Beyond ‘Gaining Experience’: Idris Akinlabi on Building Career Value in Your Twenties

In a recent LinkedIn post, Idris Akinlabi , PHRi™ MCIB discusses a common misconception many young professionals hold about career progression: the overemphasis on simply accumulating years of experience. Akinlabi argues that while many graduates aim to “gain experience,” this goal is often too generic and fails to differentiate them in a competitive job market.

According to Akinlabi , the real differentiator for career advancement isn’t just time served, but the ability to translate that experience into tangible business value. He highlights a common pitfall where individuals believe loyalty and tenure alone will lead to rewards.

“The painful truth is that experience alone does not make you valuable. Employers promote, recommend, and pay people who know how to turn experience into business value.”

The Dangers of Confusing Time with Growth

Akinlabi shares an anecdote illustrating this point, recounting a conversation with two graduates who started their careers around the same time. Three years later, one remained in a similar role with little salary increase, while the other had strategically moved companies, negotiated better compensation, and actively built projects outside of their core job responsibilities. This disparity, Akinlabi points out, shows how the market values individuals differently based on their demonstrated impact, not just their years in the workforce.

He emphasizes that mistaking time spent at a job for actual career growth is a significant error. “Showing up to work every day is not the same as becoming more employable,” Akinlabi writes. This distinction is crucial for young professionals seeking to build a sustainable and rewarding career path.

Cultivating Employability: Evidence Over Elapsed Time

The core of Akinlabi’s message is a call to action for professionals in their twenties to focus on building demonstrable value. He suggests that each year should contribute to stronger skills, compelling stories of achievement, measurable results, an expanded professional network, and increased confidence.

“Every year should leave you with stronger skills, better stories, measurable results, a larger network, and more confidence than the year before.”

Akinlabi challenges the notion of simply getting older in a role, advocating instead for becoming “expensive to replace.” This involves actively collecting evidence of one’s contributions and impact, rather than passively counting the years of employment. He asserts that successful career trajectories are built not by those who simply work the longest, but by those who intentionally create proof of their worth and readiness for greater opportunities.

Shifting the Focus to Demonstrable Impact

In his post, Akinlabi advocates for a proactive approach to career development. Instead of relying on the passive accumulation of experience, he urges individuals to focus on quantifiable achievements and strategic career moves. This means actively seeking out projects that allow for measurable outcomes, developing skills that are in high demand, and building a professional narrative backed by concrete results.

“Stop counting years and start counting evidence. The people who build the strongest careers are rarely the ones who worked the longest. They are the ones who intentionally built proof that they deserve bigger opportunities.”

Ultimately, Idris Akinlabi , PHRi™ MCIB’s insights serve as a critical reminder for young professionals to be deliberate in their career planning, ensuring their efforts translate into significant value and opportunities rather than just a passage of time.