enough during interviews. Now, HR Dive reports that some employers are introducing group interviews — meaning applicants are interviewed at the same time in the same space. Learn more about the trend and how the questioning works by clicking here.
• Don’t let your own thoughts keep you from landing work. Looking for a job is difficult in so many ways — especially when it comes to mental health. Most people are met with rejection after rejections during their job search. It’s important to guard against the negative thoughts that may pop up as a result. Learn how to focus on the positive to keep your hunt for work moving in the right direction by clicking here.
• How do you find welcoming workplaces? Let’s face it, employers usually put on their best faces during the hiring process. The reality of day-to-day life in a job may be very different than the one they paint during interviews and other meetings. It’s important to probe and investigate what a workplace is really like for employees. Learn how to find out about a workplace’s culture by clicking here.

? A lesson learned:

A lot of joy in life comes from saying yes, but it’s also important to say no when appropriate. Unfortunately, many of us —?myself included —?are not fans of the word no. As a result, we may avoid the word and end up taking more onto our plate than we can handle. This LinkedIn Learning course will offer some suggestions on how to say no. You can watch the course below or by clicking here.

? Up next:

The end of the year can be a difficult time for job seekers. The sting of unemployment and the urge to make a change can hit harder during the holiday season. Unfortunately, this all occurs when normal business operations tend to slow down. It’s important to know how to follow up on pending applications during this time. In the next edition of #GetHired, we’ll be diving into the art of the follow-up!