Jean Kang

✨ PM Career Coach, x7 pivoter, helping other pivoters land amazing Program Manager roles and 🔥 thrive on the job | Founder of 🚀 Path to PM | Senior Program Manager @ Figma • Ex-Linkedin, Meta, Pinterest, Intuit

Over the last decade, I led impactful programs at companies like LinkedIn, Pinterest, & Figma.

But here’s the part that surprises people:

- I didn’t have a PMP certification.
- I’m a proud career pivoter. 
- I didn’t check every box.

What I did have was strategy, storytelling, and a clear sense of how to articulate my value.

That’s how I landed multiple 6-figure Program Manager roles at top tech companies not by following the “traditional” path, but by leaning into my superpowers. 

Eventually, I had a spark to do something different..

What if I used the same skills that helped me thrive in Big Tech… to build something of my own?

So I left to bet on myself (again). 

And what served me well in my career also helped me as a solopreneur.

I owned my story, built with intention and shared learnings in public.

I started creating content in 2023 and in 2 years, built a community of 350K+ across LinkedIn, Instagram, and my newsletter.

Today, I’m the founder of the PM Accelerator, a career transformation program where I help senior professionals land high-paying PM roles without another certification or starting over. 

My mission is to democratize access to tech careers + empower folks to design a career, business & life they love especially in this era of AI.

The Results:

→ Partnered with Google, Hubspot, NVIDIA, Adobe, Kajabi, Notion, & more
→ LinkedIn Learning Instructor with 200K+ learners
→ 100M+ impressions over the last year
→ 230K+ follow my journey on LinkedIn
→ Built a $200K+ business in 1 year 
→ 32K+ read my newsletter 
→ (soon TEDx speaker 😱)

If you want to learn the exact framework I used to land dream PM roles + help others do the same… 

📌 APPLY TO THE PM ACCELERATOR (link in bio)

In this 5-week career acceleration program, I teach you how to get interviews, land dream offers and literally thrive on the job.  

I helped 100+ students land PM roles at Microsoft, SoFi, Scale.AI, Adidas, Workday and more (many in under 4–7 weeks)

→ GO HERE: pm-accelerator.com 

📧 jean@jean-kang.com for partnerships, collaborations, and speaking opportunities

📌 Media kit: jean-kang.com

Founder & CEO

"Jean isn’t a program manager coach solely because she’s done the role. She’s a coach because she’s done both the role AND gone the extra mile to document what she’s researched and learned masterfully. 

“Jean’s the real deal, and I couldn’t recommend her more to someone questioning how to take the next step in their career."

Leadership isn’t a title.

It’s how you make people feel.

💸 Get promo ready here: https://lnkd.in/gvq4UBgW

My assistant said this to me the other day 💙

“When I talk to managers, I get the feeling they're important. 
When I talk to leaders, I get the feeling I'm important.”

And said this is how I make her feel 🥹 (best compliment ever)

Here’s what I’ve learned about leading with kindness

(and why it’s often your secret weapon for getting ahead especially if you’re eyeing a promotion)

☝🏼 Create psychological safety

↳ People can only thrive when they feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and be themselves without fear of judgment.
↳ Avoid interrupting or dismissing ideas, even if they aren’t fully formed yet
↳ Ask for feedback, “How can I support you better?” or “Do you need more clarification?”

✌🏼 Turn mistakes into learning moments

↳ Focus on “What can we learn?” instead of “Who’s at fault?”
↳ Provide specific guidance on how to avoid the same mistake (ex. “Here’s what to do next time when X happens. What do you think?”

🤟🏼 Give meaningful appreciation & recognition

↳ Get to know how each individual WANTS to be recognized (via DMs, team meeting, more flexibility etc)
↳ Create rituals, like “Win of the Week,” to make appreciation part of the culture

🖖🏼 Care deeply for their well-being

↳ Check in with team members beyond work - ask, “How are you really doing?”
↳ Normalize taking breaks by doing it yourself and encouraging others to do the same (”I don’t expect you to work after hours or on weekends”)
↳ Reinforce that they should focus on their well being > work. Say, “Hey, I know you’re sick. Cancel your meetings and transfer any open work. I’ll handle it.”

Leadership isn’t about power. It’s about people.

If you want to truly thrive in your career, and land the promotion you deserve

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Here’s a wildly valuable and completely free Promotion Readiness Calculator built by the brilliant Shivani Berry that gives you a custom report in < 2 minutes.

Here’s what it does

☝🏼 Identifies the exact lever blocking your promotion

✌🏼 Gives you detailed, actionable next steps to remove the block and bag your dream promo

💸 Get promo ready here: https://lnkd.in/gvq4UBgW

♻️ Repost if you agree & follow Jean Kang for more.

Tech Creator (400k+) & Founder | Ex-LinkedIn, Meta, Figma | Solopreneur, TEDx Speaker & LinkedIn Learning Instructor helping you build AI literacy ✨

KPI = 
Key Performance Indicators

The New Leadership
KPI
Keep people interested
Keep people informed
Keep people involved
Keep people inspired

Be the person people want to work with.

How you collaborate will define your career more than anything else.

Because let’s be real. 

No one wants to work with the person who’s genius but impossible to deal with.

Here are 6 traits that make you an invaluable teammate:

__

1. Be dependable ☝🏼

↳ Follow through on what you say you'll do.
↳ Show up on time. Physically and mentally.
↳ Be the person others know they can count on.

2. Communicate like a boss ✌🏼

↳ Get to the point (lead with a headline).
↳ Keep people updated before they have to ask.
↳ Listen with the intent to understand, not just to reply.

3. Make other people’s jobs easier 🤟🏼

↳ Offer solutions vs problems.
↳ Offer help before you're asked.
↳ Share resources, knowledge, and wins.

4. Take ownership of everything (Good or bad) 🖖🏼

↳ Give credit where it’s due.
↳ Don't wait for someone else to step up. Be that person.
↳ Say this: “I dropped the ball. Here’s what happened and what I’ll do next time …”

5. Show appreciation 🖐🏼

↳ Say *thank you.* A lot.
↳ Celebrate small wins. Not just big results.
↳ Recognize someone’s effort, not just the outcomes.

People remember how you made them feel. Make them feel valued.

At the end of the day, the best career move isn’t just getting better at your job.

It’s getting better at working with people.

What’s one trait that makes someone amazing to work with? Drop it below 👇

be the person that everyone wants to work with

📣 Employees who feel appreciated will always do more than expected.

Spoiler alert: 

If they’re not growing, they’re GOING ✌🏼

I’ve left jobs where I felt undervalued, underutilized, & unsupported.

And by choosing to leave, I found myself in healthier workplaces where I was:

✅ Supported by my manager

✅ Recognized for my contributions

✅ Treated with respect and kindness

✅ Encouraged to take time off without the guilt

5 simple things to show your people you actually care:
__

☝🏼1. Be personally helpful

↳ Forward a helpful article, intro them to someone who can help, or share a tool that made your life easier.

Example: “Hey, this podcast made me think of you. It has great advice for client conversations!”

✌🏼2. Connect with, not above, your people

↳ Open up about your own challenges. Ask for feedback you’ll actually use.

Example: “I’ve been feeling stretched lately too. Curious what's one thing I could do better to support you this week?”

🤟🏼3. Get curious about their life outside of work

↳ Ask about their weekend, their dog, their side project. Actually remember the details.

Example: “How was Max’s first soccer game? You looked so proud in that photo!”

🖖🏼4. Acknowledge their people

↳ Celebrate their partners, families, even friends who support them.

Example: “We’d love to see your partner at the team BBQ. Would they be open to joining us?”

🖐🏼5. Be radically transparent

↳ Honest, kind feedback beats sugarcoating every time. Truthful & transparent feedback is a gift.

↳ Try the SBI method: Situation, Behavior, Impact

Example: “In today’s meeting (S), when you interrupted Jane (B), it shifted the room's tone (I). Can we be more mindful of that next time?”

Happy employees make the best employees. Repost if you agree 🙏🏼

Repost if you agree 🙌🏼

a person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected

I quit my job after 14 days.

The culture reflected in the interview was NOT the reality of working there.

The interview process was amazing.

I was so excited to join a great company culture.

Unfortunately, I noticed 🚩red flags in my first week.

My boss started to micromanage, degrade, and control me.

The reality was that what I was told in the interview was a lie.

So many people told me that I should never leave a job under 1 year.

They said being a ‘job hopper’ would ruin my career, but I decided to own my story.

I chose to leave my job under 1 month to preserve my mental health.

In doing so, I landed better roles, greater salaries, a kind manager, and a healthy culture conducive to my growth.

Don’t let anyone shame you for leaving a job because it looks 'bad.'

Staying at a toxic job long-term destroys your mental health.

It’s okay to leave and put yourself first.
__

5 questions to ask if you're in the right place 👇🏼

1/ Am I challenged?

2/ Am I learning & growing?

3/ Do I feel like I can make an impact?

4/ Do I align with the values of the company?

5/ Am I being valued & recognized for my work?

If the answers are NO, it’s time to start looking.

Because person or job is worth your mental health 💙

Repost if you believe mental health matters 🙏🏼

Image credit: Thinking Minds IG

Tech Creator (400k+) & Founder | Ex-LinkedIn, Meta, Figma | Solopreneur, TEDx Speaker & LinkedIn Learning Instructor helping you thrive at work using AI

knowing when to leave is so important. the party. the job. the relationship.

From 23 to 33, my income jumped 10x 

Looking back, here are the smartest things I did:

1/ Negotiated every offer 

Not just salary, also sign-on, PTO, title, bonus, equity, & professional development budget.

I’ll share my top negotiation tips I gave Business Insider in the comments.

2/ Approached *every* job with an ownership mentality 

I stopped being just an employee. I showed that I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, wear different hats, and bring solutions (not just problems).

Remember, you are the CEO of your own career.

3/ Built a side hustle with a 9-5

I launched a coaching business while working FT at Figma and made +$30K in my first year.

It was proof that optionality is everything.  

4/ Invested in my personal brand 

I started posting on LinkedIn 3 years ago, and it genuinely changed my life. 

It helped me leave my tech career, replace my salary in < 1 year, and start living my dream life.

5/ Got ✨great✨ at articulating my impact

This one’s important. I learned early on that good work alone isn’t enough. What matters is whether people see it and believe it.

You need receipts. Track outcomes, tell the story behind your results, and build relationships internally. Make it so easy for people to advocate for you.

Lastly, if you’re not learning, earning, or growing in your role. 
It’s time to leave. No one can make this decision for you.

And there is a huge opportunity cost if you choose to stay at a place with no growth. 

If you’re ready to grow in your PM career: to land a strategic role, increase your impact and income, and feel confident doing it…

I help senior professionals level up their leadership and land roles they love (in big tech or not)

Want to accelerate your career?

Apply here to work with me: https://lnkd.in/d8e-JAPt

My best career advice:

At every job, you should either learn or earn. Either is fine. Both is best.

If neither, quit.

Me in my 20s:

- I want to buy a home
- I want to make 6 figures
- I want to work at big companies

Me in my 30s:

- I prioritize peace and presence
- I build products that actually help people
- I crave deep, tech-free time with the people I love

So… what changed?

After hitting my “big goals” by 27, I still felt empty.

The titles, the salary, the wins… and yet something was missing.

That’s when I realized success wasn’t about MORE.

It was about alignment.

At 33, success looks very different:

🟢 Freedom > big salary
🟢 Meaningful experiences > status
🟢 Systems that scale > constant hustle

In this new phase of my career (and life), I’m blessed to partner with companies like HighLevel.

They make it possible to:

↳ Run your entire business from 1 platform (not 5)
↳ Automate client acquisition, follow-ups, and fulfillment
↳ Replace a messy stack of tools with one system that actually works
↳ Scale without being “always on”

Whether you’re a creator or founder, the right tools give you leverage so your business supports your life (not the other way around).

We’re only a few weeks into 2026.

So here’s the real question:

What are you building now that your future self will thank you for?

It’s never too late to redefine success and design a business that gives you your life back.

🔗 Get a 30 day free trial using my link: https://lnkd.in/gVmx7R86 even get a free 1-1 call with their team)

Brand partnership • Tech Creator (400k+) & Founder | Ex-LinkedIn, Meta, Figma | Solopreneur, TEDx Speaker & LinkedIn Learning Instructor helping you build AI literacy ✨

a career is great. a meaningful life is better.

The most important decision I ever made?

Wasn’t picking the right job.

It wasn’t where I chose to live.

And it wasn’t launching a business.

It’s marrying the right person. 

I married my hubby when I was 29.

I met him a night club in SF after losing my mom to cancer and walking away from a toxic relationship.

From the start, I knew he was different because for the first time, I didn’t have to dim my light to make someone else feel strong. 

Nearly 4 years later, we’re living and building our dream life *together*

I realized that this is the single most important decision in your LIFE. 

This one decision will impact everything: your career, health, and happiness.

Choose the right life partner.

It will 90% determine your happiness or misery.

__

Here are a few signs I knew he was the one:

1/ He celebrates my wins (no matter how big or small)

Whether it’s a new opportunity, a raise, or a bump in follower count, he’s my biggest cheerleader. 

When I gave my TEDx talk in Chicago, he flew out just to watch and support me 🥹
__

2/ What’s important to me became important to him

These include core values, rituals, showing up for family and friends.

He didn’t need to fully understand everything right away, but he made the effort to learn what mattered to me and why.

__

3/ We are open and honest with each other

We don’t play games and I finally found a partner I could have candid convos — good, bad, and ugly. We don’t have secrets and when one of us messes up, we apologize (screw the ego).

__

4/ We don’t keep score

It’s not 50/50. When I have a long workday, he takes care of food, dishes, and the little things. And when he needs my support, I step in. We support because we want to, not because we have to. 

__

5/ Simplest things become a treasure

Basic things become fun like Costco / Target runs, afternoon walks, or just watching Netflix in bed.
Simple moments become our happy place :) 

So blessed I got to marry my best friend (and hope you do too).

I help 32,000+ professionals build a more meaningful career & life through actionable advice, including how to use AI to thrive, not just get by.

They read and apply the 3-minute playbooks I send (most) Monday mornings.

You’ll learn:
- How to build wealth without burning out
- The strategies that helped me build a 400K+ audience
- Why most of us ask the wrong questions, and how to ask better ones
- How I went from $0 to $500K/year in under 2 years after quitting tech

🔥 BONUS: Get my LinkedIn Growth Playbook, including the exact steps I used to reach 250,000+ followers in <  2 years (all for $0). 

Join here: https://lnkd.in/eyAu4-8b

choose the right life partner. It will 90% determine your happiness or misery

AI can get you hired 🤯

My community has been LOVING this trick for standing out.

Here’s how to turn your LinkedIn profile into a ✨killer✨ personal website < 3 minutes
__

1. ☝🏼 Download your LinkedIn profile as a PDF

2. ✌🏼 Go to Replit(.)com + Create App 

3. 🤟🏼 Click Design + drop in the PDF with this prompt in ChatGPT (just tag “Replit”) 
__

“Create a modern, dark-mode personal website using my LinkedIn PDF. Include sections for Home, About, Experience, and Projects. Add smooth scroll navigation, a clean grid layout, my profile image, my updated headline, and space for key stats. Use a deep charcoal background with minimal neon accents. Make it look custom coded and easy to update.”

___

4. Click “Start Designing.”

5. Adjust the content + layout

6. ✅ Hit publish and share live ✨ (that’s it!) 

Congrats 🥳, you’ve created a beautiful, shareable version of your story 🎊

Now here’s a bigger reason why this matters (and why vibe coding is having a moment).

While everyone’s raving over Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and other “AI-first dev tools”, I personally found it intimidating as a non-technical person.

And I found Replit is one of the best places to take my genuine curiosity into an actual *tangible* product (and bring my ideas 💡 → life)

(But if you are *technical*, Replit still works with Claude Code).

I’d love to invite you to build something from zero to 1 (and see how fun it can be!)

📌 Bring your creative ideas to life here: https://lnkd.in/dNGeWji5

#ReplitPartner

Turn your LinkedIn Profile Into a Personal Website

LinkedIn search can get you *hired*

But most people are doing it wrong. 

Try this simple trick to find target roles 👇🏼

Use the *NOT* operator to find hiring posts in < 2 minutes.
__

1. Go to the LinkedIn search bar
2. Paste this search:

`(TPM OR "technical program manager" OR "program manager") AND (hiring OR "we are hiring" OR "join my team") NOT (intern OR internship OR junior OR "entry level")`

1. Hit Search
2. Click Posts
3. Filter by Past week
4. Open 10 posts and comment something thoughtful
5. Connect with the poster and send a short message

Here are 3 more searches to save 📌 depending on your goals:

1. ☝🏼 Remote roles
   
  `(TPM OR "technical program manager" OR "program manager") AND (remote OR hybrid) NOT onsite NOT "5 days"`
   
2. ✌🏼 Avoid staffing posts (you want the hiring manager)
   
  `(TPM OR "technical program manager" OR "program manager") AND hiring NOT (staffing OR agency OR recruiter)`
   
3. 🤟🏼 Target mid senior scope (for strategic, higher-paying roles)
   
  `(TPM OR "technical program manager" OR "program manager") AND (lead OR "cross functional" OR roadmap) NOT (coordinator OR junior OR internship)`
   

Now, you’ve built a pipeline of hot leads 🔥

(which is way more effective than spraying + praying).

Quick tip:

Use uppercase *NOT*

Group multiple exclusions in parentheses like this:

NOT (intern OR internship OR junior OR "entry level")

Try it and tell me what comes up for you 😉

If you’ve already done this, you’re ahead of 99% of people.

Share your favorite search string in the spirit of sharing 🙏🏼

Repost to share this step by step guide 🫶

I help 32,000+ professionals build a more meaningful career & life through actionable advice, including how to use AI to thrive, not just get by.

They read and apply the 3-minute playbooks I send (most) Monday mornings.

You’ll learn:
- How to build wealth without burning out
- The strategies that helped me build a 400K+ audience
- Why most of us ask the wrong questions, and how to ask better ones
- How I went from $0 to $500K/year in under 2 years after quitting tech

🔥 BONUS: Get my LinkedIn Growth Playbook, including the exact steps I used to reach 250,000+ followers in <  2 years (all for $0). 

Join here: https://lnkd.in/eyAu4-8b

How to use LinkedIn Search to get *HIRED*

7 Korean proverbs that will change your perspective (in life and career). 

What still sticks with me from childhood to adulthood (instilled by my Dad): 

"𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮" ✨

Which one resonates with you?

📌 Share and follow Jean Kang for more.

7 Korean Proverbs That Will Change Your Perspective 

You’re gonna want to 📌 this

OpenAI shared prompt hacks by job function + work use case 🙌🏼

(and they’re REALLY good)  

Think:

- IT
- HR
- Sales
- Product
- Marketing
- Managers
- Engineering
- Customer Success

You're welcome 🤗

Dropping the link to OpenAI Academy  ⬇️ 

Learn how to use ChatGPT for any role: https://lnkd.in/gwvkduCJ

Share this with your work bestie 🫶🏼

PM roles in tech explained in 1 min 😉

Product and Program Managers sound similar, but they’re NOT the same 🙈

Watch till the end to see the difference (and see which one fits YOU best)

If you’ve been wanting to land a Program Manager role and know you can do it *really* well (without having the PM title).

That’s exactly what I’m helping professionals do :)

If you’re ready to grow in your career, to land a strategic role, increase your impact + income…

I’d love to help you level up your influence, articulate your value and land a job that you love (without needing another degree or certification)

Apply here to work with me: https://rb.gy/q08oyc

National Retailer & Heirloom Refurbisher

• Ensure full compliance with Federal and State employment laws by aligning HR policies accordingly
• Maintain precise personnel records through meticulous administration of HRIS (ADP Workforce Now)
• Act as the primary resource for all HR-related matters and offering guidance on HRIS utilization and optimization
• Provide resolution to employee inquiries regarding benefits and worker’s compensation
• Execute bi-weekly multi-state payroll processing with strict adherence to state regulations
• Offer proactive counseling and support to supervisors and staff, fostering a positive work environment and resolving issues effectively
• Drive the implementation and management of strategic HR initiatives to foster continuous growth and development opportunities for our workforce

Human Resources Generalist

Your Recruiter Friend

• Advise business leaders on best practices for people-related initiatives including policy implementation, federal regulations, performance improvement planning, and workforce planning
• Provide guidance to job seekers and individuals looking to move up in their careers through skills assessments, interview coaching, developing personalized career objectives based on individual interests and goals, and provide training on job search tools.

Workforce Planning Consultant, Career Coach

Various Companies

• Compliance and policy adherence
• Corporate communications management and intranet implementation and maintenance
• Performance management, performance improvement planning (PIP), and exit interviewing
• Onboard orientation design, implementation, and training
• Workforce planning, recruitment lifecycle establishment, and talent acquisition
• Employer branding and talent marketing
• Compensation benchmarking and fringe benefits package design
• Stakeholder advising and coaching
• Employee relations, conflict resolution, and mediation counseling
• Cost-saving identification and process auditing
• Culture initiatives, Employee Resources Groups (ERGs), and team building event planning

Human Resources | Talent Acquisition | People Operations

People Experience & Talent Brand Programs • Mental Health Reformist • Board of Directors AFSP

I’m an accomplished People & Talent professional with proven experience in driving policy implementation and developing strategic initiatives that propel organizational objectives. My expertise encompasses compliance and corporate policy implementation, full-cycle recruiting and workforce planning, providing guidance to executive stakeholders on people operation matters, and overseeing employee relations and performance management.

Additionally I'm a graduate student at 🐺 Stony Brook University pursuing my Masters degree in Human Resources Management.

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Jean Kang

Rebecca Lee Doran

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The Battle

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Engagements

Likes

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