My 7 biggest mistakes in managing my career early on were:
1. Expecting my manager, HR and/or the company to develop my career 2. Thinking that working hard alone will help me grow 3. Thinking I had to finish everything 4. Focusing only on my direct scope 5. Comparing myself to others 6. Keeping my work to myself 7. Not building a network
Anyone reading this who has the same struggles, here’s my advice:
1. You own your career; take the initiative. Your manager, HR, and the broader organization are there to support you.
2. Working hard is not enough. Seek to understand which skills and competencies are required for the next level and work towards these.
3. There will always be more work than we can do. Pace yourself and focus on the few things that have the biggest impact.
4. Lean on curiosity. Ask questions to expand your understanding and take initiative on opportunities/challenges you identify, even if beyond your scope.
5. Be inspired by others, but obsess over how you can improve compared to yourself from yesterday. Everyone's journey is different.
6. Make your work visible, with a clear intention of improving it through feedback and scaling its impact.
7. It takes a village to grow. Build a network of mentors from whom you can seek guidance and sponsors to advocate on your behalf.
What else do you struggle with in your career journey?
I will advise as best as I can from my experience.
