CAREER CRAFT MASTERY
with Erik Berger
Learn the inside secrets to landing the job you want and successfully growing your career!
Great to see you!
I'm Erik Berger
Silicon Valley's Top Recruiter & Career Mentor
Erik Berger is the founder of Career Craft Mastery, a career strategist shaped by nearly three decades inside Silicon Valley’s highest-performing teams. Having built and scaled organizations from the inside, Erik understands careers not as luck or timing—but as a craft that can be learned, practiced, and mastered.
Throughout his career, Erik has worked at the intersection of elite talent and world-class companies, helping teams grow while guiding individuals through pivotal career decisions. That vantage point—seeing both sides of the hiring table—became the foundation of Career Craft Mastery.
What sets Erik apart is his ability to decode how careers actually work. He teaches people how companies think, how hiring decisions are really made, and how to position his clients not just as qualified candidates—but as obvious choices. His approach blends real-world, high-level, recruiting insight with mentorship, strategy, and long-term thinking.
Career Craft Mastery exists for those who want more than a job. It’s for people who want clarity, confidence, and control over their professional path—and a guide who has walked it himself.
My Family
Family is at the heart of everything I do. I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and together we have six amazing children. Being a husband and father has shaped my values, work ethic, and perspective—teaching me the importance of commitment, growth, and leading with purpose. Those same principles guide my work with Career Craft Mastery, where I help others build careers that support not just success, but a meaningful life.
My Journey (and What It Taught Me)
I grew up in a small country town in the central valley of California, with no real roadmap for how the corporate world actually works.
Like a lot of hardworking people, I believed that if I kept my head down, worked hard, and did what I was told, things would naturally work out. No one ever pulled me aside to explain positioning, politics, timing, or how careers really move forward. So I tried to figure it out on my own.
That worked… until it didn’t.
At one point in my career, I experienced a colossal failure. I lost my job, my house, and—more importantly—my sense of direction. It was the moment I had to face a hard truth:
I didn’t actually know how to navigate the corporate world as well as I thought I did.
That low point became the turning point.
Instead of guessing anymore, I started actively seeking mentors—people who had built exceptional careers and understood the strategies behind their success. I studied how they thought, how they positioned themselves, how they made decisions, and how they handled setbacks. Then I applied those lessons relentlessly.
Over time, everything changed.
I pulled myself out of debt.
I rebuilt my confidence.
And eventually, through disciplined execution and better career strategy, I became a success.
But the thought that never left me was this:
What if someone had shown me this earlier?
What if someone had pulled me aside before the failure… before the loss… before I had to learn the hard way?
That question is the reason I do what I do today.
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My Career Path
My professional journey began at Oracle, where I managed core HR responsibilities and was promoted three times in two years. From there, I moved into the startup world with companies like Digital Impact and Mindjet, gaining firsthand experience in fast-paced, high-risk environments where clarity and positioning matter even more.
I later joined VMware and Linden Lab, placing elite technical talent across critical engineering teams and sharpening my ability to bridge business needs with human potential.
One of the most defining chapters of my career came at NIO, where I joined as Employee #3 in the U.S. and helped build the organization from the ground up. In less than four years, I played a key role in scaling NIO USA from 4 employees to more than 650—experiencing hypergrowth from the inside and seeing exactly how careers accelerate when people understand the system.
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Why I Help Early-Career Professionals
Beyond titles and accomplishments, my true passion is helping others avoid unnecessary struggle.
I’ve lived both sides of the equation:
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The pain of navigating corporate America with little guidance
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And the power that comes from understanding how to position yourself for the best outcomes
Today, my mission is simple, and that is to be the beacon I wish I had earlier in my career.
I help hardworking people—especially new graduates and early-career professionals—understand how to:
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Think strategically about their careers
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Communicate their value clearly
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Position themselves with confidence
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And move forward with intention instead of guesswork
Whether you’re a fresh college graduate trying to land your first role, or a corporate professional looking to gain a competitive edge, my goal is to be your trusted guide—helping you shorten the learning curve and build a career you’re proud of.
You don’t have to figure it out the hard way.
I already did.
Connect with me to turn your career ambition into real-world results.
