I’ve got the secret for climbing the corporate ranks that could otherwise crush us if we didn’t have this insight. We might think we are a corporate three when we’re a ten just because we don’t have the right tools. We may not realize that the failure is not us but a lack of access to resources. So, now I’m going to open doors for us, like the one that had closed on me earlier this week, slumping my shoulders in despair where even ChatGPT had no real solution. But I’ve since discovered a tool that reopened a world of splendor.
I was feeling deflated by job searches on LinkedIn. It was a sea of random data without logic or order, and I’d spend an hour getting one lead. And that lead was subpar. A loved one told me to lower my sights, which shook my core. But I knew setting my sights lower would mean I’d be overqualified and unhappy. And when we’ve got dreams, setting our sights lower is not an option. But my lack of opportunities wasn’t because my sights were too high. The lack of opportunities resulted from not having access to the best data.
I needed the most targeted job opportunities and a means to immediately filter out the endless rows of irrelevant jobs. So, I did the best I could think of at the moment and purchased LinkedIn’s Premium Career service. In just over one hour after purchasing, I applied to nearly twenty high-quality, exciting job postings. If we purchase this or a similar service, we get an edge that can mean the difference between a futile, hopeless job search and being at the peak of our game.
To be extra job-ready, I also considered buying a $200 Amazon marketing research textbook or a $150 Udemy marketing research course. Udemy courses have increased in price, so the textbook seemed more optimal. But I need the money for groceries, which I’ve reduced by 1/3 the cost while almost doubling the healthiness. Tough times often lead to better outcomes
With LinkedIn Premium Career, I get filtering and targeted job listings and LinkedIn learning, which AUSU used to offer students for free. So, I can get the marketing research course from LinkedIn Learning for free. With the right tools, our chances of getting a high-paying job can go from a dire 30% to a smoking-hot 90%.
The above tool is excellent for getting a six-figure role, or whatever role we are educated for, but to get in the c-suite, the executive role, we likely need an MBA, ideally from a top university, although this is not absolute. It just increases our probabilities. So, I’m going to take a part-time MBA after hours, one to two classes a semester for five years, paying for each class out of pocket until I get the MBA. That’s because I noticed on LinkedIn stats that I was disadvantaged in many job applications relative to those with MBAs, as I have an MA. But no matter our degrees, we can always access the education we need. If we are still alive, we still have infinite opportunities. And we are born to realize our dreams. (And today, I made the dire but delightful mistake of buying a corporate finance book for dummies to get a head start on the MBA despite being super crunched for cash. That’s one week less supply of Greek yogurt but months of fantastic knowledge. We exist to love and learn.)
Just a few minutes ago, I had a super-exciting epiphany we can all eventually consider. If we’ve got a master’s degree in any field or lots of work experience, why not submit a request to see if we can skip the MBA (Master of Business Administration) and go straight to the DBA (Doctor of Business Administration)? We can complete the DBA while we work our full-time careers. After all, we’re in it for the gold medal, aren’t we? And if not, why not? It’s risky but fun! And we only live once. So, why not reach for the top rung from the bottom of the stairwell? It’s a great philosophy if we love climbing.
So, I submitted a form to see if I qualify for a DBA. If so, I can go from being underqualified in education for a CMO role to being overqualified. I can live with that. We all certainly could stand to benefit from a doctorate. And, oh, my heart just stopped beating. I just now saw that I truly qualify for the DBA–and my true love may join me. We’re ecstatic. We can all go the DBA route. We deserve it!
Check this out: the DBA costs less than the MBA and has less than half the courses but has a thesis, which I’m gung-ho excited about tackling. Who wouldn’t skip the MBA and go straight for the jackpot? And one final tip: a good way to get a CEO position with a public company is to work 17 hours a day. Better still, work 16 hours, exercise for 1 hour, and get 7 hours sleep. Or reduce that to 13 hours of work, 1 hour of exercise, and 3 hours of studies if continuous growth is a lifestyle.
Now we’re back in the game. And if we ever need to find a glorious career, we have the tools to build our magnificent, mind-blowing rollercoasters to heaven’s gates, although the key to opening the gates is love.