It looks like I’m in a tiny minority. Sure, I you want to follow a well trodden “career path” then follow advice until the day you retire. I can see how that m

It looks like I’m in a tiny minority. Sure, I you want to follow a well trodden “career path” then follow advice until the day you retire. I can see how that makes sense in academia, or medicine. If not, my advice is to stop taking advice from day 1, which may include this message :-) Careers are so 1990. Almost everyone has an agenda. One subconscious agenda is “I spent years following this path. You should also go through all the steps, so I can feel that my path was justified”. Most people’s advice is from a sample size of 1, or maybe 20 from close family and friends. It’s small, it’s historical, and it’s no basis upon which to make your own life decisions. Much like relationship advice. As another poster said - curate advice very carefully.