9 things I've learned in my 9-year career!

The 9 years of my career have been a rollercoaster.

When I was younger (many moons ago haha) I always thought that I’d become a primary school teacher. My first full-time job after graduating was training adults to become less dependent on the UK benefits system & supporting them to find their first job. I managed & had oversight of various courses they'd sign up to. Once they passed it, my job was to help them get their first job!

The first day in my role was very different to what I had imagined from what I was told during the interview process. I wasn’t told about KPI’s and targets, it was nerve-wracking! I remember thinking would I be any good at this?! The environment was heavy target driven!

Fast forward 3 years in that role, I was one of the highest performers in the business and had the chance to manage a team of 15-20 people. I then wanted to apply my skillset to recruitment which is something I’d never done before but I wanted to develop personally & professionally. I knew that I wanted to support my clients in growing & expanding their teams and I also had a very clear vision in playing an advisory role within that by giving views and opinions about the market.

How long have you been in your profession and what have you learned from it? Here are mine...

1.?????Change is the only constant – how you react to change is what really matters! That means, keep an open mind, develop and be willing to try new things.

2.?????Control – only the controllable. Let’s face it, there are just some things that are out of your hands but if there are things you can control within your remit – absolutely do so!

3.?????Don’t be afraid to say no or have a different opinion about things. Get your voice heard! In my opinion, this is something that comes with time and confidence!

4.?????Be open and transparent – people appreciate honesty! There's nothing wrong with being direct with those around you as long as you're professional and sincere.

5.?????Be clear on what drives you and don’t compromise your values — On top of this, be clear about what you value and what impact you want to have.

6.?????Planning – is key! From planning daily to planning for your meetings! (I personally make my fresh to-do list every evening ready for the next day and use a bunch of colourful highlighters). Never go into a meeting or a conversation without understanding what outcome(s) you want to get out of that.

7.??? ?Find a mentor – I never realised how important it is to find a different perspective, even if your mentor isn’t in the same line of work as you are it’s good to have a sounding board and someone who thinks of things differently to you.

8.?????Maintain your interests outside of work – have a hobby whether that’s socialising, being in the gym or spending time with your loved ones! It’s important to have that downtime.

9.?????Lastly, define what success means to you. Is it how much you earn financially? Perhaps your job title? Maybe it’s what you do day-in, day-out – whatever that is, make that meaningful to YOU.