353: Own Your Career Growth in This Job Market

What if the biggest risk to your career isn't getting laid off, but assuming someone else is responsible for your growth?

For years, many professionals were told that if they worked hard, stayed loyal, and delivered results, their company would invest in their development and help them advance. Today's workplace looks very different.

With AI reshaping jobs, organizations cutting budgets, and professional development often treated as optional, waiting for someone else to guide your growth can leave you stuck, overlooked, and vulnerable.

In this episode, I challenge the outdated belief that your employer is responsible for your career development. I share why taking ownership of your growth is one of the most important leadership decisions you can make and how investing in yourself can create opportunities that waiting never will.

We also explore why consuming endless free content is not enough to move your career forward. Podcasts, newsletters, YouTube videos, and AI tools can provide valuable insights, but real career advancement comes from implementation. Knowledge without action rarely produces results.

To help you make smarter professional development decisions, I introduce a practical framework built around three key criteria: relevance, application, and proximity. Whether you're considering a conference, coaching program, certification, mastermind, or membership community, this framework will help you determine what is most likely to create meaningful return on your investment.

If you're a mid-career professional who feels undervalued, underutilized, or uncertain about what's next, this episode will help you rethink how you approach your professional growth and position yourself for future opportunities.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why career growth is shifting from company-led development to personal ownership
• How budget cuts often make development optional while performance expectations remain unchanged
• Why AI is increasing the value of strategic thinking, leadership, and higher-level problem solving
• The hidden cost of doing nothing and why standing still can make you easier to replace
• Why implementation matters more than consuming more free content
• The three criteria for evaluating professional development opportunities: relevance, application, and proximity
• How to choose the right development container for your current career stage
• How to confidently answer the interview question, "What are you doing to develop yourself?"

This Episode Is Perfect For:

• Mid-career professionals seeking career clarity
• Leaders who want to increase their impact and visibility
• Professionals feeling stuck, overlooked, or underutilized
• Job seekers navigating a competitive job market
• Anyone looking to future-proof their career in an AI-driven workplace

Key Takeaway

No company cares more about your career than you do. The professionals who continue to grow, advance, and create opportunities for themselves are the ones who take ownership of their development. Your future success depends less on what your employer provides and more on what you choose to invest in yourself.

Transcript

Welcome And Who This Helps

John Neral 0:03

Hello, my friends, and welcome to the Mid-Career GPS Podcast. I'm your host, John Merrill. This is the show for mid-career professionals who feel stuck, undervalued, or unsure what's next, and know that doing more isn't the answer. Here, we focus on how you show up, how you make clear decisions, build influence, and take control of your career. Let's get started.

Your Company Isn’t Responsible

John Neral 0:33

Let me start with something that may be a little uncomfortable to hear. Your company is not responsible for your growth. They never were. And right now, with AI accelerating, budgets tightening, and companies looking very closely at where they can save money, you are not just an employee. You are a line item. And line items get evaluated, reduced, or cut. I've been thinking a lot about what separates the people who continue to thrive in this job market and the ones who may be quietly stalling out. See, from where I see in my experience in my work, it's not talent, it's not expertise, it's not even how hard they work. It's whether or not they have decided that they are a hundred percent responsible for their career and they're willing to invest in it. What's so interesting about this conversation is that years ago, the old model was that you, as the employee, would stay loyal, the company would reciprocate, you would get developed or trained, and then you would get promoted within the organization. The current reality is so different. The current reality is you have to find ways to stay valuable, and maybe you will stay employed. And let me preface by saying that if you work for a company that is still investing in training and development, you have a professional development budget, or you are able to take advantage of different professional development opportunities, you are extremely fortunate. And let's not overlook the investment that the company is making in you. They pay for your travel, they pay for your workshop attendance, they're paying for your meals. We're talking thousands of dollars per employee to send them to an event. And not every company is doing that these days. Sure, there was a time when companies invested heavily in developing their talent, training budgets, leadership programs, clear paths forward. And now these budgets we have seen have been one of the first things to go because development is now seen as optional, but your performance is not. You are still expected to perform at a high level that is continually returning value to the company. So here's the disconnect. Most mid-career professionals are still waiting for someone to invest in them. Their companies are actively deciding whether or not they're worth the cost. There's a risk in doing nothing. There is a risk in taking a step back and saying, I am not going to invest in myself. Now, there may be a financial reason, there may be another motivating reason behind it. But I want you to look really carefully at this. Because not investing in yourself may mean that you may get passed over for a promotion. You may be losing relevance or significance in your role, and you may be seen as replaceable, especially with AI. So thinking about this, you're not standing still. You're actually becoming easier to replace.

AI And Becoming Replaceable

John Neral 4:42

AI is not just replacing jobs. It is exposing who is operating at a higher level and who is just executing it tasks. I have had several conversations with leaders and colleagues in this space. We have had conversations about the various AI tools and how employees are using them and whether or not they are simply letting AI do the job for them, or they are using the AI to actually enhance the work that they're already doing. And so this becomes a conversation around your skill set. And so if your skill set is static, the risk is increasing. The risk being how valuable you are to your organization and whether or not your job is truly safe.

Free Content Versus Real Investment

John Neral 5:43

So while people often think about professional development as conference attendees, attendants, membership organizations, maybe going for an advanced degree or continuing education credits, let's also acknowledge that there are lower or lesser cost forms of professional development that can still yield tremendous ROI as well. Now, one of the things that that I that I hear, I hear from a lot of people is well, but there's so much free content out there. Why don't I just consume that? That's valid. Okay. Listening to this podcast is a form of free professional development. Getting on my newsletter, right? The mid-career GPS newsletter, you go to my website, johnnarrell.com forward slash resources. You can get on my weekly newsletter. I have said time and time again, the podcast covers half of the conversation. The newsletter covers the other half. It's a free piece of content delivered directly to your inbox. Okay. Are those things worth it? Well, they're free. The only thing you're investing in at this point is your time to listen to this episode andor read the newsletter. You can go on YouTube, you can listen to other podcasts, you can read blog posts or follow people on social media. There's a ton of free content that is available to you that's out there. And let me just say, you might even be using some of the AI tools as part of your free professional development as well. But when you stop and pause and you evaluate what the level of investment is, what you get for free, and what you get by paying for something for that. The question is not, is it worth it? The question is, what is my investment going to do to help me make possible that I cannot do right now? Throughout almost nine and a half years of having my coaching business, there have been numerous times when I have worked with clients over these past nine years. They have stayed within their organization, they have leveled up and gotten numerous promotions, which also means they've increased their salary, or they've been unemployed and they have found a new job, or they have been employed and they have recognized that they can't elevate within their current organization. So they're going to go elsewhere. And they hire me to help coach them and help them show up more impactfully and differently. And then we talk about how they negotiate their offer on the other end. Or they invest in leadership coaching and they show up as a more impactful and effective leader. And that becomes of high value to the company, and they're getting promoted and moving within as well.

ROI Comes From Implementation

John Neral 9:03

You don't get a return on investment from consuming information. You get a return on investment from implementation. That's why consuming free content isn't enough. It's no longer enough. So if you're sitting there and you're going, well, look, John, this all sounds great, but you know, gas prices are higher and grocery prices are higher, and you know, there's just not enough money to go around and something has to get cut. And so this is what's going to get cut. I get that. But I still have to ask you, if you are deciding to wait, is that the decision that ultimately makes you fall behind? Your company has already decided what you're worth. There is an agreement that you and the company have set based on your compensation package. And if you are looking to continue to stay invested in that company and move yourself forward, and you're like, well, I'm not sure this particular professional development opportunity is actually going to work. What does that typically mean? Well, when I'm coaching someone and they say that, what I'll ask them is, what are you afraid of? And what they will often say is, I'm not sure I'll follow through. I go in with best intentions, I'm going to put the time and the effort and the energy in, but then life gets in the way. And so I'm not sure I'm actually going to follow through. And then it's just going to feel like I've wasted all this money. Why would you not commit to yourself? Why would you not double down on investing in yourself and your career to help get that ROI down the road? We are a society and a culture that wants immediate gratification. When we're feeling down, we pick up our phones and we probably start scrolling reels on Instagram or TikTok. Okay. I know if I'm feeling a little down or a little blue, a golden retriever video or a really cute cat video will absolutely pick me up. We look for that dopamine hit. We look to make us feel better. It is hard to show up and own where you are and say, okay, what are the roadblocks I'm putting in front of me here? And why am I not willing to fully invest? And when I say invest, let me acknowledge it is not just about investing money. It is about investing the time, effort, and energy for you to be able to develop yourself to what is going to be next.

Relevance Application And Proximity

John Neral 12:15

So if you're thinking about investing in some kind of professional development for yourself, let's make a smart decision about it. I look at smart professional development decisions based on three criteria. Number one is about how relevant that professional development is. In other words, does that professional development directly impact the next level you're trying to get to? Right? If you're unemployed, does it directly impact you into finding that new job? If you're looking to be promoted, what skills are you going to develop in that professional experience that will then move you to the next level? So relevance. Number two, application. What are you going to be required to do to take action? When I work with a client privately, we work together for four months. The action is they're going to show up for their sessions and they're going to play full out, and I'm going to play full out with them. And sometimes there's things that we work on in between those sessions. Are you willing to take that action to help you get to the next level? The third criteria is proximity. Are you learning from someone who has results you want? There have been times in my coaching journey, I have invested tens of thousands of dollars in my coaching business and in my journey, and not everyone has been stellar. I've hired some people, I've attended some conferences, and I've walked away and been like, I don't think I got a whole lot out of that. Are you learning from someone who has the results you want? Because what you are ultimately looking for is what we call a container. The container is the vehicle in which the professional development is delivered. That is the best vehicle for you in your current circumstance or situation. So that might be there's a conference. You're going to go to this conference and you're going to learn some things. So you're going to give yourself a dedicated few days, a weekend or a week, and you're going to go and attend this conference. If you're looking to have a more structured coaching environment, a one-on-one type relationship with a coach such as myself, what does that container look like? You're going to want to know what's going to be discussed and worked on within the scope of however long that container is. Mine happens to be four months. And we would get very clear, which is why I do a qualifying call. Okay, we get very clear about what the goals and objectives are for your coaching so that by the end of those four months, we are clear about how you are going to move forward to achieve those goals. Then it might be a group program or something like what I have called the Show Up Leadership Lab, which is a monthly membership at a reduced cost. Okay, my monthly membership is $47 a month. And you come into this lab and you come to group calls or a content call or an office hour call, in addition to the resources that are already available within the lab. And that is the container that you get to work on as a bridge, let's say, between doing some self-guided work and then coming to the group calls and processing that, whether you're being coached on the call or you're listening to someone else being coached. Find the container that is best for you and find the price point that is doable as well. This is the thing where when you're asked in an interview, why should we hire you? Companies will want to know what you are doing to develop yourself professionally, that you are initiating yourself. Someone isn't telling you to go do these things. Here's what I do. Here's what I learned. Here's here's how I structure my week. Here's the investment I'm making in myself. So here's the question I want to leave you with. What are you willing to invest to make your goals happen? Because if the answer is nothing right now, my friend, you need to be honest about something. If you're saying nothing right now, you are consciously choosing to stay exactly where you are. If

What You’ll Invest Next

John Neral 17:35

you're willing to do something, then what is it? What is the best fit for you? If there's a way that I can help you with that, you should reach out to me. Right? You can message me on LinkedIn, you can email me at john at johnneral.com, and we can start a conversation about what the best professional development path can look like for you with my help, support, and guidance. You can check the show notes as well. Earlier in my career, I was beyond fortunate that I worked for an organization that professional development was regarded and valued and respected. But there were also things that I did on my own that were above and beyond that. And I know that's that's a huge contributing factor as to why I have had the career that I've had and why I have the business I have today. There's an opportunity to invest at whatever level is best for you. But if anything, if there's one big takeaway from this episode, I want to strongly encourage you that the answer cannot be everything's good right now. Or I'm not going to do anything. Because if that's the answer, I have seen it time and time again. You are at risk of falling behind. And I think it is fair enough to say that that is the position none of us want to be in this job market right now. Lots to think about. Again, feel free to check out my website, johnnarrell.com, for more information and resources to help support you and your professional development. So until next time, my friends, remember this. You will build your mid-career GPS one mile or one step at a time. And how you show up matters. Make it a great rest of your day. If you enjoyed this episode, don't keep it to yourself. Kindly share it with someone who needs it. And if you're tired of feeling stuck, overlooked, or underutilized in your career, go to my website, johnnarrell.com to get started. There you'll find free resources, ways to work with me, and details about the Show Up Leadership Lab, my signature membership for mid-career professionals who want to lead better, get noticed, and elevate their career. All the links are in the show notes. You can grab what you need right there. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. And if you're getting value from the show, take 30 seconds to leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. Remember, how you show up matters, and I'll see you next time.