A friend recently took to Twitter to solicit career advice. Specifically, he was looking for advice for what to do when you move up a level. It got me thinking about my own experiences moving up in my career and what (if anything) I’d say to my younger, less experienced self. So in no particular order:
Are you scared? Good. You’re supposed to be a little scared. You’re supposed to have doubts. If you’re not feeling a little apprehensive then you may not be aiming high enough. Life is full of changes and your career is no exception. You’re going to get taken out of your comfort zone all the time. You’re going to have to do things you don’t want to do every day. When I used to work at a helpdesk, I became very close with my co-workers. I loved where I worked and despite the low pay and limited flexibility, I was really happy. Then I got a call from a large, prestigious consulting firm. Discussions started happening and the next thing I knew, I got an offer I couldn’t refuse. I was grateful and happy for this opportunity but really sad to leave my friends. Even worse though, I didn’t know that being a consultant would be a great fit for me (what if I forget how to use the command line?). I was terrified. As it turned out, this move was the best decision I could have made. The journey outside my comfort zone taught me so much about myself and my capabilities. I am where I am today because I took that leap. Even better, my friends from my helpdesk job are still my friends and we’ve kept in touch almost 20 years later.
Chances are, if you’re moving into a more senior role that you’re already doing the job. At first, it’s easy to get wrapped up on the job title and the weight that accompanies it. After a while though, you forget about the title. So don’t worry about the title. Be yourself and do what you do. You got the job for a reason.
Remember what I said about changes earlier? It’s going to happen. You’re going to change. If you’re leaving a job to take a promotion at another company, everything will change. While the unknown associated with these changes can be unsettling, it’s also a great opportunity to start over. Have a habit that you aren’t a fan of? Want to do something better? Here’s your chance. Embrace the new job as an opportunity to start with a clean slate and be better at something.
No one likes a know-it-all, especially when it’s a know-it-all that’s new on the scene. So this last piece of advice is really the most important: listen. Your first few weeks should be a ton of listening and not a lot of talking (unless it’s to ask questions). Whenever you start a new job, you have a honeymoon period where it’s OK to be uninformed about how the company works. Use this to your advantage. Learn about how things work. Make new friends and allies. You don’t get another chance to be new so take advantage of this at the beginning.
As a counterpoint, you don’t have to pursue promotions or more senior job roles. It’s not for everyone and some people are happy doing what they do and not getting caught up in climbing the ladder. I respect this. No one knows you better than you. Don’t let anyone guilt or pressure you into a role you don’t want.
One last thing: congratulations! If you’ve achieved something great, celebrate. Like, really celebrate. Promotions don’t happen too often and it’s worth taking a moment (or more) to appreciate what you’ve done. In many cases, you’re in this new role not because you knew someone or someone owed someone a favor. You’re there because someone or some group of people believed in you. Embrace the unknown and prove them right.
