I am not in a position to give a wealth of wisdom to young professionals. Being a young professional myself, only five years out of school, I have far from unlocked the secrets of career success. I look to my peers and mentors on our leadership team; their steady example of leadership in action is teaching me how to be a better leader and a better human.
But I do feel qualified, as an HR Director and as someone who has moved up through an organization from an entry-level role, to share a little advice that helped me.
The core can be summed up my the popular Jim Rohn quote:
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”
You are the only person responsible for your personal and professional learning and growth. You are in charge of your career. It’s your job to get yourself promotions and raises. It’s your job to take on more responsibility. It’s not your manager’s job, not HR’s, and not the company’s — through support and encouragement from all three help.
That bears repeating: your manager’s job is not to get your promotions. Your manager’s job is to ensure the work you’re doing gets done and gets done right. If they are a good manager, they are working with you to explore growth opportunities and a career path. They are a coach and a mentor. But we know that’s not always the case.
Here’s my short-list of what to do if you’re looking to move up at a company:
- Learn new skills/competencies outside of your normal responsibilities. Live a balanced life, but don’t expect to get promoted just because you clocked in every day. You have to change and learn and demonstrate growth. And that doesn’t always happen during the normal workday.
- Lighten your leader’s load. This is one of John Maxwell’s tips for leading up. Your job is to make your manager’s job easier, not the other way around. Find ways to take more off their plate: start by making the bottom 20% of their to-do list your top 20%.
- Communicate openly about your career goals. The company really isn’t going to help you if they have no idea where you need help. Write out your current job description and then write out your next job description. Share it with your manager. What’s the gap?
- Pay attention to the big picture of your company. Understand what the company’s goals are. Understand the target market. Understand the financials. Ask questions about the vision and direction of the company if it’s not already clear to you. Use this knowledge to think about your own role and ways you can help contribute. Moving the company on its most important goals demonstrates your value and potential as a high contributor.
- Connect with a mentor. Form a relationship with someone who has been where you want to go. Approach the mentorship with curiosity and intention (like your manager, your mentor is only there as a guide, not to get you everything you want). Ask someone you admire if they would be your mentor or if they know someone else you could connect with. Some industries have local mentorship programs (my mentor and I connected through a local HR chapter’s mentoring program).
This is not an exhaustive or universal list but if you work hard, keep learning, and take initiative you’re already setting yourself apart.
With Love,
Natalie