How I'm curating my career
Finding the career path that was a fit for me was not a linear process. I suspect that like you, the career I set out to build is not the one I am excelling in today. I was going to be Editor-in-Chief of a major hip hop and fashion magazine. I was Sidney Shaw before the character was ever introduced to us on the big screen (this is a Brown Sugar movie reference, if you haven't seen it, it's well worth the watch) and once I laid eyes on that character my plan was illuminated. Fast forward a few years and I knew I would never live in New York (love the city, but even rich people have mice) and I was deeply in love with my college sweetheart and starting a family. Sure, I could have gone back to that dream but my heart was no longer in it, I had lost the passion needed to play the game required to reach the top. So I invested time in figuring out what else I wanted to do in my professional life and decided that I needed to understand business more in-depth, which led to my first post undergrad job in a management trainee program.
When I made that first decision to learn more about business, I had no idea that I was actually curating my career. I chose the start of my career path based on a self-identified knowledge gap that I thought would ultimately be beneficial for my career in the long run. I had no idea at the time how strong of a foundation that knowledge and experience would provide me, but I'm grateful that I took the chance and did not allow anyone else's opinion to talk me out of what I knew would serve me best. I use this same approach in curating my career today. I make career choices by assessing my talent, brain (intelligence) and confidence. I leverage what I know about myself and my approach to work to decide whether or not an opportunity will contribute to my overall career success.
I have personally found that using my natural talent in my work, provides me with a huge advantage. By selecting roles that allow me to use talent that I inherently possess, I'm able to show up ready to deliver on key elements of the role while learning the nuances. This approach allows me to build trust quickly and with the trust of my key partners, I'm given grace to figure out the elements that I'm unfamiliar with. They know I will do the work, because I show up with a proven track record of success and work ethic. I will always find or create the answer, I never need to be prompted to do so. Being prepared and informed are at the core of my personality. I prefer to be over prepared than figuring it out on the fly. Sometimes you have to do both, but the keyword is sometimes. In addition to taking initiative, I also have a gift of being able to sell just about anything. I attribute my sales ability to my passion for people. I love to listen to others and learn about what drives them. Once I understand what motivates someone, it's easy to position a solution that they can't turn down. As a great listener, people are drawn to me because who doesn't want to be heard? Knowing so many people allows me to make connections throughout my network. No surprise at all that I have curated a great career in human resources and more specifically recruiting.
My brain is my self-described superpower. I was born inquisitive. I was an early reader and that has turned into a lifetime of reading. Reading has provided access to information throughout my life. I was always the kid that knew things that my teachers and the adults in my life were impressed by. Being knowledgable about a variety of topics was always an advantage for me. It meant that my learning curve was not as steep as it found it to be for others. Reading also nurtured my big picture thinking. I am able to suggest a solution for the immediate problem, while also understanding how that solution impacts the overall business. I am always asking for and tackling complex issues. Taking the more difficult route excites me and I feel more accomplished when I solve an issue that was deemed too complicated to resolve.
I've always known that I have it. I know I'm the magic. It's the way I think, the way I approach work, and my willingness to share what I've learned. All of which enhance my confidence as I move about in this world. My confidence wasn't always as present, but I have worked to stand firmly in it because doubting myself would not have gotten me this far in life. If you know that you need to work on enhancing your confidence, get started. If you don't believe in yourself, it's that much more difficult for anyone else to believe in you. Start with the small things, like leaning into your strengths and build from there. Success is also a huge confidence builder. Define dreams for yourself that are bigger than anything you've seen or thought possible and get to work on attaining them. Each win will fuel the next and your confidence will grow as a result.
I will not say yes to any role that won't allow me to use my strengths, while also providing me with opportunities to continue to challenge myself and expand my skillset. I enhance any space that I'm in, so it's only right that those spaces offer me exposure and enhance me as a professional in exchange. What elements of my approach to curating my career can you relate to? Think about how to identify your key strengths and how you are applying them in your current career. Be sure that you are choosing opportunities that allow you to shine, while also strengthening your capabilities.
*Written in a coffee lab in Williamsburg, VA.