Career Reflections: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Career Reflections: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

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Careers come in all shapes and sizes. At times, they meander like a country road and at other times they go straight to the moon. Discerning when to meander or launch is not an exact science and I believe that’s exactly how it is supposed to be. To me, there isn’t one template, blueprint, or single way of building a career. For example, I started as a Psychology major, graduated with a Finance degree, worked as a Director of Operations for an Investment Advisor for eight years, a Process/Quality Black Belt for three years, a Program Leader for Cyber for nine years, a Product Manager for IT Planning platform for 10+ years – most recently volunteering as a Resilience Mentor. As my career “meandered” through the various roles and functions, I have realized that one size doesn’t fit all and that each experience has become a piece of who I am as a person and leader. Therefore, I have concluded that whether it’s time to meander or launch, the guiding principles below have helped direct my steps and choices:

  1. It’s my “puzzle” = Accountability:  Our careers are comprised of many “pieces” like a puzzle. Owning these pieces and accepting that sometimes they don’t fit together initially, reminds me that they are still part of a bigger puzzle that will reveal itself.
  2. Personal Clarity = Career Clarity: I have found during my life that the more personal clarity I have around who I am, what I want and why I want it has greatly helped bring career clarity when considering other roles. Aligning my personal values with my professional goals minimizes incongruent pursuits motivated by the wrong things.
  3. Turn Left to Turn Right = Seek Growth: Sometimes growth comes from unexpected places, experiences, and actions. Just like steering into a skid to straighten a vehicle, intellectually it doesn’t make sense. Yet by recognizing that the growth we seek doesn’t always come from the obvious action, we are able to have faith and steer in the direction necessary.
  4. Connect the “dots” = Value/Impact: How we spend our time matters. Having an awareness of the value and impact of our actions helps us make appropriate progress and ensures we are focused on the right things both personally and professionally.
  5. Get a Mentor = Humility: We all can benefit from help. In fact, asking for helping and humbling myself has been the single greatest action I have ever taken. Traveling the road of life alone is not needed or recommended. Ask for help when needed and help others if asked.
  6. Put People First = Servant Leadership: Leading with “service to others” in mind changes everything. It brings patience, understanding, empathy, and most of all trust from our teams. In addition, no greater action has brought more fulfillment in my life then helping others.

What has helped you steer your career… whether down a country road or straight to the moon?

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