Career Success Factors

After years of helping job seekers land jobs and hiring people, I’ve learned one thing: Attitude always beats a perfect CV. A CV might look impressive. But it doesn't guarantee strong performance. Some hiring manager see Oxford or Cambridge on a CV. And assume this to be a 'high quality' candidate. There's no correlation between the university you went to and your ability to execute. I've seen brilliant candidates (on paper) fail. Because they didn’t have the mindset or drive to succeed. Here’s what really counts in a hire: ➡ Willingness to Learn Eagerness to learn means you'll grow into a role and adapt. Curiosity is a superpower. ➡ Ambition & Drive   Passion and motivation can’t be taught. Look for people who want to better their lives. ➡ Growth Mindset   Those who see challenges as opportunities push teams forwards When things get tough, they thrive. ➡ Work Ethic It's pointless having all the knowledge but no care to work hard. This is the foundation of a great employee. ➡ Emotional Intelligence   Kindness, empathy, self-awareness & good communication. This builds trust and collaboration. They might not have a perfect CV. Or the best direct experience. But if they bring these qualities. They’ll add more value than the paper can show. Next time you’re interviewing, drop the CV for a second. Get to know the person behind it. Hire for character and mindset. Skills can be taught. Attitude makes all the difference. Do you agree? Comment below ⬇ Repost ♻ to share these tips. Follow Dan Mian for more insights on hiring.

This is the first time in my adult life that I have this many friends and colleagues who have been out of work for a year or more. Not between roles. Not casually looking. Actively searching. That’s not a blip. That’s a shift. People are reassessing what they can offer independently. Organizations are rethinking how they access talent. We’re seeing more fractional leaders. More project-based work. More independent consultant teams instead of full-time hires. Whether people planned for it or not, more of us are operating like entrepreneurs now — inside companies and outside of them. And that changes the skill set required to thrive. It’s not just about doing the work anymore. It’s about: ✅Navigating ambiguity ✅Making decisions without perfect information ✅Owning consequences ✅Managing your own capacity ✅Communicating your value clearly ✅Being adaptable without becoming chaotic ✅Being respectful without becoming a pushover Grit won’t be enough. Credentials won’t be enough. The advantage will belong to people who can think independently, communicate clearly, and adjust while the ground is moving. This is adaptive capacity. The organizations building for the future aren’t just hiring talent — they’re cultivating independent judgment, communication skills, and resilience as core capabilities. Because the workforce has changed. And it’s not changing back.

“We need your undergrad and law school transcripts.” And this is firm’s first request to a lawyer with six years of real-world experience. Are we hiring good lawyers or good students? I recently visited a law firm partner who still keeps her transcripts on hand—just in case she ever needs them to pursue other legal experiences. (A partner, making six figures, still expected to prove herself with grades from a decade ago) This is exactly why traditional law firms struggle to attract top talent. - Grades don’t tell you if someone can actually practice law. - Cover letters don’t show if someone can handle clients or close deals. - Memorizing case law doesn’t mean you know how to apply it. If I were hiring a lawyer today, I wouldn’t ask for transcripts—I’d ask for: - A writing sample (Can you draft a solid defense or legal opinion?) - A client interaction scenario (Can you build trust and handle complex cases?) - A business mindset (Do you want to grow with the firm, not just work in it?) Traditional firms want junior lawyers to do paperwork.  I want to hire lawyers to help build a practice. Law firms need to wake up. I didn’t realize this needed to be said but real-world skills matter more than a GPA. Experience, mentorship, and client work will makes you a great lawyer - not transcripts.

So, you want to be a hotel General Manager...... Traditionally, I think Food and Beverage management 😁 is the quickest and most efficient route to become a hotel GM (depends on your diligence and decision making). If you do decide and go the F&B route, brands such as Hyatt is fantastic with their F&B programs. But If you would rather stick to the rooms division, housekeeping is a quicker route to management than front office. I usually recommend transferring to front office after being an asst exec housekeeper for a while. Housekeeping prepares you better than front office. If you go the housekeeping route, the key to success is efficiency with deteriorating quality. Find the small and/or subtle ways to improve the department metrics that can have a positive snowball effect. For example, dedicating a PM/overnight team to stocking carts and closets significantly improves on time mannagement for the morning team. Creating and improving the training processes, cultivating your team through projects, being always available, are all examples on how to stand out in the department. Unfortunately, outside of management, nobody pays attention to housekeeping..... unless you are truly a standout. Take the time to understand the manpower planning, budgeting, and inventory and you will see yourself with great opportunities. If you go Front Office way first, you want to be the one that everyone goes through to get something done from that department. You want sales/conference services to know who you are and rely on you for the success of your department that have an impact on the groups. Master the art of keeping your composure. Learn to educate, and when you deny a guest, do it with grace no matter how much they scream at you. Be the best in not letting situations get beyond you, train yourself to think on your feet and always think about better/alternative solutions. No matter where you start, your focus should be your career. On downtime when everyone is chitchatting and looking for the best online deals, master your craft. Don't compare yourself to your colleagues, but to your potential and trajectory. There is always something that needs to be done or learned. Know the PMS and any programs you use.....better than the back of your hand. Everything is a learning opportunity. Never assume you are the smartest one in the room. Master listening and observing prior to speaking. Remain professional with your fellow colleagues; you can do something correct 1000 times and go unnoticed, but one slip up and they won't let you forget it. The final key to climbing up is learning what is required of the next role and adjusting your skills accordingly. So when you have the conversation with your supervisors, they have to give you specific examples of why you're falling short. The last and most important thing..... patience. Put yourself on a timeline of achievements, not time. Otherwise, you will start beating yourself up.

“I’m a CEO too, you know.” A friend once told me this with a wry smile. He was CEO of his 10-person startup. Then he paused: “But let’s be real - I’m not the CEO of DBS Bank.” That conversation stuck with me. Because not all titles are created equal. Singapore is drowning in inflated job titles. Recent data shows “Lead” titles jumped 38%, “Manager” postings up 24%. Salaries? Flat. One woman’s story: “Senior Manager” at 32, salary $4,200, taking meeting minutes. Her late-20s colleague? “Chief Operations Officer.” Fresh grad? “Manager.” This isn’t career progression. This is career fiction. I know a recruitment firm where everyone with 2-3 years becomes “Director of Talent Acquisition.” Sounds impressive until they try to move. A 28-year-old “Director” with 3 years experience? Hiring managers immediately know: small company, inflated title, coordinator-level work. The title becomes a liability, not an asset. Here’s what nobody warns you: In outplacement, inflated titles kill your chances. You get rejected because the title seems too junior, too inflated, or creates red flags. I’ve watched people explain their dotcom-era “Marketing Wizard” title for 25 years. Companies hand out fancy titles because it’s cheaper than raises. But it costs YOU. Future employers lowball you. You can’t take “lower” titles without looking like you’re moving backward. Your age, title, and experience don’t match up. You become unmarketable for legitimate senior roles. That “VP” title at a 15-person company just boxed you out of actual VP positions at real companies. My advice: Be cautious of small companies with big titles. Ask yourself: Will this title help or hurt me in 3 years? Would you rather be a “Director” at a startup making $5,000/month with no team, or a “Senior Executive” at an MNC making $7,000/month with actual leadership experience? The second option will always age better. Negotiate for substance, not style. Push for salary, scope, and actual reports over fancy titles. Document your real responsibilities. Be ready to “translate” your title in future interviews. And if title inflation is rampant, get your experience and leave. To fresh grads: If a small company offers you a “manager” or “senior” title straight out of school, be very careful. Your next job search will be exponentially harder when you’re 25 trying to explain why you’re a “Director” applying for mid-level roles. We need to stop pretending that inflating titles is harmless. It’s creating a generation with impressive LinkedIn profiles and unemployable resumes. Choose substance over style. Your future self will thank you. Yours sincerely, Supreme Commander of LinkedIn Hot Takes & Chief Evangelist of Calling Out BS

What if the one thing you’re clinging to for stability is holding you back? In a world where disruptions are the new normal, our instinct for order and predictability can keep us stuck. From AI breakthroughs to global crises, change is coming at us faster than ever—and thriving isn’t about clinging to what we know. It’s about building the skills to navigate the unknown. A recent McKinsey & Company article highlights how leaders and teams can embrace two essential skills: - RESILIENCE, which is about bouncing forward from setbacks; - ADAPTABILITY, which is about flexibly responding to new challenges. Here are three actionable tips to build and nurture these skills: (1) Set a North Star Give your team a clear purpose and shared goals. A strong “why” anchors people when the “how” keeps changing. (2) Foster Psychological Safety Create an environment where people feel safe to share bold ideas, learn from mistakes, and collaborate fully. (3) Lead by Example Leaders who model resilience and adaptability inspire others to do the same. Share your own stories of navigating uncertainty and show what continuous learning looks like. I’ve seen how transformative these practices can be in organizations. But here’s the key: resilience and adaptability aren’t opposites—they’re partners. Like Steph Curry knowing when to stick with his game or when to pivot, success comes from mastering both. How do you nurture resilience and adaptability in your work or life? #resilience #adaptability #innovation #learning #leadership #work #psychologicalSafety https://lnkd.in/e2nCrnvr

Are you resilient? What are you doing to build your resilience? Resilience (bouncebackability) is a critical trait in both personal and professional realms. Life (and work) is full of ups and downs and we have to be able to accept the good with the bad. Most of us will face rejection, unexpected changes and workload pressures. At some point we will be given feedback that is difficult to take or we will run into a conflict with a coworker. We even need resilience to remain motivated and focused day-to-day. Resilience is a bit different to other abilities...we don't improve it just by putting ourselves in challenging situations over and over again. The midst of the challenge is not the best time to work on resilience...we need to build resilience proactively, during times of stability, so that we are strong enough to handle adversity when it arises. How do we do this? (And teach others to do this?) It involves consistently practicing strategies that enhance our mental, emotional, and physical strength. For mental strength, practice: 🔶 Mindfulness and meditation 🔶 Continuous learning 🔶 Positive thinking For emotional strength, practice: 🔶 Emotional awareness and regulation 🔶 Building strong relationships 🔶 Self-compassion For physical strength, practice: 🔶 Regular exercise 🔶 Healthy eating 🔶 Adequate sleep To build resilience, establish daily and weekly routines that incorporate these practices. Consistency is key to building and maintaining strength in all areas. Don't forget to regularly check-in with yourself to understand your growth! If you are a manager, perhaps this helps you to understand why we need a holistic approach to employee development. Great managers support their teams by fostering a positive work environment, providing resources and opportunities for growth, and encouraging health and wellbeing. #resilience #wellbeing #employeedevelopment #emotionalhealth #mentalhealth #physicalhealth #healthyworkplace

Sleep is the brain’s most powerful performance tool, and most people treat it like a negotiable expense. Neuroscience is blunt: when you cut sleep, the brain shifts into survival mode. Astrocytes prune more synapses. Microglia stay activated. The glymphatic “night shift” that clears waste runs poorly. You don’t just feel tired. You lose clarity, memory consolidation, and emotional control. Decisions get riskier. Empathy gets thinner. Creativity shrinks. It’s not hours you’re sacrificing. It’s executive function. High performance isn’t willpower, it’s architecture. The brain thrives in rhythm, not chaos. Try this for 7 days: • Wake at the same time daily (weekends too). Let bedtime adjust earlier. • Light before phone: 5–10 minutes of outdoor light upon waking. • Caffeine curfew: none after 2 PM. • Protect one 90-minute deep-work block after your best sleep. • Swap micro-scrolls for a 10–20 minute early-afternoon nap. • Dim lights and screens 60–90 minutes before bed. • Run a 10–15 minute wind-down ritual (shower/stretch/paper journal, same order every night). Small rituals, massive neurological returns. Leaders don’t optimize sleep because it’s soft; they optimize it because it’s leverage. Start tonight. ♻️ Kindly repost to share with others Follow Benjamin B. Bargetzi for more on Neuroscience, Psychology & Future Tech

Over the years, I've learned that true hospitality entails not just delectable food and a lovely setting, but also consistency, personalization, and attention to detail. From the time a guest arrives until they leave, every interaction counts. Whether you're new to the hospitality industry or creating your own concept, here is my ultimate checklist for creating a memorable guest experience: ✔️ First impressions set the tone The moment a guest walks through your doors is the moment their experience begins. Make it count. Make sure to greet them with a smile, eye contact, and enthusiasm that embodies the character of your venue. Within the first few seconds, people remember how you made them feel. ✔️ Anticipate needs before they ask Good service turns into great service at this point. Is your visitor running low on water? Between courses, has the table been waiting too long? Does a frequent visitor have a preferred seat or dish? Teach your staff to watch and respond before a request is made. Proactive service fosters loyalty and demonstrates concern. ✔️ Perfect the little details Often, the smallest things have the greatest effects. Consider how the lighting changes from day to night, how a napkin is folded, or how the music enhances the atmosphere. A unified, unforgettable atmosphere is produced by these details. Every location is created with the intention of telling a story, and the details are what make the tale come to life. ✔️ A strong team = exceptional service Without an empowered, well-trained, and mission-aligned staff, no venue can succeed. Being a host is a team sport. Make an investment in your people. Celebrate your victories. Openly discuss difficulties. Above all, establish a culture in which each team member takes ownership of the visitor experience because their concern is evident. ✔️ Tech should enhance, not replace hospitality Use technology to make things smoother, not colder. Digital tools and AI can help personalize menus, expedite reservations, and increase operational efficiency, but nothing can replace the human touch. Instead of reducing interaction, use technology to free up more time for your team to spend with guests. ✔️ Guests don’t just choose food, they embrace experiences We are now in the experience business rather than the food industry. People go out to experience celebration, comfort, connection, and excitement. Create moments that transcend the plate by planning your areas, your service, and your narrative. That's what makes a new visitor become a devoted regular. A successful F&B venue is about how you make people feel, not just what's on the menu. That’s the heart of hospitality. What do you think? What else would you include on this list? I would be interested in hearing your viewpoint. #HospitalityExcellence #CustomerExperience #HospitalityChecklist #7Management

🎯 Why Most Business Problems Remain Unsolved (And How to Fix That) Last week, I had the privilege of facilitating a Problem Solving & Business Acumen workshop for our teams at L'Oréal Indonesia. 💡 The Problem We All Face (But Rarely Talk About) Here's an uncomfortable truth: we're wired to jump to solutions. In business, this looks like: ✔️ Launching promotions without understanding why sales declined ✔️ Hiring more people without diagnosing process inefficiencies ✔️ Copying competitor tactics without validating if they fit our context The cost? Wasted resources, frustrated teams, and recurring problems that never truly go away. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023, analytical and critical thinking are the #1 and #2 most important skills for workers. Yet, most of us were never formally taught how to think critically or solve problems systematically. 🛠️ The Problem-Solving Process: A Step-by-Step Guide Step 1: Define the Problem (Don't Jump to Judgment!) 📝 Craft a Problem Statement with 6 components: "How can [responsible party] improve/reduce [reality] to meet [expectation] within [timeline] without [anti-goals], in order to fulfill [reason]?" Example: "How can the product team launch a new product on time in Q4 2024 without sacrificing key processes, in order to meet the sales target?" Step 2: Find Alternatives (Issue Tree + MECE) Once the problem is clear, break it down using an Issue Tree. For instance, if mascara sales dropped -14% YoY: 📦 Placement → Gondola compliance, visibility, signage 🎁 Promotion → BOGO mechanics, POS materials 💰 Price → Elasticity, perceived value 🎨 Product Claims → Content freshness, reviews 🔥 Competition → Share of voice, endcap presence ✅ Ensure hypotheses are MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)—no overlaps, no gaps. Step 3: Test Your Hypotheses Don't fall in love with your first idea. Run quick tests: 📊 For a skincare serum declining in pharmacies, we tested: ✔️ Hypothesis A: Reduced pharmacist advocacy is the issue → Micro-detailing pilot in 10 stores ✔️ Hypothesis B: Cold chain OOS drives lost sales → Warehouse SOP audit + temperature logs ✔️ Hypothesis C: Execution gaps suppress promo ROI → Endcap compliance audit Each hypothesis had clear KPIs and timelines—no guessing, just data. Step 4: Make the Decision (Impact vs. Effort Matrix) Not all solutions are equal. Prioritize: 🟩 Quick wins—do this! 🟦 Strategic bets 🟨 Fill-ins 🟥 Avoid Focus on low effort, high impact moves first. Build momentum, then tackle the big bets. 🚨 What Happens When We Skip These Steps? A mascara brand saw sales drop -14% YoY. The reaction? "Let's run a BOGO promo!" The result? Sales stayed flat. Why? Because the real issues were: ❌ Poor gondola compliance (only 68% correct facings) ❌ Weak influencer share of voice ❌ Competitor secured prime endcap space The lesson: Solutions applied to the wrong problem = wasted budget and missed targets.