Reputation, Not Resumes, May Unlock Better Career Opportunities

On the surface, earning another certification or graduate degree may seem like the logical solution for professionals whose careers have stalled. But career strategist Ilana Golan argues that experienced workers may benefit more from strengthening their professional reputation and networks than adding another credential, Entrepreneur reports.

Golan, founder and CEO of Leap Academy, said many of the most valuable career opportunities available to seasoned professionals are never publicly advertised. Instead, she said they emerge through established reputation, relationships, industry visibility, and professional trust. 

Her perspective comes as many mid-career employees report feeling stuck. A recent New York University study found nearly 1 in 4 white-collar professionals has gone at least five years without receiving a meaningful promotion or pay increase, a trend researchers described as a “mid-career stall.” 

According to Golan, experienced professionals often respond by pursuing additional certifications or technical skills. While that approach may help early-career workers compete for entry-level roles, she argues it has less impact later in a career because executive consulting work, advisory positions, board appointments, and other high-value opportunities frequently develop through professional relationships rather than traditional hiring channels. 

Golan said she learned that lesson after unexpectedly leaving a startup she co-founded. She wrote that rebuilding her career led to advisory positions, investments, podcast opportunities, and eventually the launch of Leap Academy — none of which resulted from submitting job applications. 

She encourages professionals to identify the unique business problems they solve rather than define themselves by a job title or employer. She also recommends building relationships before they become necessary during a job search by maintaining industry connections, seeking mentorship opportunities, and increasing visibility outside their current organization. 

While credentials remain valuable, Golan contends that long-term career resilience increasingly depends on developing portable professional capital — including trust, credibility, and relationships — that can create opportunities regardless of changes within a single employer. 

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