The Great Resignation: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

A conversation with Mark Herschberg, author of 'The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You', on careers and planning.

The Great Resignation is symptomatic of many things. Many of them are valid concerns about working conditions, and our need to create professional fulfillment. 

But what if we're making decisions that don't fully utilise everything at our disposal? What if we're assuming that we have to make drastic change, and not seeing the wood for the trees? 

Well, today, I’m talking to Mark Herschberg, and Mark is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. He’s also helped start a programme at MIT, which is referred to as the career success accelerator, so if any of the above descriptions resonated, then this is definitely worth tuning in for. 

We'll look at 

 -  the questions that could actually help shift your whole perspective on your current job

 - new angles that could make your options look very different 

- why starting out on your own or being an entrepreneur isn't for everyone

- creating a plan to get your career moving in the direction you want it to go in

Along with this, we look at how whether your career direction matches your life vision. Assuming of course that you have one. And if you haven’t, then listen up, cos this episode has some truths in it about how the pieces of this puzzle fit together, and why you’re not going to nail it unless you use all the bits effectively! And watch out at the end for Mark’s free resources to help you build  your career plan.

I have a copy of Mark's book to give away, so if you'd like to be in with a chance to be the lucky recipient, then drop a comment with your key takeaway from the episode, and how it's impacted your thinking. 

I love reading through my guests’ resumes btw, and Mark’s stands out on a number of levels. For one, I don’t think I’ve interviewed anyone else so far who’s worked at both Harvard and MIT, let alone anyone who lists tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web in their experience!

Mark has also created marketplaces and new authentication systems, and launched and developed new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s. His collection of university degrees seems only to be rivalled by his collection of cufflinks. And it turns out that he loves a good spreadsheet, but I won’t hold that against him.  

 Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. 

At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. 

At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. 

He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

Categories: advice, career, career planning, career skills, development, expert advice, success, the great resignation