7 Lessons for 7 Years of my Career

I don't use LinkedIn as often as I should. But the end of Summer always brings about feelings of nostalgia for me, and today I was reflecting on the past 7 years since graduation. There have been many successes and even more failures in the early part of my career, and I took some time to summarize them into 7 key lessons:

#1: Never burn a bridge - but recognize the ones no longer worth traveling. You'll have several moments in your professional career where you've been wronged, treated unfairly, or been otherwise tempted to react emotionally. Hold back those feelings, conduct yourself with poise, and resist the urge to add more fuel to a fire. Distance yourself from toxic situations & you'll be surprised how quickly the flames can be extinguished. Show grace and humility in all of these instances.

#2: Asking the right questions is more important than giving the right answers. I used to find myself prepping for a meeting by trying to predict what someone might ask. I thought I'd be judged by how perfect my responses were, and thought that the smartest person in the room was the one with the best answers. My mindset changed. I grew more curious, and focused more on learning everything I could by asking important questions. In many cases, this approach helped build meaningful relationships. People would rather have you show genuine care for them than try to impress them.

#3: Discounted (or free) work should not receive discounted effort. I'm a firm believer in pro bono. In a business sense, pro bono work typically has a long-term return on investment. From a community standpoint, donating my time and expertise to causes has helped nurture relationships and bring me a greater sense of connection to my community. All of that is lost if the free/discounted work you do is poor quality. In any of these settings, it's obvious who wants to build their resume vs. who actually wants to give back to a good cause. The moral of the story: half-off shouldn't mean half-ass. Only offer free or discounted work if you're going to do it well, and have it be impactful.

#4: Great cultures can be crafted. I hear a lot of younger people saying "I'm really hoping to join a great culture." My experience is that within the right company, a great culture can be crafted. The supplies you'll need: a boss/leadership team who supports it, 1-2 people who are committed to shaping it, and taking time to listen to the wants & needs of your co-workers. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of jumping ship to a better culture to first consider if they could shape the culture they're currently in. In many cases, you can make your workplace better through a few small acts & some TLC.

#5: Relationships matter more than sales. I've been in a business development role for much of my career but I've always been vehemently against a commission structure attached to the work I do. I worry it will change my mentality and make me more sales-hungry than relationship-hungry. I've had amazing business relationships with individuals, even when zero dollars have passed through it. Knowledge, networks, friendship, and similar assets have been even more value-adding. Relationships will also travel with you, whereas sales are confined to the company you're currently at. In any sales meeting, trying to focus on building a positive connection instead of selling your product or service will pay dividends in the long-run.

#6: Give credit where it's due, unless it's towards you. Real leaders pass credit onto their teams. Even for an idea that you may have generated: who helped you brainstorm it? Who helped carry it out? Who contributed to its success? Humility is never a bad look, and these situations are a great opportunity to raise up others around you (which has more long-term benefit than the short-term vanity gains of getting a pat on the back). Save your self-pitching for annual reviews and negotiation time.

#7: Work should support your life, not the other way around. This is the most difficult, but most important lesson for many young, driven folks to learn. Work hard and earn your stripes during your regularly scheduled work hours; then, clock out. I used to think I'd be able to prove my value by putting in weekend hours and letting people know about it. I sacrificed a lot of quality time with family and friends, and pushed extracurricular passions to the side. The reality is, if you can't get your job done in an average of 40-45 hours a week you either (a) have more work on your plate than is reasonably necessary, or (b) have some work inefficiencies. A good employer should not expect you to routinely (if ever) take work home, and should understand that you have things you care about outside of work. The sooner you can improve this, the quicker your whole outlook on life changes.

Special thanks to the special people & places that have shaped my career to this point. I've had an incredible time, and hold the friendships I've made through professional settings near & dear to my heart. Can't wait to see what comes in the next 7 years!