career advice – Career “rules” that sound reassuring can clash with how hiring works now. Leadership consultant Margie Warrell, professor Jochen Menges, professor Christian Tröster, and others argue that advice like “bring your whole self,” “follow your passion,” or “make it
For years, a simple idea has been repeated as if it were workplace law: bring your whole self to work. These days, that promise can feel more like a trap—especially as employers stay selective and some companies announce layoffs.
Margie Warrell, a leadership consultant and author of the book “The Courage Gap,” pushed back hard on one version of the message. She said, “If you love wearing tight little leather outfits that are strapped on, I don’t want to see that,” adding, “That’s not appropriate.”
The point wasn’t that authenticity is worthless. It was that the kind of career advice spread as bumper-sticker wisdom often doesn’t match the reality people face when job markets tighten and managers still have to make decisions.
That tension runs through six popular pieces of work guidance—each one meeting a sharper, more practical alternative.
Follow your passion
The idea that your job should grow naturally out of what you love sounds empowering. It also creates pressure, particularly when “find your passion” becomes a task with an invisible deadline.
Jochen Menges, a professor of human resource management and leadership at the University of Zurich, called the goal “as vague as it gets,” saying, “It’s not an actionable goal.”
Instead. he suggested setting goals centered on the emotion you want to feel at work—something like pride. even if you might not experience it every day. “If I align my emotional needs more with what I do — with my career prospects — then I’m a lot better off. ” Menges said. He added that this approach can “accelerate your career.”.
Make it a numbers game
When a job hunt feels uncontrollable, it’s tempting to click “apply” again and again. It’s tangible effort in a process that can otherwise feel like guesswork.
The trouble is that the system often doesn’t reward sheer volume. In a poll by the hiring software maker Greenhouse, 53% of recruiters said they review fewer than half of the applications they receive. The survey involved more than 600 recruiters and hiring managers.
Spray-and-pray tactics can feel good, but recruiters often say networking can be more effective. Laura Labovich, a career coach, urged job seekers to network before a job gets posted. “That’s because once a job listing is live. recruiters and hiring managers aren’t likely to do more than point you to it.”.
Climb the ladder
Not everyone believes careers are built to rise in a straight line. Christian Tröster, an Academy of Management scholar and a professor of leadership and organizational behavior at Germany’s Kühne Logistics University, said the notion of ascending a corporate hierarchy is outdated for some workers.
He recommended what he called a “protean” career—one that changes shape over time. Tröster said the aim for many workers should be to become “psychologically successful,” describing it this way: “The ultimate goal of your career is feeling proud and accomplished.”
One practical reason the “ladder” can be harder to climb is organizational change. Warrell said some leaders push “flatter” organizational structures and eliminate middle management, which can mean fewer rungs for ambitious workers to grab hold of.
With that in mind, workers might choose a lateral move, a side gig, or a so-called portfolio career—taking on multiple jobs to earn a living while maintaining flexibility. Warrell said workers charting their own paths can be more fulfilled than those who try to “grind their way up an org chart.”
Don’t job hop
Career advice used to warn people away from changing jobs too frequently, sometimes saying they should stay put for at least a year to avoid looking uncommitted.
Warrell acknowledged that frequent job changes can raise concerns. But she said the old rules around job-hopping have softened. She argued that “smart” job changes—sometimes even in quick succession—can show ambition, responsibility, and new skills.
“It can be seen as a sign of ambition, adaptability — not instability,” Warrell said.
Focus on hard skills
Technical mastery still matters, especially in fast-moving areas like AI. And sometimes it can even put workers in a position to choose among jobs.
But Menges said it’s not the only route to career success. He pointed out that surveys show employers often want workers who have soft skills like communication and teamwork.
His reasoning was blunt: “humans will still be needed to evaluate what AI produces.”
To do that, Menges said people will rely in part on emotion for guidance. He recalled that in the 20th century, workers were often told to suppress their feelings at work. “Now. you’ve got to bring those emotions back. because whatever AI does needs evaluation. and that evaluation comes down to how we feel about what appears on our screens. ” he said.
Bring your whole self
The phrase “bring your whole self” has long faced criticism, and not just from workplace skeptics. Ella F. Washington, a professor of practice at Georgetown University, previously told Business Insider that a better way to think about the idea is to bring your whole professional self to work.
In her framing, it could mean working with people you might not like. Warrell also described it as pushing through a bad mood.
“If one part of your whole self is that you’re short-tempered and grumpy in the morning, don’t bring that self to work,” she said.
That version of authenticity lands less like a slogan and more like a boundary: bring what strengthens the job, not what predictably makes the job harder for everyone else.
An earlier version of this story appeared on March 3, 2025.
career advice job search hiring authenticity at work emotional goals networking portfolio career job hopping AI and soft skills workplace leadership