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Why Hard Work Isn’t Enough for a Successful Career in Tech with Dr. Kyle Elliott
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Kyle Elliott
Dr. Kyle Elliott is a tech career coach, interview coach, and job search expert. Kyle is confidant to many of the biggest names in Silicon Valley and has received multiple awards for his work and industry thought leadership.
He is committed to helping his clients find jobs that they love using the latest, research-backed best practices. And he says that his favourite word is “Fabulous”.
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Resources
Check out Kyle’s website – caffeinatedkyle.com
2 Top Career Tips
1) Consistency is important. You need to put in the hard work. Spend time putting in effort and don’t look for a quick trick or shortcut to success. Be strategic and intentional on what you work on. Focus on the things that will get you the best return from the amount of effort that you invest. It’s about smart work rather than just hard work.
2) Find mentors both within and beyond tech who can support you along your career journey, serve as your sounding board and provide you with guidance and coaching. Mentorship is critical. Find people who are where you want to be in five, ten or twenty years from now. Learn about their careers and initiate conversations by reaching out to them asking about what went well and what mistakes they’ve made in their career. This can lead to a subsequent mentor relationship.
Show Notes
Worst Career Moment
Earlier in Kyle’s career he thought that he had landed an amazing job in Silicon Valley raising money for a foundation. He moved himself from Seattle to California to take up the new role. Unfortunately, the first day of his new job was horrible and Kyle felt that he had been catfished.
He thought it was a new role for the foundation but found out that he was the eleventh or twelfth person to take on the role. It turned out that the foundation had only raised about about a quarter of the money that they had stated before Kyle joined.
During the interview process Kyle only met his boss and the CEO over Zoom. However, he didn’t speak to any of the foundation’s employees before joining which, in hindsight, he wishes that he had done. The role was too good to be true, but Kyle was overwhelmed by the excitement of the role, the salary and the title.
He didn’t recognize the red flags that indicated that it was too good to be true. It’s something That Kyle has since written articles about and now passes this knowledge on to jobseekers and clients.
Career Highlight
Kyle gets excited when his clients are doing things that are really impactful. Some of his clients are at Amazon or Meta, working on initiatives that impact every single user. When Kyle goes on to Amazon or Facebook and sees something that a client has been working on, that gets him excited knowing that they are making a positive impact.
The Future
Kyle loves learning and believes that the barrier to entry is lower than ever before because you can learn for free through online resources. Although there are benefits to formal education and getting degrees, it’s no longer an absolute requirement and is improving diversity and opportunity within the industry.
The Reveal
What first attracted you to a career in I.T.?
It was accidental but Kyle absolutely loves it
What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Life begins outside your comfort zone
What is the worst career advice you’ve ever received?
Tone down your personality
If you had to begin your career again in today’s world, what would you do?
Take more risks earlier
What career objectives are you currently focusing on?
Working less so that Kyle can travel more, learn more and relax more
What’s the number one non-technical skill that has helped you in your career so far?
Asking deep, moving questions that get people thinking
What do you do to keep your own career energized?
Kyle loves to travel and now has a no-work-Saturday rule.
What do you do in your spare time away from technology?
Kyle has recently taken up Pilates. He also loves to visit Disneyland, in particular the rides as well as observing how the systems work such as marketing and technology.
Contact The Guest
Contact the guest through the following social media platforms:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kylecromerelliott/
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