Stay flexible | Predicting long-term career paths is 'foolish,' LinkedIn CEO says

LinkedIn's CEO has urged workers to abandon the idea of a fixed five-year career plan, arguing that changes in technology and workplace expectations make rigid planning unrealistic.

Ryan Roslansky said much of the career advice circulating on the professional networking platform no longer reflects how careers actually develop. Speaking to content creator Erin McGoff on her AdviceWithErin YouTube channel, he said the widely shared recommendation that professionals should map out the next five years of their working lives is outdated.

He believes trying to predict a detailed long term career path is “a little bit foolish.” Roslansky said it is no longer realistic to “chart out what the next five years of your life are going to look like,” given the pace of technological change and evolving roles across industries.

Focus on skills and experiences

Rather than setting fixed milestones years in advance, Roslansky encouraged workers to concentrate on learning goals and practical experiences, giving people greater flexibility as opportunities emerge.