In a recent conference the speaker held up a $20 bill and asked the audience, “Who wants this $20 bill?” Naturally, most every hand in the audience went up. The speaker looked around, holding up the $20. The audience continued to sit there and watch and the speaker eventually put his hand down and continued his presentation. A few minutes later he repeated the question, “Who wants this $20 bill?” Again, everyone raised their hand, but no one made a move. The speaker looked around, $20 held high in the air, and then continued his presentation. A few minutes later, he repeated the question a third time, and “Who wants this $20 bill?” Finally, one wise member of the audience caught on and ran up to the stage to take the $20 bill from the speaker. He figured out what the speaker was trying to say. If you see something you want, don’t just sit there expecting it to be given to you – go for it! I thought this was a great lesson in life. And it certainly applies to our careers as well. Most of us want to grow our careers in some way, either upward (upward progression) or outward (gaining new skills or responsibilities). But we can’t just sit by idly waiting for something to happen – we have to “go for it.” Here are some suggestions to help you grow your career:
#1 Make your aspirations known – One of the most important steps in growing your career is to let your boss, and even your boss’ boss, know about your aspirations. Perhaps you want to take on more responsibility, or become a team lead or work in a different area. All of these are great ways to grow your career, but nothing will happen if your leaders don’t know of your desires. During your next performance review, make sure your boss knows how you’d like to grow. Consider scheduling a meeting with your boss’ boss to share your aspirations with him/her. They can give you advice and help you achieve your aspirations.
#2 Look for ways to contribute beyond your day job – Doing your “day job” well is obviously very important. But sometimes just doing the “day job” isn’t enough. I found in my career journey that volunteering for special projects, assignments and task forces was a great way to gain new skills, work with new people and advance my career. Volunteer to help organize the next company picnic. Get involved in organizing community service projects. Ask the director of your group if there are any special projects or assignments you can help with. Tell your HR representative that you’d like to get involved and see if they know about opportunities in your company. There are countless ways to get involved and make a difference. Sure it will require more of your time, but the investment will pay off in the long run.
#3 Get involved in professional organizations – Being involved and active in professional organizations outside of your company is an investment every employee can make in their own career. Participating in a professional organization puts you outside the walls where you work and helps you see new ideas and new perspectives, which you can then bring back to your job and your team. It also helps you network with other business professionals who can help you now and in the future. I participate in several professional organizations and each one has proven valuable in different ways. For example, this year I volunteered to be a mentor for a group called Pathfinders. Pathfinders is a mentoring program that pairs high potential women in business with senior business executives from other companies. My mentee is from Cisco – and I’m learning as much from her as she is from me. And through this program I also have the opportunity to network with other mentors – senior business executives from other organizations. These relationships have already proven valuable in just a few months.
#4 Seek feedback, coaching and advice – My final suggestion for growing your career is to proactively seek feedback, coaching and advice from those around you. We all get feedback from our boss – and that is obviously important. But it is not enough. You should seek feedback from many different points in the company. For example, your peers probably have a great perspective on you and your performance. Ask them what they think and how you can improve. Your boss’s boss is another great source of feedback. Don’t be afraid to schedule a meeting with him/her to get their perspective on your performance and to get advice on how to grow your career. And finally, look for other successful people in the company and seek their advice – even if you don’t work for or with them, they can offer great advice. Sometimes you’ll get the most candid and helpful advice from a third-party who doesn’t really know your performance history.
These are just some suggestions for how to grow your career. Obviously there are many others. But the most important thing I want you to remember is this: It’s your career and your future – go for it!
