Latest news with #CareerCoaching
Forbes
23-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Being A Multipotentialite Can Be A Superpower At Work
Astika Gupta | Product management coach and founder of The Product Seat | Former Big Tech Sr PM at Meta, Microsoft, eBay | Model | LinkedIn. Early in my career, I used to scrub my weekend life from my Monday persona. I'd spend Saturdays walking fashion runways, reading scripts to produce short films or posing for fashion photoshoots, then show up to work on Monday in a blazer, ready to talk OKRs and quarterly product goals. I thought I had to keep those worlds separate. Tech was about logic and staying in your lane. What would they think if they knew I loved the stage, the camera and the mic? But here's what no one told me: That stage presence would one day help me command boardrooms. That storytelling instinct would let me build compelling product visions. The vulnerability I learned as a performer would allow me to lead teams with empathy. Today, I'm the founder of a career coaching and consulting company that helps women break into tech and thrive in leadership roles. I've worked in product management at Meta, Microsoft and eBay, and I continue to coach clients around the world. But I am also still an actor, a model, a coach and a creator. The parts of me I once tried to hide have become the foundation of my brand. Silicon Valley rewards innovation. But true innovation doesn't come from echo chambers. It comes from the collision of disciplines, cultures and experiences. Multipotentialites, by nature, live in that space of creative friction. We're constantly learning, adapting and synthesizing. And that is the very skill set the future of work demands. Being a product leader with a background in performance taught me how to read the room, not just the data. It taught me to listen beyond words, spot nonverbal cues in stakeholder meetings and create roadmaps that tell a story. Coaching taught me to hold space for ambiguity. And entrepreneurship taught me how to weave all my passions into something greater than a job: a purpose. Too often, high-achieving women and minorities in particular are told to simplify their stories. 'Pick a lane,' they say. But what if your lane doesn't exist yet? What if you're here to build it? We need more leaders who reflect the multifaceted reality of life today. Multipotentialites can bring emotional depth, strategic flexibility and unexpected insight. We don't just build products—we build bridges between ideas that rarely meet. But even beyond innovation, there's a deeper reason to embrace your multidimensional self: fulfillment. You only get one life. And if you spend it suppressing your creativity, your joy or your curiosity just to be seen as serious, you might end up resenting the very job that once excited you. I've seen it firsthand: clients earning multiple six figures, leading high-impact teams—yet quietly burning out because they've left their other identities starving. That resentment doesn't stem from the job itself. It comes from what the job demands that we leave behind. So, here's the invitation: Identify what your current role gives you. Maybe it's financial stability, a strong network, industry credibility or access to global impact. Acknowledge that. Then ask yourself: What part of me is still unfed? Is it the writer, the dancer, the parent, the traveler, the activist? You don't have to quit your job to feed it. Maybe it's one hour a week. Maybe it's a personal project. Maybe it's simply permitting yourself. We're told not to chase too many dreams. But I've learned to make space for them instead. You don't need to monetize every passion. You don't need to explain every interest. You just need to live a life that feels whole. Multipotentiality isn't about doing everything at once. It's about not amputating parts of yourself to fit a mold. When you let all your identities breathe, your leadership becomes magnetic. Your creativity expands. And your life—your one precious life—starts to feel fully lived. So, if you're standing at the intersection of multiple passions, unsure which road to take, consider this: Maybe your power isn't in choosing just one. Maybe your superpower is the intersection itself. Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Career Coaching: How Professional Guidance Elevates Your Job Search
Employment Networks (EN) and state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies (VR) are here to provide that ... More critical assistance through the Ticket To Work (TTW) Program. Vocational professionals provide a comprehensive approach every step of the way that creates confidence and helps you to overcome barriers and find a position that works for you. For those returning to work after recovering from a serious injury or disability, the journey can feel arduous. The process requires determination, perseverance and personalized guidance. For many, returning to the workforce can feel intimidating, from creating a competitive resume to understanding the Social Security Administration's (SSA) rules for working while protecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Employment Networks (EN) and state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies (VR) are here to provide that critical assistance through the Ticket To Work (TTW) Program. Vocational professionals provide a comprehensive approach every step of the way that creates confidence and helps you to overcome barriers and find a position that works for you. If you have decided to return to the workforce, the support of a Social Security-authorized service provider is an important next step. Whether you plan to return to your previous role or find a new one, vocational experts can provide career coaching that helps you clarify goals, build skills and succeed in today's job market with expert support for your specific needs. Career Coaching In The Ticket To Work Program Career coaching is more than just sending along job openings—it's customized assistance tailored to help you identify your goals, prepare for a new role, and succeed. Through the TTW Program, ENs provide free one-on-one coaching, specific to your unique background and job aspirations. Vocational experts assist at every step of your return to work. In this article, we'll examine how they help with skills assessment and goal setting, your job search and interview preparation. Skills Assessment & Goal Setting Your EN may begin the coaching with a skills and interest assessment. They'll help you review your job history, education, personal interests, and find transferrable skills that will work across industries or positions. For example, if you had a physical job like painting or welding, you could now be looking for a role with less exertion in an office. The goal is to find your strengths and match them with job possibilities that align with your interests and abilities. Once your ENs understands your skills and goals, they'll help you create reasonable short- and long-term career goals. Your Individual Work Plan (IWP) is a personalized roadmap of the steps you'll take to find and maintain employment. This process can help you envision a future thatprovides the necessary structure to move into your job search with purpose and determination Strategic Job Search Once your vocational expert has helped you create your IWP, they'll assist you in constructing a job search strategy that works in today's evolving job market. This professional support gives you tips and techniques to focus your search where it matters most. Your vocational expert offers help with: Interview Preparation Many people find job interviews intimidating, and even more so when faced with discussing employment gaps with prospective employers. Your vocational expert assists with interview preparation by: Clients tell me that their interview prep helps them feel more confident and ready to make a positive impression. The Real-Life Impact Of Returning To Work With An EN ENs nationwide have helped thousands of former workers return to the workforce. Each person's story recounts how vocational support transforms lives. These clients have shared their positive experiences working with vocational experts at their ticketed EN. Michael Smith, a military veteran who returned to work feels his EN made his return to work less stressful. 'You need that support and want that support, throw that stress out the window and let someone else take care of it.' Marshalla Cofer reflects on her EN experience this way, 'You have no idea the relief that gives me. It's hard to even put into words. It's life changing and such a mental relief for a person with a brain injury to … have the services in place to help us.' Thousands of people who work with ENs and state VRs have gained renewed confidence and financial stability due to the guidance they've received. Career coaching through the Ticket to Work Program provides more than advice. It's an empowering partnership that helps you to achieve your goal of returning to work. From skills assessment to realistic goal setting, to a strategic job search and the latest interview preparation, vocational experts at ENs and VRs are here to help you with aspects of your return-to-work journey.
