The rhetoric can be dizzying. Be your own boss. Start a side hustle. Go corporate. Don’t go corporate. Work for a for-profit. Or a not-for-profit. Change jobs every two years. Don’t do that. Work at a PE-backed company. Or family-owned. Or bootstrapped. Or publicly traded. Buy a business. Build a business. Work in a business. Don’t do that. Work on the business.

Good news: there isn’t one right career path.

I talk with hundreds of professionals each year who are in the middle of real transformation. Some have spent 20 years at the same company within one funding structure. Others have tried on many different roles, industries, financial backings, and career shapes. And others are just starting out.

What I’ve come to appreciate is that what works brilliantly for some people is a terrible fit for others. There is no single right path. The opportunity is in discovering the path that aligns with your strengths, values, and season of life. And sometimes you’re in a season where you take the first job that comes along because the next paycheck matters most. That’s okay too. You can still work quietly in the background on your longer-term intentions.

What is universal is this: honing your skills, mastering your craft, and building genuinely valuable relationships. And seeking out someone who has already walked the path you want to take? That’s one of the most powerful investments of time you can make.