Thriving during transition: Be brave

This year, my son Thomas graduated high school and will head to Southern Methodist University in Dallas in the fall. This marks a significant milestone as he enters a new phase of life—one where he’s miles away from home, too! And while he has some time before he enters the workforce, it reminds me of the start of my career. Graduating school and starting out in the professional world can be difficult to navigate, but in my 30+ year career I’ve learned three important lessons that I’d like to share with you.?

Be brave

Thriving through transitions—whether it’s graduating school and starting a career; making a job switch; or moving to a new geography—requires a certain level of boldness. It means taking the leap into the unknown, stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing new challenges.?

The start of most careers requires one to be brave….In fact, the start of my accounting career journey was a bit untraditional. I grew up in Canada and attended the University of Western Ontario, studying history. Coopers and Lybrand (which eventually merged with Price Waterhouse in 1998) was recruiting at my school during my last year in college. Even though I had never taken a single accounting course, I took a chance and applied. Somehow, despite not having any accounting credits, I got the job and started my work while also continuing to juggle my final year of school. This move definitely shook my sense of certainty, but to make big changes you have to be brave! From afar, accounting seemed daunting and rigid, and although my history degree came with skills in analytical thinking and clear communication, I often felt that I wasn’t quite equipped for the job. I had to remind myself of how much I had already achieved and how much more I wanted to accomplish to push those thoughts away.

There are times when you will walk into a room and not know anyone. You will be out credentialed, out experienced and even unsure about what the objective is. That’s when the magic happens—when you grow and stretch into the professional you are becoming. That feeling is still what fuels me to keep pushing at every turn of my own career journey!

Be intellectually curious

I’m a big believer in using intellectual curiosity to guide you throughout your career. We’ve had numerous conversations about different career paths my son could take, and I like to remind him that career paths don’t have to be linear! One of the things I love most about being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and working for PwC is the ability to learn something new every single day. No day is ever the same because the problems I’m working to solve are always changing. And I have the chance to work with clients from different industries and geographies.

In fact, being on top of or ahead of trends and breaking news is a key piece of my job. And it’s a value I bring to clients. For instance, Generative AI (genAI) is changing industries, building new markets and opportunities—and it's currently something I can help some of our clients with. This is just one example of where you can be curious—lean into something new and emerging—and see how it opens doors for you. It is a mindset that encourages continuous learning and helps you thrive in an ever-changing professional landscape.

Being curious helps you create value as a team contributor and leader. And it can help you figure out what the next step in your career may be! I’ve worn many hats at PwC—some of the opportunities I never imagined like running the New York office during a global pandemic. But I always remained intellectually curious, unafraid to ask questions and open to what I may learn. To those students entering the workforce, learning definitely doesn’t stop once you graduate!?

Be comfortable being uncomfortable

There will be plenty of moments throughout your career when you may not always know what’s going on. And that’s okay! Even if it’s simply a portrayal of confidence, it’s important to be able to speak up when you need to and show you aren’t intimidated. This is important for the times when you don’t have all the answers, too. I’ve learned to be comfortable being vulnerable and to ask for help when I need it. In fact, saying you don’t know something is one of the best ways to learn from other experts—which helps you become a stronger and more knowledgeable professional!?

I used to sign one of PwC’s biggest audit clients. It was a complex and difficult engagement, and I constantly worked to prove I was well-equipped enough to handle the workload and to also deliver impactful results. Many times I didn’t have all the answers, but asking the right questions at the right time, helped me gain the knowledge I needed to feel confident that I would make the right decisions.

Throughout my career, I have moved across different locations, taken on different roles and faced numerous transitions. It hasn't always been easy. By embracing my mantra—be brave, remain intellectually curious, and be comfortable with discomfort—I have been able to experience so much and to this day, continue to grow my career.