Best Things I’ve Done for My Career

Posted on March 15th, 2017

Among the blogs I follow, career-based content is relatively rare.  This is in part because a lot of the bloggers I follow blog full time and have non-traditional career paths, and in part because people are reticent to share too much of their professional lives with strangers on the internet, which I totally understand.  (Although I did love Krista’s recent post on the topic!)

With new internships and new post-graduation jobs right around the corner and the ongoing need to be a boss always lingering, I wanted to share a few of the things I’ve done in the first few years of my career that I feel like have made the biggest difference for my professional growth and advancement so far.  As with all posts of this type, I’m obviously not pretending like this is the one right way to conduct yourself or that following these tips will definitely be a good fit for you and your situation, but they have made a big difference for me.

I always have a point of view.  When identifying possible solutions to solve a problem or presenting different options for approaching a situation, I share my educated opinion on the direction to take.  If I realize, as I’m assessing the choices, that I don’t know enough to have an educated opinion, I do the research to change that.  Of course, it is equally important to listen and be receptive to other points of view, but sharing yours helps your business partners solve problems more efficiently, and will also give you increased credibility as a subject matter expert.  I used to be worried that I would seem too pushy or presumptuous, but when I was promoted recently, that behavior was the #1 thing mentioned as the way they knew I was ready for a higher title and increased responsibility.  I mean, I have an opinion about everything else in life, so why shouldn’t I when I’m at work, too?

I have a personal vision and goals.  When I was graduating from college, I was really reluctant to identify one single five year plan, thinking that instead it would be wise to keep my options open.  I’ve since realized that those two things are not mutually exclusive, and if you lack a personal vision for yourself, it is all too easy to lose focus and spend too much effort on things that do not align to your longterm goals.  Every week (if not more frequently!), I’m able to ask myself what I did at work that helped me grow closer to that vision.  I contextualize my personal priorities with what I envision my next step to be.  I’ve also been very transparent with the leaders on my team, and being able to articulate what I’m looking for to them enables them to set me up with opportunities to keep going down that path.  Of course, my path and my goals may change as I learn and encounter more, and that’s okay, too.

I view my professional identity as a brand.  How do I want others to perceive me?  Is the way I’m conducting myself reflective of that?  Is it different when I’m home vs. when I’m at work (yes!)?  These are questions I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about.  I see credibility as the key cornerstone of this, but at the end of the day this mostly means I behave more intentionally and thoughtfully at work.

I raise my hand.  If a workstream needs driving or a committee needs joining or a team outing needs organizing, I’m stepping in to do it.  This not only signals that you’re willing to take on new challenges and responsibilities, but also gives you exposure to people, parts of the business, or processes with which you might not otherwise interact, expanding your knowledge base and growing your network.

I am hungry for context and knowledge.  Whether it is a Harvard Business Review article on President Trump’s use of social media or a deck put together by the merchant team with their strategy for the upcoming season, a lot of what I read is only very loosely and tangentially related to my specific job.  Nevertheless, I try to connect how they should impact my team’s priorities and processes, which keeps me on my toes and ahead of the curve as changes filter throughout the industry and company.  To circle back to the idea of always having an educated point of view, staying informed and having context also helps me with my goals to be a subject matter expert to lend credence to my opinions.

I’ve read a few books that have really helped me with my professional approach, and want to mention Primal Leadership and The Leadership Challenge as being particularly impactful for me.  I find this topic really interesting, so I’d love to hear your thoughts, whether you’ve read something great or have a mantra or strategy to share.