Owning your career

Recently I was invited to the Rotaract Club of Pacific Beach to speak on the topic of owning your career. Invited by my niece (who is partial to the topic as she prepares to graduate with a PhD in something smarty pants) it made me think a bit about what I have historically coached around, and what if anything I might suggest in this “new” environment.

Where I landed, is the fundamentals are still the same, and whether you are job hunting or looking for a different role/promotion internally, you must get clear on the following three questions to optimize your chances:

1. What do you want?

2. Who in your network can help?

3. How will you position yourself, so the right people say yes to you?

Let me take a moment and expound on each a bit more.

1. What do you want? 

   Start by exploring what you want short, medium or long term. It doesn’t have to be all those, nor does it need to be highly detailed and polished, but clarity about what you want is essential. The old adage states -  How will you know the road to take if you are unsure of where you want to go?  

   
   

   For example, when I was just starting out my career I knew I wanted to become a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) - and part of the acknowledgment of knowing what I wanted, helped me to begin exploring what paths I could take to get there. I began exploring CHRO’s career paths. What were the experiences that helped each leader make it to the top of the organization? Once I understood the how, I was able to make decision at every step of my career to help get to my ultimate goal.

   
   

   Next, it is important to get clear on what you most value in this moment and what are your priorities. For example, if you have student debt or have just bought your first house, a role with max cash liquidity may be the most important. If you want to live life to the fullest then perhaps holidays and paid time off is most important. Understanding your priorities ultimately helps you understand the types of companies that make most sense for you.

   
   

   Every company has a reward and recognition structure. If you understand how the company allocates their Total Rewards internally, you will have a better understanding of which will meet your needs. Note, employees are typically the largest cost to the company, and though we all wish they would spend top dollar across all of the rewards areas, they don’t. This is why understanding your needs and individual companies frameworks is super important in your decision making criteria.  

In the event you are unfamiliar, here are some areas that fall into “Total Rewards”:

• Salary

• Bonus

• Equity

• Medical Benefits

• Retirement

• Time off and holidays

• Employee Events

• Food & Services

• Matching Programs

• Peer Recognition

• Learning and Development

• Commuter benefits

2. Who in your network can help?

   Network, network, network – your network is key! This includes your extended network, especially if you are still early in your career, meaning who do you know that might know someone that can help. A friend of mine pointed a friend of her daughters to me because the friend was interested in a career and HR and wanted to learn a little more. When I was graduating, I had no idea how to get into the field, and I started by asking my siblings to please connect me with HR people in their network.

   
   

   Next, consider your network in two groups - external and internal. Each group will serve a slightly different purpose let me tell you how below.

   
   
   
   

   External Network: Typically, someone who can help you in your external job search. The closer you can get to a warm introduction to a recruiter or hiring manager, the better. This is harder to do these days because of the AI tools, but it is not insurmountable. Take care to cultivate these relationships, make sure you are helping (or offering to help them) in any way and that you aren’t just demanding support.

   
   

   Pro tip, if you have zero experience or close to it, you can ask for informational interviews to learn about the company, the types of roles, etc. This gives you the opportunity to learn about the companies, and to make an impression without the added pressure of being in the actual job interview. The big thing here is to be remembered and thought of, if not now, in the future.

   
   

   Internal Network: If you are looking at a new role within your current company or to get on a special project, talking with your internal network, especially whomever makes the decision is important. If you are far removed from that individual, your internal network is a great way to get introduced/recommended and will give you a higher likelihood of being thought of rather than passed up because you aren’t on the radar. Map out who you are close to and really understands your skillset and can speak to the right people to help you be on their radar. You can be bold and go direct; however I find it is often best if you have someone that can help advocate on your behalf.

3. How will you position yourself, so the right people say yes to you?

   This final step pulls it all together. First you must be clear about what you have to offer. Think about all your experiences, both at work (or school if you haven’t yet gained professional experience) and pull apart the skillsets you possess. Second, know what is important for the role you are striving for, beyond the job description, what is the ultimate need they have. Is it about speed of producing, is it thoroughness, attention to detail, etc. Third, be able to link your skillset and what the role requires/needs.

Think of this as a Venn diagram, the more overlap between what you have to offer and what the company wants/needs in that role or project, will make it easier for them to say “yes” to you. Whether those making decisions are consciously sorting through candidates this way, ultimately it is how decisions are made. Make it easy for them to say yes, by helping to articulate this as clearly as possible.

Obviously there is a lot of nuance here, but at a high level, if you get clear on these three questions, it will set you up for success in your career.