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When people enter the job search, they usually aren’t just leaving behind a paycheck. They often are also leaving behind a part of themselves, their professional identity…and, in some cases, their professional community as well.
People need a place to go where they can find the knowledge and support they need to get unstuck, and grow, in their careers. That’s what we’ve learned at Braintrust after watching the network grow from a few thousand people to over 305,000 since launching out of stealth mode two years ago.
That’s why we’ve built the Professional Network for the person with questions – the one who isn’t satisfied but is always looking to learn and improve, to invest in themselves and their careers.
Already, people are using the Professional Network to ask questions like:
- How do I do taxes as a freelancer?
- Where do I find templates for organizing a team against company OKRs?
- What are the top companies looking for in their senior product leaders?
- How do I transition from working as a QA engineer into CyberSecurity?
- What are the best tutorials and guides for Generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Bing, and MidJourney?
Personally, I asked the Braintrust community for help in up-leveling as a company spokesperson.
Within just a few days, I received actionable feedback from 10 community members. I connected 1:1 with a community member, Nick Fouriezos, who is now acting as my career coach, helping me refine my storytelling skills. Most importantly, I am no longer stuck because I have a plan and a community of people supporting me.
So, what’s your question?
While there are some places to network and other places to find work, there are few spaces where you can effectively do both while working with experienced professionals that have done this before.
The Professional Network, including the “Career Help” feed, is the first in a full suite of upcoming network products meant to help Talent own their work and their worth throughout their career journey. Talent deserves both a seat at the table and skin in the game. Our Web3 model gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from an ever-evolving network that is revolutionizing the world of work.
The Career Help feed is a way to ask specific questions and receive direct advice from other members of our vetted Talent community, including top engineers, designers, and product managers in tech.
In addition to asking questions publicly, Talent can then select to give or get 1:1 advice privately and go deeper on their question with an engaged professional (for more questions about this and other aspects of the Career Help feed, please consult our Career Help guide in the Help Center).
Talent can find the Career Help feed on Braintrust’s home tab and on the Career Help tab on the navigation menu on the left.
How to Use the Professional Network to advance your career
If you look at any professional athlete, they have a coach and in some cases, many coaches. So why are knowledge workers often expected to succeed all on their own?
Even if you’re working for yourself, you shouldn’t have to grow by yourself.
The Professional Network connects knowledge workers with the community they need to succeed and has already gone through its beta stage. Several hundred Talents in the Braintrust community gave feedback and helped improve the product, and influenced its development. We hope you do the same.
Some of the feedback we’ve already received is that people love the ability to make connections with top performers in their field, as well as the opportunity to mentor others and to get their own questions answered directly by peers.
“I’ve been able to make connections with peers, have my resume and profile reviewed to see where improvements could be made, and had the opportunity to mentor others who would like to move into my little corner of the professional sphere. If you’re not finding what you’re looking for there, ask thoughtful questions that will help you get from where you are to where you want to be,” says Braintrust community member Karen, a Technical Program & Product Manager with 15 years of experience.
“Take your time and look around. You will soon be able to identify responses or posts from users that you would like to work more closely with … You will be able to request 1:1 sessions and ask the questions that others may be considering but have not been brave enough to ask themselves” says Braintrust community member Calvin, a Project & Program Manager with 25 years of experience.
What comes next
The Career Help feed is just the first of a number of features to come on The Professional Network.
Next up are improvements to discovery and relevance so it’s easier to find the most helpful knowledge and people, engage and save the information you need. This will include smaller professional spaces for more personalized advice on a specific topic or industry, such as “AI Trends”, “Professional Introductions”, “Starting in Design”, or “VP and above.” Plus, additional investment in ownership and governance of the network through BTRST and moderation tools.
If you have a Talent account, you can start using Career Help now by logging into the Braintrust app and checking out the Career Help feed.
Otherwise, sign up to join the conversation!