Career Champions Club

A community of next-generation leaders championing their careers in the world of disruptions. As a Career Coach, I help mid-career professionals in their dream job search and career growth with my online courses, career coaching and community membership. 
Are you looking for help to fast track your job search? Meet me in my live webinar.

Job Search Strategist, Career coach, Career Recharge Specialist, Founder

Professional events and industry summits 

I have been invited to speak and present on several forums like industry summits, startup events and college fairs including NDTV Smart50 challenge, Startup Investor Summit, Industry-Academia Conclave.

Guest Speaker, Keynote speaker, Judge, Invited speaker

Symbiosis Skills & Professional University

My contribution is to guide the institute in implementing industry-oriented practical credit courses for communication skill and soft skills.

Member of Board of Studies

IIM Calcutta Innovation Park

WordsMaya has been incubated and seed funded by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park under its INVENT program spearheaded by Villgro Innovations Foundation. The association with IIMC fueled its growth with seed funding and mentoring from industry stalwarts.

Incubatee. Funded startup entrepreneur, Social startups Entrepreneur

WordsMaya

WordsMaya is an EdTech startup on a mission to empower college students and professionals with professional communication skills to make them employable and more effective at their jobs. WordsMaya works for employee learning and development for corporates as well as employability training for institutes with an online blended (app+trainer) model.

It all started with inspiration fueled by the passion to help students and professionals in their careers. With a team of interns in one-room office, we built the first version of WordsMaya and taught students 'English on WhatsApp'. The idea took off quickly, built an app with chat-interface with video content and a team of trainers to take practice sessions. Well before the pandemic, the idea of online learning was not main stream, so it look time to get acceptance. The patience and perseverance of I and my partner, Sandeep paid off when we got acceptance from AICTE, Pune University, colleges across India and corporates. The funding from IIM Calcutta innovation Park and angel investors fueled the product development and growth. So far, we have empowered 14000 learners with our full courses and have reached 50000 learners through various other initiatives. We have many awards including ‘Smart 50 Solutions to Transform India' and has been featured on national media several times.

CEO and Founder (EdTech startup, Social startups , Seed funded startup entrepreneur)

Confederation of Indian Industry

WordsMaya was proudly the first startup onboarded as a member in CII Pune. I got an opportunity to present our work on stage in front of industry stalwarts several times in Industry-Academia Conclave. WordsMaya also organized a webinar for CII members on the most relevant topic in current times: effective virtual meetings was applauded with excellent feedback.

Member, Speaker and presenter on stage

TiE Pune

Getting mentored directly by serial entrepreneurs who have built, scaled and exited businesses gave a different perspective.

Mentee in TiE Nurture Program

Startup Leadership Program

I was VP-Learning responsible for curriculum for the next batch of selected entrepreneurs.

Member of Program Leadership team

I was selected in the batch of 25 entrepreneurs from 150 applicants for this 80-hour, 6-month world-class training program. I got a lifetime network of outstanding founders and innovators.

Fellow 2014-15 batch

Tata Research Development and Design Centre (TRDDC)

My very first job and I just loved it. I got the freedom to work on my ideas and also an inspiring company of innovators and accomplished scientists. I was the first person with only a bachelor's degree to get onboarded in my department with all IITians and PhDs.
I worked extensively on energy reduction techniques for industrial processes. I successfully helped a multi-disciplinary team progress through the full innovation cycle: ideation-development-IP creation-commercialization. I have filed several Indian and US patent applications and have number of international research publications to my credit. The best moments for me were the opportunity to pilot my patented idea for a large telecom company in the UK and presentation at a conference in Silicon Valley in front of top scientists and industry practitioners.

Scientist

Are you a spectator or a player?
Spectators wait for interview calls, competing with thousands. Players make things happen. 
They stand out, create opportunities, and market themselves like champions.

Which one are you?
Are you ready to remain stagnant and underpaid? Or are you ready to take control of your career and move forward with purpose?

I’m here to help. Say "hi" to me on LinkedIn, and let’s get to work.

About me:

I’m a scientist-turned-entrepreneur, now a career coach. My journey includes leading a startup that impacted 14,000 lives, speaking on major stages like NITI AYOG and NDTV, and learning hard lessons from closing my business after six years.

I’ve designed my own path—from engineering problem-solver to scientist, to EdTech entrepreneur. I’ve been awarded and featured on media, but what defines me is my resilience and refusal to settle.

As a career coach, I help mid-career professionals transform from job seekers to value creators. I don’t hand out jobs—I coach you to earn your dream role by becoming an entrepreneurial employee. Having seen both sides of the employer-employee relationship, I know how to make you stand out and attract the right opportunities.

Job seekers chase. Value givers attract.

If you’re ready to stop chasing and start leading your career, I’m ready to help. My Champions Job Search Gameplan has helped many professionals take control of their futures.

If my journey resonates with you, follow me on LinkedIn. Let’s engage and grow together.

Are you ready to make it happen?
Let’s get started.

You won’t believe this… but I scored the lowest in all languages in my board exams.



And yet today, people assume I was always good with words.


This photo…

One of my oldest memories..
me in school, receiving an award for winning an elocution competition.
People say, “Oh, you must’ve been a natural speaker.”
But I wasn’t good at English.
Not at Marathi.
Not even at Hindi.
I struggled to form sentences.
I couldn’t write a decent speech to save my life.
In fact, I scored the lowest in all languages in my board exams.


The only thing I could do…
was deliver a speech someone else had written.
My teacher wrote every word.
My mother sat with me at night, helping me memorize it line by line.
And still… they pushed me to the stage.
Even when I was scared.
Even when I doubted myself.
And something magical happened each time:


The butterflies in my stomach…
The spotlight hitting my face…
The eyes of the audience locked on me…
The silence before that first word…
And then the applause.
That quiet rush of:
“I did it.”
Those tiny moments…
those speeches and then those certificates…
They built the confidence I stand on today.
Not because I was talented
but because someone believed in me before I believed in myself.


That’s why I push my Champions now.
To speak up. To be visible. To pitch their ideas.
Because you don’t need perfect words.
You don’t need flawless grammar.
You don’t need to be “naturally confident.”
You just need one moment of courage.

One stage.
One chance to show up.
The stage will shape you, just like it shaped me.

Harshad Bhagwat

AI-Smart Career Transitions to Premium and Fulfilling Leadership Opportunities| Coaching Champions to Move from Frustration & Stagnation to Career Autonomy| 100+ Success Stories| Certified Career Coach| DM ‘coach’

Even today, I feel butterflies in my stomach before I speak.


Sometimes I fumble.
Sometimes my voice shakes a little.
But I show up anyway.

I wasn’t born confident on stage.
I wasn’t “naturally good” with words.
It’s something I’ve grown into, one step at a time.

And over the years, I’ve realised something simple:
Every time I embraced the stage, something shifted in my life.

I’ve spoken in front of scientists and senior leaders at conferences during my corporate years.
I’ve pitched to clients and investors during my entrepreneur days.
I now speak to rooms full of Champions as a coach and guide.

None of it came easy.
But each time I stepped up..I grew.
And with every stage, I gained something priceless:

Self-belief. Clarity. A new kind of power.

There’s something magical about watching people nod as you speak…
When your words land…
When your voice moves someone to action…
That energy is unmatched.

And I want every professional reading this to experience it.
Even if you’re an introvert.
Even if you’re scared.
Even if you’ve been silent for too long.

Start small.
Every Zoom call is a stage.
Every meeting room is a stage.
Every conversation is a chance to show up fully.
As Shakespeare said, life itself is a stage.

And you? You’re meant to speak.
To share.
To lead.
Your voice matters.
Your ideas matter.
Start speaking.

For years, I believed in doing more.

More hours. More goals. More hustle.

This year, my vision board has a different theme:
Being more.

And honestly… it’s changing how I show up in life, work, and leadership.

🏆This weekend, Career Champions Club completed 4 years.



We marked this milestone with a 2-day REBOOT session to celebrate and to reflect about how we think about leadership.

This REBOOT was the culmination of a week-long “Leadership From Within” morning sessions series, inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s teachings on fearlessness, self-belief, self-reliance, and conscious responsibility.

Across the week, one truth became very clear.
The real problem in corporate life isn’t just layoffs, unfair bosses, or broken systems.

It’s that too many capable people start believing small and slowly stop seeing themselves as leaders.

Over the last 4 years, Career Champions Club has evolved.

From just getting a job, to growing a career and now becoming a leader from within

This weekend’s REBOOT 2026 made that evolution visible.

We spoke about leadership beyond title or a future promotion but as a way of being.

How you think under pressure. How you take responsibility. How you influence, even without authority.

And then we did something powerful.
We created a Leadership Imprint canvas.

Each person was invited to reflect on two simple but deep questions:

What leadership change must I make in myself?
What leadership change will I create around me in teams, systems, or decisions?
What you see in the attached canvas is the intent.

Participants committing to:
removing fear from teams
bringing more innovation
questioning inefficient processes
leading with courage and fearlessness

This is what the Career CEO movement stands for.
Not complaining about the system.
Not waiting for someone else to fix it.

But fixing what we can influence starting with ourselves.
2026 is not about surviving corporate life.

It’s about thriving… and humanising it from the inside out.

This community is slowly becoming a place where leadership is practiced, not discussed.

If that excites you, stay tuned. More is unfolding.

They Said “We Can’t Match Your Salary”… She Got a 50% Hike Anyway.

Sneha didn’t just land a job.
She made the system change its rules for her.

A mid-senior pharma professional from Mumbai, she had spent 8 years in a support role with top companies. But she was done waiting.
She wanted more.. an on-role position, managerial growth, and a seat at the table.

Her resume wasn’t working. Her LinkedIn was barely alive. And opportunities? Dry.
But she didn’t just complain.

She rebuilt her resume using the Champions Jobathon system.

Then she joined the Accelerator Program — and the transformation began.

She:
✅ Switched from job portals to targeted outreach
✅ Rewrote her Value Giver Pitch based on real JDs
✅ Started meaningful conversations with ex-colleagues and hiring managers
✅ Followed up like a pro (not pushy, but strategic)

35 interviews.
3 solid offers.
And one… that changed it all.

The recruiter said:
“Your salary is out of our budget.”

She didn’t settle.
She insisted on being considered.
She aligned her achievements to their needs.
She negotiated with confidence, and they took special approval from the BU Head.

🎯 Final Result?
A brand manager role at one of the Top 5 Global Pharma Companies.
A role she EARNED. Not through luck — but by showing value, every step.

Sneha’s story isn’t rare in our community.

It’s what happens when strategy meets belief.

Watch her full story in the comments.👇

Want a gameplan like this? DM me ‘Accelerator’

Shark Tank Moment for Corporate Professionals



Smart professionals are changing how they approach their careers. They are not applying randomly. They present their value with intention.
They do not rely on long resumes. They do not send generic cover letters.
They show up with a clear story. They speak with proof of impact. They share a vision that makes sense to decision makers.

A resume is a brochure but pitch is a statement of value. That pitch shows what you have built, what you can solve, and what you can create next.
This is the shift every professional needs. A clear pitch and a clear message.

Inside Career Champions Club, we teach professionals how to present themselves with structure and confidence. Not with requests but with clarity.

Here is what your pitch must cover.
What you have built.
What you can solve.
What future you can create.
If someone asked you to explain your value in ninety seconds, could you do it clearly and confidently?

If not, it is time to upgrade your approach.

Comment “CAREER CEO “ and I will share the process for building a pitch that leads to real conversations and real offers.

Stop Begging for Referrals. It Is Quietly Killing Your Chances.

Those “Can you refer me?” messages. Those harmless “Anything open in your team?” DMs.

At mid-career, your networking message is not a request.

It is a signal of how you think. How you position yourself. How seriously you are taken.

Yesterday, a mentee got a referral using the exact framework I teach.

I have broken this smart networking framework down step-by-step in my latest blog.

Exactly what to say. How to say it. And why it works.

Read it here:

If you want better responses, start with better positioning.

View newsletter: Career Transitions Blueprint

Yesterday, a mentee messaged me: “Hi Harshad. Got a referral for one of the companies. Thanks to your Networking AI Sutra.” That message made me smile

Open article: How to Network the Smart Way Without Sounding Desperate or Annoying by Harshad Bhagwat • 6 min read

How to Network the Smart Way Without Sounding Desperate or Annoying

I refuse to stay silent anymore.


I am done watching high potential professionals stay trapped in a golden cage.
Good salary. Decent title. Steady progress.
And still no clarity. No control. No direction.


Too many brilliant minds are sleepwalking through their careers. They overwork. They overdeliver. Yet they remain underpaid, undervalued, and unseen.
The problem is not skill. The problem is that the system was not built for you to own your story.

I have coached champions who led large projects and still got skipped for promotion. I have coached champions who took career breaks and believed they were broken. I have coached champions who kept waiting, until they finally understood that no one is coming.

This is why I built the Career CEO Movement.
You do not need another degree. You need a system that puts you back in control. You need clarity. You need positioning. You need a way to stop playing small in rooms you have outgrown.

You are not here to survive your career. 
You are here to lead it.

That is the movement. That is the mission.

I am not here to motivate you. 
I am here to remind you who you already are.

If you are ready to take the driver’s seat, comment “CAREER CEO”.

Everyone told me to play safe. 
I didn’t.

I shifted from scientist to entrepreneur. 
Then from entrepreneur to coach.

Both transitions felt risky. 
Both changed my life.

Your career is not a fixed lane. 
You can shift at any point when clarity replaces fear.

I help mid career professionals do this with a clear plan. 
Not confusion. Not guessing.

DM “CAREER CEO” and I will share the exact roadmap I wish I had. 

Your next chapter starts when you take the wheel.

Most senior professionals are doing everything right.

Updating resumes. Applying regularly. Following recruiters.
And still… nothing moves.

One of my Champions got 3 offers without sending a single resume.

No portals. No ATS rejections. No chasing recruiters.

I’ve shared his exact strategy in this blog.

Worth reading if you’re mid/senior level and tired of being ignored.

Most senior professionals I speak to are doing the same things. They update their resume. They apply to dozens of job openings every week. They keep c

Open article: Get Job Offers Without Sending a Resume. A Step-by-Step Strategy for Senior Professionals. by Harshad Bhagwat • 4 min read

Get Job Offers Without Sending a Resume. A Step-by-Step Strategy for Senior Professionals.

This is what real Champions do. 

Shubham applied to 200 jobs… Zero replies. Not even one callback.

But then he joined Champions Program and learnt how to 

✅ Target the right roles instead of mass-applying

✅ Build real connections on LinkedIn, not just send requests

✅ Prepare for interviews using Champions AI Copilot

✅ Negotiate with confidence (and win!)

🏆Within 60 days, everything changed. 8 interviews. Multiple offers.

A remote US Job— and a completely new mindset.

DM me “Coach” if you’re ready to create your comeback story.

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