Its not a surprise that most newly transitioning professionals are unclear of what to expect on their entrance into their careers. When seeking advice, young professionals are often provided with surface level recommendations on basic and what I would consider quite obvious things such as pay, what makes an individual a quality employee and being a sponge to any and all information that we come in contact with.
One of the least touched on topics, in my opinion, when it comes to the start of a professional’s career journey are the different career traps encountered and how focusing on developing a successful career strategy is honestly more important than the work itself. Instead we naively embark on a 30+ year voyage in dismay of the course ahead. We’re afraid to make mistakes, however prepared to be loyal, overworked and underpaid, equipped with the illusion that waiting our turn is the only way to achieve a certain status.
Successful careers don’t just happen. It takes much more effort and clarity to actually obtain a sense of fulfillment once you’ve settled on your choice of career path. Although I believe I had a little more information to go off on upfront, part of it being my personal desire to prove to myself the limits I could surpass, there were still some things I discovered and wished I’d acted on a little sooner, for ultimate career awareness.
Prepare to Take Risks
Interestingly enough, one thing I’ve never seemed to be afraid of is taking risks. Luckily, I’ve been able to see first hand how reluctancy weighs on people’s lives, in some cases even my own and how much it ends up impacting their overall happiness. Taking risks are a part of life and are a more common recreation than regarded.
Our willingness to take risks is what puts us in a competitive career advantage, being able to have more buy in on the direction in which it will take. Not every opportunity will be the right opportunity despite the salary and title its backed by or the enticing plan of growth your leadership trys to pin you with. Positioning yourself to obtain the career you can truly be satisfied with takes soul searching and changes that may have you questioning your better judgement. Those, however are always the ones to pay close attention to since often those questionable choices lead to more gratifying destinations.
Find Courage to Trust Yourself
At the very least, you have an idea of how you’d like your life to look, the impressions you want to make and the impact you envision yourself and your services having on others or the world. I recently realized that my subconscious vow to start here, to see that vision grow into fruition has been the driver of my actions that followed. Trusting who you are and what you want will give you the discernment in your career space to identify what will effect you both negatively and positively. Being this in tune will help to avoid sacrificing years of wasted time or tolerating poor treatment in jobs you have less of a connection with. Instead of seeking only a pay check to survive, you’ll be confident in your courageous ability to stand up for yourself, demand respect and reciprocate, as well as know when the time to move on – upward or outward, is nearing.
Protect Your Accomplishments
One thing you should never lose sight on is your accomplishments. The workplace itself is competitive and each day we’re either faced with an internal or external threat. Everyone has bad game days. As tough as this may be to admit and as much as we put up with the pressure to be top notch each shift, the reality of it is that we’re not capable of showing up in that way all the time and we should not allow the leaders or other coworkers to make us feel like this isn’t normal.
The most important thing we can do when our efforts are overlooked or taken for granted or even under compensated is to protect them. Even if your track record isn’t seeming to have a voice in your current climate, know there will always be other opportunities for you to use to your advantage to find a more willing, listening ear so to speak.
Take Your Career Development Personal
Something I preach a lot about when it comes to developing your personal career is taking responsibility of your own path. You should never be sitting on the sidelines waiting for a player to get hurt, retire or for the coach to decide its time to sub you in. Instead of allowing someone else to pilot your expedition, awaiting your arrival on their accord its beneficial that you take matters into your own and being intentional every step of the way. Either make your intentions known or move on someplace where they’ll be better appreciated and better utilized.