114: Know Yourself, Not Just Your Direction with Mark Herschberg

From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark Herschberg has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. Mark attended MIT for six years. He earned a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science, and an M.Eng. in electrical engineering and computer science, focusing on cryptography. You might think that he was just a super focused, nerd. But Mark will be the first person to tell you that he was a poor student during his first three semesters, lacking a clear vision and organization. He thought he wanted to be a theoretical physicist and get a Ph.D., but his advisor sat him down early on and painted the stark picture of what he was aiming for. It was enough to make him reconsider his options. It was the mid-90s and computer science was growing while funding for physics was decreasing. After graduation, he stayed at MIT and worked doing research for a professor. He wasn’t sure what else he wanted to do. He looked at jobs and knew he didn’t want to work on Wall St. or in consulting. Microsoft was getting bigger but Mark was not attracted to large corporations. He wound up at a startup company, as he says, by default. Then he had to make some real decisions as the startup company split up and he had to choose which way to go. In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Mark’s journey: Mark wrote a comprehensive book, The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills For Success That No One Taught You, which shows you how to design and execute your personal plan to achieve the career you deserve. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. Mark helped the Economic Development Council in New York City with a program that helped people who lost their jobs after the 2008 financial crisis. Learn more and connect with Mark here: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Website Stay Connected: Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn @TammyGoolerLoeb on Instagram Work From The Inside Out Website Subscribe to newsletter