Elis Wilkins

The raise you didn’t negotiate might have cost you thousands.

But staying in the wrong role?
That might be costing you everything.

You’re not growing.
You’re not energised.
You’re not using half the skills you’ve worked so hard to build.

But because it’s “not that bad”, you stay.
Month after month.
Year after year.

It feels safe.
But it’s quietly draining your potential.

Career change isn’t always about burning bridges.
Sometimes it’s about building new ones.
Quietly. Strategically. Sustainably.

The cost of staying is often invisible
Until you look back and realise how much time you lost.

If you’re ready to stop drifting and start designing a career that fits your life…
DM me 'CHANGE'

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You’re not meant to get it right first time.

You’re meant to get hit.

Hard.

By rejection.
By failure.
By moments that make you question everything.

That’s how it works.

No one skips the messy parts.
No one nails it without bruises.
No one builds a meaningful career without getting lost first.

You’re meant to:
➜ Take the wrong job
➜ Miss the opportunity
➜ Doubt yourself
➜ Start again

Because that’s how you learn what matters.
That’s how you sharpen your edge.
That’s how you become someone worth becoming.

This isn’t failure.
It’s formation.

So if you’re in the dip…
If it’s hard right now…
If you feel behind…

You’re not.

You’re in the part that builds the story.

Keep going.

The people you admire?
They didn’t play it safe.
They walked through the fire.

And they came out clearer, braver, sharper.

You will too.


💬 What’s one thing that tested you, but made you better?
Drop it below, someone else might need to hear it.

♻️ Repost to remind someone their path doesn’t have to be perfect.
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Some things can be taken from you overnight.

Your job. Your income. Even your industry.

The smart play?

Build what no one can take:

1/ Your Energy
Your body is the engine.
If you’re constantly tired or burnt out… making smart career moves is HARD.

2/ Your Skill Stack
Not just one skill. A combination that’s rare and valuable.
Mine: problem-solving + storytelling + systems thinking.

3/ Your Thinking
AI is catching up fast.
The edge that lasts? Clear thinking. Strategic judgment. Perspective.

4/ Your Integrity
Quiet consistency > loud ambition.
People remember how you show up when no one’s watching.

5/ Your Operating System
How you plan. How you decide. How you move.
Most careers stall because the person driving it never updates the OS.

6/ Your Direction
Misalignment is the real killer.
I’ve seen people with elite skills stay stuck for years — because they’re climbing the wrong ladder.

7/ Your Identity (Detached from Your Job Title)
You are not your role.
Tie your identity to your values, not your LinkedIn headline.

8/ Your Personal Brand
This doesn’t mean being a content creator.
It means being visible. Clear. Known for something.
If no one sees your value, they can’t act on it.

These are the assets that compound.
The ones that make you anti-fragile and give you options.

If you’re ready to rethink what you want next, I built a free life design toolkit to help.

DM me the word “DESIGN” and I’ll send it over.

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Repost to help your networks

New job. Same problems.

Different company. Same feeling.

Sometimes you do need a new job.

But without answering these questions first, you'll just end up in the same situation with a different logo on your email signature.

Most people job-hop looking for the right role.
What they actually need is clarity on what they're optimizing for.

Same pattern. Different company. Same frustration.

Here's what breaks the cycle - 7 questions that reveal what you're actually looking for:

1. The Good Day Test
What does a good day look like, not just a good job?
This reveals what actually matters beyond the title.

2. The More-Less Framework
What do you want more of? What do you want less of?
Your answers show where you're misaligned.

3. The Passion Principle
What would you still do even if no one paid you?
This isn't "follow your passion" advice - it's a compass, not a command.

4. The Enough Equation
How much is enough for income, time, status?
Defining "enough" stops the endless chase.

5. The Energy Audit
What energizes you more than it drains you?
Your energy patterns don't lie.

6. The Freedom Question
What would you do if you weren't worried what others thought?
Fear of judgment masks your actual preferences.

7. The Creation Challenge
If you didn't need a job title, what would you create?
This reveals your natural contribution.

These questions don't demand immediate answers.

They demand better thinking.

Which one are you avoiding right now?


Repost if you know someone stuck in CV mode.
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"I'm a people person leading with empathy.

But every decision comes down to maximizing profit."

I hear this from directors and VPs constantly.
High performers who climbed the ladder.
Then realized the system rewards things they don't value.

You care about:
- Integrity over optics
- Collaboration over competition
- Building people over hitting targets
- Long-term impact over quarterly results

Your organization cares about:
- Shareholder value
- Efficiency metrics
- Revenue growth
- Bottom line

That's not a personality flaw.

That's a misalignment.

And no amount of mindset work will make you care about quarterly earnings when you fundamentally value human development.

Here's what happens:

You try to make it work.
Find roles that "balance" both.

But you're still trying to fit your values into a system designed around different ones.

The question isn't: "How do I become more comfortable with profit-driven decisions?"

It's: "Where do my values actually drive the work?"

You're not too idealistic.
You're just in the wrong system.
And the golden handcuffs make it terrifying to admit that.

But recognizing the misalignment?
That's the first step to doing something about it.

♻️ Repost if this landed
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Harsh truth:

Staying longer doesn't make leaving easier.

It just makes the cost higher.

Staying in a role that drains you is only half the problem.

You also need to question why you stayed.
You need to notice when "normal" became exhausting.
You need to stop waiting for permission to leave.

STOP normalizing:

• Sunday night dread as standard
• Burnout as the price of success
• Staying because you've already stayed

START recognizing:

• Exhaustion is data, not weakness
• Your past choice doesn't dictate your next one
• Energy matters more than optics

I'm not talking about having a bad week.

I'm talking about that feeling that's become your default.
The motivation that used to carry you? Gone.
The goals you buried under "be realistic."

After working with dozens of people through career pivots, here's what I know:

Your career should feel like yours.

Not perfect. Not every day.
But yours.

If it doesn't, that's not a personal failing.
It's a signal.

What would it take for your work to feel like yours again?

Repost if this landed.
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Most people think career change is all about strategy.

But strategy alone won’t get you moving.

Mindset is the difference between planning forever…
and actually making the leap.

Here are 3 shifts that unlock momentum:

1. From “I need more credentials” → “I have transferable value”

Stop collecting certificates. Start mapping your existing skills.
Your perspective is your edge.

2. From “What if I fail?” → “What if I don’t try?”

Trade paralysis for progress.
Every rejection is data that sharpens your path.

3. From “I’m starting over” → “I’m building on experience”

You’re not going backwards. You’re compounding strengths.
Past roles shaped the value only you can offer.

These shifts don’t require luck, degrees, or insider connections.
They just require the courage to move before you feel ready.

♻️ Repost to help someone stuck in pivot paralysis
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If you’re doing these 5 things

You’re not just a manager... You’re a career catalyst

Most managers give feedback.
But great managers transform careers.

Here are 5 signs you’re building futures, not just giving feedback:

1️⃣ You’re Specific
You don’t just say “be more strategic” or “think outside the box.”
💡 You outline exactly what success looks like in their role:
“In [Situation], I noticed [Behaviour], which led to [Impact].”

2️⃣ You Provide Resources
You don’t just point out gaps. You help close them.
💡 You guide your team to books, courses, or mentors:
“Here’s a resource to sharpen this skill.”

3️⃣ You Create Opportunities
You don’t just talk. You take action.
💡 You assign stretch projects that build skills:
“Take the lead on this initiative to develop your strategic thinking.”

4️⃣ You Commit to Mentorship
You don’t just deliver feedback and move on.
💡 You partner with your team to help them grow:
“Here’s how I’ll support you to succeed.”

5️⃣ You Follow Up
You don’t just give feedback. You stay invested.
💡 You check in regularly:
“What’s working? What do you need to succeed?”

Great feedback isn’t just a conversation.
It’s a commitment to helping your team thrive.

Which of these 5 signs do you resonate with most?
Drop your thoughts below 👇

♻️ Repost to inspire better feedback
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They had 20 years experience. I had 10.

I almost didn't take the call.

"What could I possibly offer someone this senior?"

Then we spoke.

This was a year ago.

I didn't polish my pitch.

I shared the messy middle:

"I'm testing coaching formats. Exploring group work. Running experiments. I'm figuring it out as I go."

Not impressive.

Not polished.

Just honest.

That's what landed.

They ended up becoming a client.

Not because I had it all figured out.

Because I was honest about not having it all figured out.

Here's what most people miss:

The more you pretend you have all the answers, the less people trust you.

Polish reads as fake.
Expertise reads as distant.
Perfection reads as performative.

Your uncertainty isn't a weakness.

It's proof you're human.

Still learning. Still growing. Still real.

That's often exactly what people need to see.

The person you're afraid to reach out to?

They might be exactly where you were two years ago.

They don't need your polish.

They need your honesty.

What's one thing you're figuring out right now that you're afraid to share?

♻️ Repost if this resonates
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I "wasted" 5 years in engineering.

Or so I thought.

Turns out those years gave me more advantage than an MBA ever could.

Here's what most people miss:

Your "wrong" career isn't wasted time.
It's expensive data.

When I moved to consulting, I realized something:
Every engineer who pivots brings what business school grads don't have.

First-principles thinking.
Technical credibility.
Implementation focus.

The ability to bridge tech and business.

What my "wasted" engineering years actually built:

→ Breaking problems into fundamentals (most people just add complexity)
→ Testing assumptions rigorously (not trusting hunches as strategy)
→ Designing systems that scale (not just ideas that sound good in decks)
→ Moving from theory to practice (delivering results, not recommendations)

Clients don't want another MBA grad who read the same HBR articles.
They want someone who understands their technical challenges.
And designs solutions that work in practice.

Your "detour" is your differentiation.

The skills you dismiss as "too specific"?
Those are exactly what make you valuable in your next move.

Stop beating yourself up about time "wasted."
Start asking: "What did this build that others don't have?"

That's your edge.

♻️ Repost if you've been beating yourself up about "wasted" years.
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Sunday night dread isn't always burnout.

Here's what nobody says:

The discomfort doesn't mean you're broken.
It means you're outgrowing something.

You still show up. Still perform. Still hit the targets.

But deep down, you know:
This isn't it anymore.

Then you scroll LinkedIn:
– New titles
– Big announcements
– Perfectly polished updates

And that quiet doubt creeps in.
Maybe you should stay.
Maybe it's safer not to change.

Here's what I've learned:

Doubt doesn't mean you're lost.
It means you're doing something different.

The discomfort is normal.
It's part of the shift.

What helps?

✔️ Clarity on what actually matters to you
✔️ Talking to people who've been through it
✔️ Redefining success on your own terms

You don't need to burn it all down.
You just need to move toward what fits.

♻️ Repost if you've ever felt this tension
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Meritocracy is a myth.

Visibility is the game.

At least in corporate settings.

Here are 6 things that matter more than you think:

1. Visibility Beats Performance
Results alone won't get you noticed.
Your work needs advocates who talk about it when you're not in the room.

2. Strategic Connections Drive Growth
Forget collecting LinkedIn connections.
Build relationships with people who can actually influence your trajectory.

3. Sponsors Propel You Forward
Mentors guide you.
Sponsors fight for you in rooms you're not invited to yet.

4. Build Your Reputation as a Core Asset
Your name travels faster than your work.
What people say about you matters more than what you actually do.

5. Anticipate, Don't Just Execute
Anyone can solve the problems in front of them.
Valuable people prevent problems before they start.

6. Master Workplace Psychology
Technical skills get you hired.
People skills get you promoted.

The uncomfortable truth?
That promotion depends more on these than your actual performance.

But here's what's interesting:

This is how corporates work.
Not how all work environments work.

In smaller companies? Performance visibility is direct.
As a freelancer? Your work IS your reputation.
Building your own thing? Results speak louder.

So if you're reading this list and feeling exhausted by the game...

Maybe the issue isn't that you're bad at corporate politics.
Maybe you're built for a different playing field.

The question isn't "How do I get better at this?"
It's "Do I even want to play this game?"

Where do you think you'd excel most?

Repost if this reframed something.
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