5 KEYS to becoming a High-Performing graduate within corporate.

So, this month I celebrated 5 years working within the corporate space, upon reflection I must admit that I am quite amazed on the personal growth that I have experienced since kickstarting my career as a fresh graduate in a formal development graduate programme.

I have made a complete full circle moment because today I now have the amazing opportunity to develop the most ambitious graduates within industry- I get to have a front row seat as my graduates navigate their Early Career phase.

They really truly inspire me?? because of how confident they are, I was not that kind of graduate...

The best way to describe myself 4-5 years ago was that I was what you could call a “NERVOUS” graduate.??????

I was scared to show up not because I didn’t have ambition, but because I felt like an imposter, I didn’t have the self-belief in myself, nor did I think I was worthy enough to be in the rooms I found myself in…

I never spoke up, nor did I share my thoughts or opinions- I was voiceless ??#muted I wanted to be invisible… because what if I showed up and failed?

Let me rather be mediocre “not stand out” or put too much attention to myself.??

I hid for a good 2 years in the beginning of my career and didn’t allow the people around me to access my true potential that was a mistake on my part…

I didn’t have an Olwethu posting insightful content, teaching amazing courses and?? live training sessions to build me up into a high potential professional as I navigated my Early Career phase.

My experience has come with a lot of true lessons and real insights which helped me develop 5 KEYS that I have found to be essential for any graduate who wants to build a successful career or be considered as a high performing professional within the corporate space.??

????KEY 1- BUSINESS ACUMEN:

It doesn’t matter what position you hold in a company, understanding basic business acumen directly affects and impacts how well you perform.??

So how does one define business acumen???

?It is the ability to see the big picture of the business and to make decisions that align with its overall strategy.

Now as a graduate you are probably wondering well that is all great but where do I fit in all of this???

??So let me give you 4 steps you can execute today that will increase your overall business acumen.

Step 1: Identify The BIG KPI:

?You want to be valuable?

Identify the pain point the KPI that gives your line manager sleepless nights??- this is the most vital KPI you want to be aligned with.

Step 2: Understanding that you are accountable to the company:

? You are getting paid to meet a performance objective unlike university, you don’t perform you get fired.

Step 3: By learning the culture of the organisation and team and acclimatizing accordingly.

You can’t change the team dynamic or culture you need to acclimate.

Step 4: By navigating with career with intention.

By aligning to a field specific career path??? as you plan your next career move.

???KEY 2-MASTERY:

How does one develop MASTERY???

?Step 1: Build up your field- specific technical skills.??

?Step 2: Applying those skillsets practically and measuring the level of competence through performance feedback??.

So how does one build up their technical skills???

?Step 3: Through work exposure- (On the job training)

?Now elaborating on step 3 you need to understand that “on the job training” can be allocated into 4 different stages:

1?? Level 1: Job shadowing and observation ??

2?? Level 2: Administrative work tasks ??????

3?? Level 3: Acting

4?? Level 4: Strategic-high-level work ??????

?Step 4: Preparation for receiving performance feedback.

So, what is performance feedback???

"Is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization."

?Unless you are an entrepreneur someone will always be the decision maker in whether you are promoted or fired.

???KEY 3- LEARNING:

Increasing your field specific knowledge through formal training:

This could include:

??Doing a Qualification???, webinars??, masterclasses, formal courses??????, workshops?????? and professional board registration and industry certifications??

??Another important element to speak of when we discuss learning is acquiring a Learning Mindset??:

By:

??Seeking out developmental opportunities and ask for work.

?? Understanding that there is nothing such as a stupid question.

??Allowing yourself to be stretched and be comfortable being placed out of your comfort zone

???KEY 4- PEOPLE:

It’s all about building up your social capital because your network is your networth ?????? the sooner you realize that the quicker you will climb the corporate ladder-?? this is a social game!

??Here are the 4 people to include your career advisory board:

?ROLE MODEL:

??They act as a source of inspiration, motivate even in the most difficult workdays.

??You want to be them one day- they are who you plan to be when you in the pinnacle of your career.

?A MENTOR:

If you are a graduate, how do you choose a mentor???

??I always advise graduates when choosing a mentor to find a person whom they admire to be in next 3- 5 years they may be a step or 2 ahead of you.

?A SPONSOR:

This is usually a senior management in your workspace.

Why are they so important for your career???

??Because they are strong, consistent advocates for others.

??They pound the table for you behind closed doors.

?A COACH:

Now let’s define what a coach is???

This person is there to help you achieve your short-term career goals and give you the tools and keep you accountable to your goals.

Why are line managers considered to be the best coaches to graduates???

??Provide important feedback to help you fix your development areas and optimize on your strengths.

??They can provide you with secondments opportunities/role rotations and learning and development opportunities.

???KEY 5: FUTURE FIT:

How do you become FUTURE- FIT???

??You need to be forward thinking, adaptable and develop a growth mindset.

?? A future- fit graduate is calculative and leads a Protean career.

??A future- fit graduate understands how innovation and technology affects their industry and learns the skillsets that will make them future fit and relevant in the future world of work.

??A future- fit graduate is digitally literate.

??Now graduates its important to note that there is a rise towards a professional gig economy- therefore you need to "see yourself as a business and not just an employee."

That concludes our February newsletter- don't forget to subscribe so you can be notified on the next month's issue of the OM Insider??, did you find this issue insightful make to share this with your network so they too can gain access to this amazing content!

Olwethu M- " I am in the business of transforming ambitious graduates into thriving professionals"