Your Job, Your Career: Take Ownership of the Path

I have been privileged to mentor many employees and associates during the early years of their careers. When asked about my own career success, I reflect back to the advice shared with me by important figures throughout my career; there were many selfless mentors whose guidance positively shaped and influenced my career. I relied on their wisdom when faced with critical career related decisions and at key cross-roads in my life. There are three main ideas I would like to share.  Hopefully,  these thoughts will resonate with  those currently navigating the many twists and turns of the terrain ahead as they seek to define their optimal path and continuously hone the shape of their career.

First, the best path forward is not always the direct and most obvious step forward. For some, it can be a linear progression. Much earlier in my sales career, I accepted an assignment in a sales training and professional education role in the hopes of positioning myself for subsequent advancement to my first sales management role. Instead of leading to that next logical step, the experience I gained in the professional education position set me up to assume my first expat assignment leading a European division’s professional sales and education department. In another case, my role in a clinical marketing position expanded to include the day to day management of a clinical research team conducting first in man studies with novel implantable cardiac devices. At the time that I was asked to manage the clinical research department, I was concerned I lacked the relevant experience to lead that department. I harbored other concerns wondering if taking on that role would derail my longer-term career aspirations in sales and general management. My manager and mentor who was a highly regarded corporate SVP shared with me that moving up in organizations was less predicated on having the technical expertise and far more about demonstrating the leadership qualities to bring teams through very complex endeavors. By stepping out of my comfort zone and accepting the additional responsibilities that were far removed from my prior work experiences, I learned more about developing teams and about myself as an emerging leader. I learned it was not about me having all of the answers. Instead, our success escalated as I learned how to leverage their knowledge. By asking the right questions, I helped the team solve their challenges. One way to experience outsized growth through an indirect path is to volunteer to lead a new project in an area or with a team outside of your immediate expertise. Stepping up to the plate to take on a stretch assignment creates great visibility, an opportunity to expand your network, and simply, to learn.

Which brings me to the second point, the importance of life-long learning. I once attended a workshop where the facilitator suggested that 70% of what we know becomes obsolete within 3 years. I heard that statistic more than 20 years ago. If anything, the time to obsolescence is much shorter now. Another mentor who influenced my thinking in this regard suggested taking an annual inventory on my learning and growth accomplishments. What new experiences did I pursue in the last year and what education or certifications did I complete that enhanced my ability to contribute more to my current or future employer? By dedicating myself to the principle of being a life-long learner, I completed an MBA, a doctoral program, renewed my participation in professional organizations resulting in obtaining credentials as a Fellow, and took numerous online courses across a variety of subjects for which I was determined to learn more. Additionally, I consistently read books, attend lectures, webinars, and conferences to gain deeper insights on areas I am most interested in continuing to build skills and knowledge.

The third key concept to owning your career path is knowing there isn’t a single road to take; it’s a multi-layered, highly texturized path that includes your health, family, and other personal goals. I was deep into an important professional experience when one of my children was going through a difficult period which threw into question whether I could continue on the career path I had chosen. My manager provided much needed wisdom at that time. He shared that our lives are like 3 legged stools. One leg is our career, one leg is our family or personal relationships, and the other leg is our health. All legs must be in balance. Sometimes, we will find one aspect of our life that is flourishing and as a result we put more and more of our energy and attention there. We need to be mindful of the potential toll that might take on one or both of the other legs. In making the right decision to restore balance in my life, new opportunities emerged allowing me to transition professionally to a different industry. Changing industries delivered an entirely new set of experiences that enriched my life and that of my family.

In summary, successful career growth occurs by remaining open-minded to new opportunities. Be prepared to step up to meet new challenges and proactively seek them. Consider learning as a life-long endeavor, and be mindful of maintaining a healthy perspective and balance across all areas of your life througout the journey.