Finding Your Way as a Professional in the Corporate World
By Edson Mhenga
From my very best point of view, it starts by asking yourself, "How can I help?" or "How can I add value?"
It was around June 2020 when I decided to get into the professional/corporate world after spending three years without employment. I began by asking myself two questions: where should I begin, and how can I do it? At that time, I had no experience, so I started with what I knew and was comfortable doing: graphic design.?
They say what you are seeking is also seeking you. After making that decision, I was hired as a communication and content creator intern by the International Youth Foundation. The opportunity helped me get experience, network, and exposure. After completing my internship for seven months, it fueled my spirit to look for something else to do.?
I set myself a goal of getting a job in 90 days. Finally, I got one in 75 days because of good planning, experience, having the right resources and people, and applying for jobs that I was most interested in and capable of doing. The job marked the beginning of my professional development—a career with INNOVEX Development Consulting Ltd.
I started working as a management consultant, something I had never done before. I had no experience with management consulting then, and the human resources manager told me the job was very demanding. I used to fear that I might be unable to deliver and meet firms' expectations.
I am going to share my experience on how I found my way as a professional in the corporate world.
Granted that everyone’s specific journey can be different, there are phases we will all have to pass through to become masters of our disciplines or arts. From my personal experience, I can split the professional journey into four phases:
At every stage, it is crucial to exercise?the Principle of Kaizen, a Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices, personal efficiency, etc.?
Phase 01. The Hard Part (The starting point)
After a few days, I realised that I would need to learn significantly quicker to catch up faster. I had a short period to learn about proposal writing, reading and understanding Terms of References, responding to Expression of Interest (EoI) and Prequalification of suppliers etc. My manager did something magical - she did not start by teaching me the dos and don’ts. Instead, she gave me a flash disk with previous proposals, which was my first writing experience.
After a few days, she assigned me to write a complete technical and financial proposal. Following her comments on areas of improvement, we ended up being shortlisted by the client. I then started to package my writing style. Finally, I gained the momentum to keep writing as many proposals as possible. I realized that being good at something is an ongoing process that necessitates consistent effort.
Phase 02. Adaptation Phase
As I continue to find and establish my place in the corporate world, I have been striving to be a solution-oriented person. In many situations, I always think about adding value to the company. I have realized that people love people who bring solutions to their lives, not those who bring problems.
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To become a professional and a problem solver, one needs to practice discipline and stop procrastinating. Practicing discipline and stopping procrastination have been my struggle for a long time. I understand to have discipline and stop procrastinating is not easy at all – we are all guilty of this. As I said earlier, to be good at something is a?work in progress?that demands continuous efforts that yield favorable results. The outcomes of such efforts will determine your success and performance at the end of the day.
It seems easy to understand the meaning of discipline and procrastination. Still, I will borrow the definition of discipline and procrastination from the Book of the Richest Man in Babylon.
Discipline is completing the task that you set for yourself,?for example
If you say to yourself, 'For a hundred days as you walk across the bridge into the city, you will pick from the road a pebble and cast it into the stream. If on the seventh day you passed by without remembering, you should not say to yourself. Tomorrow you will cast two pebbles which will do as well/ Instead; you must retrace your steps and cast the pebble. – The Richest Man in Babylon?
And procrastination is defined as delaying or postponing an action or putting something off.?
Phase 03: The Take Off (Excelling)
Excelling at the workplace can mean different things to different people. Some common factors that can help someone succeed include a positive attitude, proactiveness and initiative, willingness to learn and grow, and being a team player. Additionally, setting goals for oneself and consistently striving to meet or exceed them can also be critical in excelling at work. It's also essential to communicate effectively with colleagues and seniors and be reliable to build trust and credibility.?
Learning how to set priorities and realise them can help an individual excel at work. Setting priorities is vital in a place subjected to many tasks. As for me, I set my to-do list every day, and I use tools such as notion and google calendar to track my tasks and keep my calendar. I categorise my tasks into four groups,?
I start with the tasks that are important and urgent, then the ones that are important but not urgent, for the task that is not important and urgent, I do delegate them, and I eliminate tasks that are not important and not urgent.
My tasks list goes through four stages,
In conclusion, finding your way as a professional in the corporate world requires hard work, dedication, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. By being proactive, setting goals, and consistently striving to improve, you can position yourself for success and make a meaningful contribution to your organization. It's also essential to build strong relationships with colleagues and seniors and be a reliable team player. With the right attitude and approach, you can find your niche and excel as a professional in the corporate world.
I understand everyone in the corporate world is doing their best to become the best version of themselves. We all have different ways to make things happen, and I am inclined to learn what you do to find and master your way as a professional. I am open to discussion and advice.?
The above article is based on my personal experience and point of view. Thank you,