Why Career Acceleration Beats Experience (Don't Count The Years)
Article #128 of Life Unlocked - A newsletter by Dr Yath Prem, MD
Dear Friends,
I’ve been reflecting on what real growth looks like in a career.
Not the kind that happens linearly.
You know, promotions every few years, a steady climb up the career ladder, but the kind that reshapes your ability, rewires your thinking and accelerates your potential. It’s made me realise something that’s becoming more and more true in today’s world of work: trajectory matters more than time served.
Let me explain.
In tennis, a player going from rank 300 to rank 50 in a single season tells you more about potential than someone moving from rank 2 to 1. The latter might be the best in the world, but the former is on fire learning faster, improving faster, growing faster.
That velocity? It’s a signal worth paying attention to.
When I joined Doccla two years ago, I didn’t know just how much I would learn.
What made the difference wasn’t just the nature of the work, it was the environment.
I was surrounded by smart, kind, ambitious people. I was given trust and responsibility early on. I was encouraged to think bigger than my job title. The feedback was frequent. The pace was very fast. The leadership and my managers were genuinely invested in my growth.
By the time I left, I was operating at a senior level, helping shape the direction of multiple product lines as a medical advisor, and involved in some of the most exciting product developments across the business including a revolutionary AI agent for patient contact.
In a traditional setting, that kind of opportunity might have taken five years. At Doccla, it happened in two not because shortcuts were taken, but because growth was prioritised.
Why am I sharing this?
So often when we think about our next role or advise others on theirs, we focus on the usual things: compensation, title, job description, prestige.
But what I’ve come to realise is this, we should be asking?
Will this environment help me grow faster than I could on my own?
That’s the variable that changes everything. Because when you get into a role that stretches you, supports you, and sets you up to thrive, what you can achieve in one year often outpaces what might take five elsewhere.
If you’re at a crossroads thinking about your next move, or even just re-evaluating where you are, here are a few questions I’ve found helpful:
Am I learning things here that will make me better, not just busier?
Are the people around me invested in my growth?
Do I feel the momentum?
Because ultimately, our careers aren’t defined by time. They’re defined by the quality of the time and who we become as a result of it.
Have a great week,
Dr. Yath Prem, MD
Quote of the week:
True self-confidence is “the courage to be open—to welcome change and new ideas regardless of their source.” Real self-confidence is not reflected in a title, an expensive suit, a fancy car, or a series of acquisitions. It is reflected in your mindset: your readiness to grow.
— Carol Dweck (Mindset)
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