Navigating the maze of early careers

Given how competitive India's young population is, it is a surprise that most young people do not actively think of themselves as an 'early career professionals.'

On one side, of the fence is social inequity that forces educated youth to be 'hands and feet' in semi-skilled jobs or to work in the unorganized sector.

On the other side, is privileged folks with expensive 'convent education,' 'management quota', 'donated seats' and career paths chosen on the basis of parental whims.

Between these two extremes, exists a slimmer pool of hustlers, who want to graduate to professional jobs by following a more beaten path and getting access to opportunities that the privileged lot already possess.

So then who is an early career professional?

Are they simply people who are young and have just started working? Is it someone who is in the early years of their career regardless of the work they do? Are they folks who have a professional degree like medicine or architecture? Are they people who work only in the organized, corporate structure where the concept of a career and growth is more defined?

I like to define the term “early career professional” as someone who indicates?or demonstrates the potential to succeed established professionals and leaders in the area they have chosen to work in. An early career professional is someone who could have:

(a) Any kind of education - a MBA, 'only' an engineer, a homeschooled coder, an architect

(b) Any kind of occupation - a growth hacker at a startup, a management trainee, a doctor setting up their first independent practice

(c) Any age - A woman entering her first job in her 30's is as much an early career professional as a 16 year old illustrator freelancing on the internet

If you have already been employed for a few (few - depends on the maturity needed to move to middle management in your industry and domain) years or have led a team or being in a team manager role - you are not an early career professional - you could have equally high potential but your challenges are different.

Why is it important to look at yourself as an early career professional?

If you are a hunter, you are better off sharpening your knife than sowing seeds.

If you are a farmer, you'd rather be growing than killing.

Both are important but you shouldn't have to be what you are not.

I had a professor in college who said that the most important thing is to know where do you exist in terms of the ecosystem - are you a bottom-feeder, a floater, a shark?

This applies to early career professionals as well. If you constantly, keep thinking of yourself as 'someone who has to do a job' versus someone who is on the path to a career - then you will always just have a job, till you keep switching jobs.

Looking at yourself as an early career professional, someone who has potential in the first place, builds in career habits that can manifest. It also helps you steel against the tide, when the going is not your way.

You are likely to be bolder when you take your career as being 'more than a series of jobs' and a place where you can make real impact to yourself, your organization or even the society!

If you don't consciously think of potential or find ways to make it manifest (such as starting up, taking risks, learning new skills, networking), you are likely to underwhelm yourself.

How does asserting a label help?

It doesn't. Or we would call ourselves 'rockstars' or 'MVPs' and actually become one. However, just like amateurs become pros with practice, coaching and hard work - early career professionals become business or leaders with skills, networking and impact.

Hence, recognizing yourself today for who you are - makes you adopt behaviours that pave the way for you to become who you have the potential to.

James Clear's Atomic habits adopts a frameworks where our habits that most accurately predict our success follow a concentric circle where your identity is the innermost circle, followed by process and outcomes.

While everyone wants the outcome (CEO, a successful exit, wealth, assets, fame), few can take the process (networking with people, dealing with failure, burning out, working hard, disappointment, making decisions). What makes the process to achieve the outcome comfortable is the identity we choose.

As an early career professional, you would choose not burning bridges with someone that could turn out to be an influencer versus choosing to screw over the other person over something trivial and then rant to your friends about it.

The difference is how you see yourself. The core of your identity.

When you know you are early in the game, you know that you want to progress,

When you see yourself on a career path (even as an entrepreneur), you play the long game.

When you see yourself as a professional, rather than someone who flits between Excel sheets and presentations - you begin to see the larger picture rather than your immediate surroundings in the short run.

What should make the most difference to me?

When I talk to young MBA students who reach out to me for advice - I am always struck by how often the conversation is about things they want.

"I want to work at a top brand."

"Brands have bureaucracy. I want to work at a startup to learn."

"I can't compromise my work life balance. I don't want to burn out."

"I will lose out career opportunities my moving back to my hometown with my parents."

I almost never ever hear anyone say what do they want to.

So, ask how can you add more value. You may not be able to directly state it.

Though you must know what you are giving.

Do you promise to introduce and spearhead innovations? Being the creative person.

Do you promise to commit to loyalty and understand every cog in the machinery?

Do you choose to adapt and move along with a thick-skinned despite being part of shitstorms?

Being a potential, early career professional means choosing to add value whether by skill, attitude or relationships (preferably all adding to revenue or / and impact).

What is value? What is potential? Where are you and how do you identify yourself as? These are all answers we will dissect in subsequent articles.

To end this issue, if you have decided to not be another brick in the wall, another pop-culture phrase to welcome you onboard -

“Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”

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This post is part of a bi-monthly series called 'Headstart'. All views expressed are personal and not for further reproduction, without my consent. If you have questions that you would like to have featured and discussed, write to me in comments. Sharing is caring, so please forward this to someone who may find it relevant! Follow me here on LinkedIn.