What if the best career move you can make is choosing curiosity over the script everyone expects you to follow? For Tarun Kohli, stepping away from traditional and trendy paths opened doors he never could have predicted — IBM, consulting, ESG strategy, and a career built on learning, contribution, and long‑term purpose.

Tarun shares how uncertainty, exploration, and self‑awareness shaped his early career. From support roles at IBM to radical innovation consulting to investing in an ESG program long before it paid off, his journey shows why non‑linear careers often lead to the most meaningful growth.

He opens up about:

• Navigating away from traditional and trendy Indian career expectations

• Why curiosity — not titles — shaped his early years at IBM

• How adding more value than expected leads to promotion

• Leaving IBM to pursue innovation consulting

• Why setbacks often reveal their meaning years later

• The importance of mentorship and self‑awareness

• Investing in an ESG program long before it paid off

• Remembering that we’re living our lives while building our careers

• Why your career doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Tarun Kohli and His Background

04:41 Navigating Away from Traditional and Trendy Career Paths

09:04 Following Curiosity Early in Your Career

11:33 Starting at IBM Support and Learning Through Opportunity

16:57 Driven by Curiosity and Problem‑Solving, Not Ladder‑Climbing

22:34 How to Get Promoted: Add More Value Than Expected

26:21 Leaving IBM for Radical Innovation Consulting

30:47 Setbacks Often Reveal Their Meaning Later

37:34 Mark Reflects on Wisdom He Wasn’t Ready to Receive

41:24 Hiring Reflections: When a Resume Looks Unstable

43:03 Tarun’s Experience Hiring Someone with a Non‑Linear Path

45:22 Investing in an Expensive ESG Course Without Knowing the Payoff

47:52 That Investment Paid Off Three Years Later

51:21 Don’t Forget We’re Living Our Lives While Building Careers

55:00 Tarun’s Advice: Embrace How Your Career Is Different

58:05 Careers Will Work Themselves Out Over Time

59:16 Closing Remarks

Discovery Optimization

This episode explores curiosity‑driven careers, non‑linear growth, early‑career exploration, IBM pathways, innovation consulting, ESG strategy, and the value of learning over ladder‑climbing. Ideal for listeners navigating uncertainty, career detours, or the pressure to follow traditional scripts.