The Best Career Advice That I Ever Received

I’m sure this will spark some controversy, but here it goes! The best career advice that I ever received was to give everything you do 100%. I can literally hear all of the recovering perfectionists and productivity experts out there gasping at this, so I want to clarify. This doesn’t mean that you will DO EVERYTHING, it simply means that the things that you choose to do should receive 100% of your effort.

This approach has been my guiding principle and one of the keys to my success. People can’t help but notice when you do an exceptional job, especially when you are solving a problem for them or helping them achieve a goal. This approach also helps build your confidence and competence at a much faster rate.

Let’s face it, not every opportunity, task, or job is going to be exciting or glamorous, but how can you find something new to learn, enjoy, and excel at, even when the task seems boring and mundane?

This strategy has worked best for me. Every time I had an opportunity, whether it be in sports, a job, a hobby, or simply helping someone out with a task, I would ask myself these three questions:

1. What can I do to have the biggest impact? This often came down to solving a problem or helping achieve a goal.

2. What can I learn and gain from this experience?

3. How can I make this enjoyable?

Let me share some highlights from the first 10 years of my career journey:

I graduated from college with a BS in Chemical Engineering and immediately started working for a large global biopharmaceutical company in a manufacturing role. I’ll be the first to tell you that, although I got a job right out of college, I wasn’t thrilled about the job because it required me to work a 12 hour alternating swing shift at a 24/7 manufacturing facility, wearing a cleanroom bunny suit. After four years of challenging engineering coursework, I felt that I deserved better, but I accepted the job and determined that I would get everything that I could out of the opportunity. 

I trained on the standard operating procedures, learned the process, and then started asking more in-depth questions about the science behind the process. I challenged the status-quo and raised ideas on how we could do things more efficiently or reduce errors. Leadership recognized this behavior and provided me with an opportunity to lead a continuous improvement initiative. There were several hundred ideas that had been submitted and needed to be consolidated, reviewed, categorized, and prioritized. This required me to develop tools and processes to prioritize, organize, track, and manage the projects. I quickly learned that I was good at organizing information, facilitating discussions and priorities, and communicating the outcomes and next steps clearly to drive action. This is how my next opportunity transpired - project management. 

I moved into a PMO role and learned that the key to getting things done and keeping projects on track was to create a strong sense of team, run a highly effective and efficient meeting, and know which communication methods worked best for each person on the team. It was also in this role that I was pushed pretty far outside of my comfort zone, because as the project manager I had to represent the project team at all governance meetings. I had to go in front of the executive team to get project ideas, execution plans, and resources approved. This forced me to develop my personal brand - how I showed up, presented myself, handled pressure, responded to questions, and represented my teams. It was in this role that I developed my executive presence, ability to tell a compelling story with slides, and communicate with influence, which are skills that have proven invaluable throughout my career.

Now, this is a very succinct synopsis of the first 10 years of my career, but these are the things that stick out to me as the best lessons, and opportunities that helped shape my future success. What you don’t see here are the less desirable aspects of these jobs - the long 12 hour overnight shifts of very monotonous and manual work, working through Thanksgivings and Christmas’s for 6 years, mopping cleanroom floors, as well as the self-doubt, fear, and even occasional tears, as I took on roles of increasing responsibility that pushed me outside of my comfort zone and challenged me in new ways. 

Now that I’ve shared some of my personal journey, let me break it down for you, so that you can start implementing these things TODAY in your own life and career. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly your efforts will pay off and get you noticed.

1. What can I do to have the biggest impact? 

Ask yourself this question daily. If you aren’t going to make an impact, solve a problem, or deliver results, why spend time on it? 

Reflect on your current responsibilities and use the table below to break it down. Here’s an example to get you started:

1. What can I learn and gain from this experience?

This is all about what's in it for you! What new skills or knowledge can you acquire from this experience? Even if it’s a task you’ve already mastered, there’s always something new to discover. Look for opportunities to learn, strategize how to acquire that knowledge, and then practice it.

For instance, if you’re performing a routine task for a different team or part of the organization, explore what that team does. Are there new people you can meet, network with, and learn from? Observing and learning from others can be incredibly valuable.

Before I secured a full-time role in the PMO, I participated in a temporary work assignment or job rotation. I spent part of my time supporting other project managers, which allowed me to observe different management styles. I noted how each project manager facilitated meetings, led their teams, communicated, prepared, and presented. This experience enabled me to identify the qualities I wanted to emulate and those I found less effective. By incorporating the positive attributes into my own style, I gradually improved my effectiveness and saw positive responses from my colleagues.

I’ve expanded upon my previous example for reference:

1. How can I make this enjoyable?

To find fulfillment in what you do, your work needs to align with your values, energize you, and provide a sense of purpose. This doesn't mean every moment will be enjoyable, but you can balance out challenges and frustrations by incorporating fun into your routine.

Take a look at your current to-do list. How can you make those tasks more enjoyable? For example, I love connecting with people, so I focus on building relationships and fostering a sense of teamwork. When the work gets tough, having a supportive team to lean on makes all the difference. Remember, there’s nothing more powerful than teamwork. My motto has always been, “Work hard, play hard.” 

Find ways to integrate this balance into your daily tasks, and you'll discover greater fulfillment in your work.

I’ve expanded upon my previous example for reference:

I hope you find value in this advice and these stories from my own career journey. Ask yourself these three questions and I promise your extra effort won’t go unnoticed!  Watch your reputation, credibility, and competency soar.

If you’re looking for more personalized guidance and support, book a free discovery session, and follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for more tips and inspiration.