Where do you want to go next? How J&J Learn accelerates career growth

For early-in-career professionals, the most important question probably isn’t “What’s your job title today?” but “What do you want to do next?” That’s why we built J&J Learn—an intuitive, easy-to-use platform that prompts meaningful self-reflection and connects you with leaders and mentors from around the world to help guide your career growth. Here’s what it has meant for one young professional.

Mentorship over miles

A little over 3,600 miles, including an immense ocean, separate Belgium from New Jersey. The former is home to Birger Dutoit, who recently joined Johnson & Johnson as a Trauma Sales Consultant; the latter to John Knoble, Director, Global Strategic Skills and Capabilities, Medical Devices.

Despite the distance, the duo have developed a powerful mentor-mentee bond during the past year, partly thanks to a prompt from J&J Learn.

“I had definite plans about where I wanted to be in the next five or 10 years of my career, but I also realized that, in order to be a great leader, I needed to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the business,” Birger recalled.

The realization brought him to J&J Learn, where he completed a four-part self-reflection exercise—a key requirement, since it informs which mentors are recommended later on. And at the top of Birger’s list, surprisingly, was John, a senior leader with thirty-plus years of experience under his belt. The two clicked right away.

“I think we both sensed we were going to be a good fit immediately, because John is a very open person, but he can also be very direct, which are both qualities that I like,” Birger said.

“I remember discussing Birger’s career path in the course of many conversation—we’d prepare, meet, document what was said, then debrief afterwards—and I think that kind of time and effort strongly communicates your level of commitment to your mentee,” John said. “At the same time, the conversation itself is just one element of the mentor-mentee relationship. Equally important is what happens afterwards: the reflections you have, the work you do and the things you put into practice.”

For Birger, that meant pursuing a marketing track, and ultimately taking on a part-time six-month assignment in Global Growth Marketing, again thanks to J&J Learn.

Reflecting on the experience, Birger had this to say about career mobility at Johnson & Johnson: “If you’re willing to spend a few minutes each day thinking about where you are and where you want to be, then nothing is impossible here. Everything is within your reach.”