Try thinking about your career growth as a road trip.  You have a destination, although you may not always know exactly what it is.  You need a map to guide you, but going off road is ok and can be fun.  The vehicles you drive are the jobs you have and the companies you work for.  Your mentors are rest stops where you can check in and ask for directions.  There are four key lessons I have learned through the journey of my career path; these may not apply to everyone, but they sure did apply to me.

 

Be Great.  Many ambitious young professionals are worried about how to get promoted.  They are focused on how fast they are going to move up in business and what their next role or promotion will be.  Concentrating on being great in your current role is the best way to get you noticed.  Building your personal brand equity will get you where you want to go faster than anything else.  Be highly proficient at the job you are in right now.  Create future demand for yourself by being known as a GREAT professional today!

 

Be Visible.  Make sure your work is visible to the right people. Volunteer to sit in on meetings and be a part of teams working on important initiatives. Be a team player in those situations so that your contributions to meetings and teams are valued and recognized.  Volunteering to be a mentee/mentor can offer up higher visibility and personal growth. Before you know it, you will be driving those important initiatives.

 

Be Yourself.  Every role in your career will be an opportunity for your personal growth and development.  Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge in the people that surround you, leadership, peers, vendors, they all have something to teach you if you’re open to the lesson.  And, when difficult experiences occur (and they will) try to be in the moment and appreciate the value the experience has to offer.  These difficult experiences are often more valuable than the easy or enjoyable ones.  Use the learnings to map out the kind of leader you genuinely are and want to be.

 

Enjoy The Journey.  We are often so focused on planning our destination that we miss the value of what’s happening right now.  “I don’t know where the time went” or “stop and smell the roses” are classic examples of missing the moments and living for tomorrow.  This has held true for me for the last fifteen years.  Every role, and every project I’ve been part of, are the twist and turns of my journey.  Don’t get so focused on the destination that you miss all the cool experiences you have along the way…they are the best part!

 

As you think about the development of your own career, where you have been, where you are now and how you get to where you want to go, remember to celebrate your accomplishments, be a strong team player, use your authentic voice and enjoy the ride!  The Marketing Posse is a resource for people and businesses passionate about career development and mentorship. Providing one to one or small group mentoring sessions, leadership and guidance on real time issues and initiatives, helping to build teams of talented and motivated individuals through customized training and development, and facilitation of training workshops on branding, marketing, and leadership.

 

To learn more, contact:

Danielle Vona
danielle@themarketingposse.com