McDonald’s CEO has some candid advice: ‘Nobody cares about your career as much as you do.’

• McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski shared his top career tip that might "hurt your feelings."
• The fast food chain executive said young workers should look out for their own careers.
• His comments come amid a broader shift away from loyalty between employees and employers.

As winter temps drop, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski is sharing some cold, hard facts.

The 57-year-old fast-food executive recently shared his top career tip in a viral Instagram video, warning that it might "hurt your feelings."

"Remember, nobody cares about your career as much as you do," Kempczinski said.

"This idea that there's somebody out there who's looking out for you, who's going to make sure that you get that opportunity, who puts you in the right thing — great if it happens," he said. "You've got to make things happen for yourself."

Kempczinski is, of course, not the first corporate leader to make this observation.

Several, including Business Insider founder Henry Blodget, have for years recommended that workers "be the CEO of your career."

"When people enter the workforce, they often imagine that their job and career success and satisfaction is someone else's responsibility," Blodget wrote in 2023.

Blodget said that some school and early-career situations involve predictable requirements and progressions, often with a mentor whose job it is to help you succeed. However, that model often stops working sooner or later, leaving the individual solely responsible for their own direction.

Kempczinski's comments also come amid a broader shift away from loyalty between employees and employers, a shift that was probably best summarized earlier this year in a memo from AT&T CEO John Stankey.

"I understand that some of you may have started your tour with this company expecting an 'employment deal' rooted in loyalty, tenure, and conformance with the associated compensation, work structure, and benefits," Stankey said. "We have consciously shifted away from some of these elements and towards a more market-based culture — focused on rewarding capability, contribution, and commitment."

In an earlier video, Kempczinski shared a key tip to help workers get control over their time, energy, and attention: "Be organized."

Kempczinski said he keeps a tidy email inbox, computer, and workspace.

"Staying organized is a way to make me stay focused," he said.

Taken together, it's safe to say that you should keep track of what you need to do for your own life and career because nobody else is going to do it for you.