Career advice for non-linear paths in tech

Executive overview

Most career advice assumes a straight line. The reality is messier — and that's fine. Without an elite network or a prestigious degree, opportunities come from staying open, building skills across contexts, and asking questions most people are afraid to ask.

Saying yes broadly early in your career compounds into an edge others can't manufacture.

Navigating a non-linear path

• Avoiding a narrow start gives you transferable skills: design, instructional design, TV production, and consulting all fed into marketing
• Deadlines in TV news build a discipline that transfers directly — storytelling, concision, working under pressure
• Bad opportunities often teach as much as good ones; you can't always tell the difference upfront
• Becoming a genuine expert in one tool (Evernote) turned into books, a relationship, and a job offer
• Being willing to do what the business needs — not just your defined role — expands your trajectory

Finding and using mentors

• Don't open with "will you be my mentor?" — open with genuine curiosity about how someone got to where they are
• Ask for 20 minutes, build rapport over time, then ask for a mentoring relationship later
• Good mentors open doors and guide; they don't do the work for you
• The most useful questions: What does your job actually look like? How would someone like me fit in?

Getting into the industry without connections

• Informational interviews are the most natural entry point — ask how people got there
• Ask for introductions to others; networks compound from single conversations
• You don't need to know everything upfront — own your learning gaps and ask for projects to fill them
• Expect to make the path yourself; tech creates new roles constantly

Productivity: doing less, better

• Productivity is not doing more — it's choosing the right things and stopping the rest
• Asana's research found ~60% of work time is "work about work" — tasks that don't advance strategic goals
• Reclaiming even 10–20% of that time is a significant gain
• Plan priorities daily; align time to those priorities; take real breaks
• A long task list is a sign of unclear priorities, not hard work