Career Fulfillment Guide

When I first started at my company, I was eager to take on more responsibilities but hesitant to speak up. I worried that my request might be seen as overreaching. Then, a mentor gave me invaluable advice: "Opportunities are rarely given; they’re taken." This changed everything for me. Here’s a step-by-step guide based on my journey to help you leap: ➙ Self-Assessment 📝: Before asking for more, evaluate your current workload. Are you consistently meeting your deadlines and excelling in your tasks? This will show that you're ready for additional responsibilities. ➙ Identify Areas for Growth 🔍: Look for gaps in your team or company where you can add value. It could be a project that's been neglected or a new initiative that aligns with your skills. ➙ Prepare Your Case 📊: Approach your manager with a clear plan. Highlight your achievements, explain how you can contribute more, and detail the benefits to the team and company. ➙ Show Enthusiasm and Commitment 💪: Demonstrate your passion for growth. Enthusiasm is contagious and shows that you're genuinely invested in your role and the company's success. ➙Be Ready for Challenges 🚀: Taking on more means stepping out of your comfort zone. Be prepared to tackle new challenges and show resilience. After implementing these steps, I not only got the additional responsibilities I wanted but also gained the trust and respect of my colleagues and superiors. My career growth skyrocketed, and I felt more fulfilled in my role. Big Lesson: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Take charge of your career by proactively seeking out more responsibilities. You'll grow, learn, and stand out as a proactive, driven professional. How Do You Go About It? 📞Regularly communicate with your manager about your career aspirations. 📞Seek feedback and use it to improve continuously. 📞Network within your company to identify potential growth opportunities. Have you successfully asked for more responsibilities? Share your experiences and tips below! Let’s inspire each other to take control of our career paths. 🚀 ————————————————————————— Meeting me for the first time? I’m Rudy Malle, a clinical researcher dedicated to improving public health outcomes, and a career advisor helping ordinary professionals take their careers to the next level to enhance visibility for individuals and companies. #CareerAdvancement #ProfessionalGrowth #TakeTheLead #WorkplaceTips #CareerAdvice #LinkedInCommunity #personaldevelopment #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma #rudyhacks

You are the only person who can advocate for your career development, and its probably more important than ever to ensure you have a plan in place for yourself. Here are a few strategies to consider:   ⭐ Know Your Worth: Take the time to reflect on your skills, accomplishments, and unique strengths. Understand your value and be confident in communicating it to others.   ⭐ Set Clear Goals: Define your short-term and long-term career goals. Be specific and create a roadmap to achieve them. Share these goals with your managers, mentors, or trusted colleagues, so they can support you in your journey.   ⭐ Seek Feedback: Actively seek feedback from your supervisors, colleagues, and mentors. Embrace constructive criticism and use it to fuel your growth. Regularly assess your progress and make adjustments as needed.   ⭐ Network: Build and nurture professional relationships both within and outside your organization. Attend industry events, join relevant LinkedIn groups, and engage in conversations with professionals in your field. These connections can provide valuable insights and open doors to new opportunities.   ⭐ Be Proactive: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you; create them. Voice your interests, ask for stretch assignments, and express your desire to take on new responsibilities. Take charge of your career path by seeking out growth opportunities.   Remember, advocating for yourself is not about being pushy or arrogant. It's about recognizing your own value, asserting your needs, and actively pursuing growth opportunities. By advocating for yourself, you can unlock your full potential and shape a fulfilling and successful career.   #CareerDevelopment #AdvocateForYourself #ProfessionalGrowth #UnlockYourPotential #LinkedInCommunity

Hey there, it’s me, your coach Nina, how are you today? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the exciting but vast possibilities in your career? Society, your parents, friends, strangers on social media, and even your own expectations have all been suggesting paths you “should” take professionally. If you're intellectually curious and enjoy learning, you likely have a strong drive to grow already. You might already have some ideas about where you want to go and how to get there. However, with endless possibilities and only 24 hours in a day, it's important to have a focused and sustainable approach to your career development, one that prevents overwhelm and burnout. Here are some strategies to consider: 1️⃣ List out your career goals: What do you really want in your career? Is it money, title, creative freedom, influence, fame, or making an impact? In my early career I wanted to get promoted because the society says so, but after a few years I started to optimize for learning new experiences (hence jumping from corporate to startup to stand up a new team.) 2️⃣ Figure out your why: understand why you want to achieve something adds meaning and boosts motivation. Are you aiming for FIRE (financial independence to retire early), seeking respect as a manager, or craving intellectual exploration? 3️⃣ Define success: know your destination helps you figure out what resources or skills you need to get there. For instance, aspiring to be a people manager might require learning how to inspire others. 4️⃣ Identify the resources you need: Just like planning a trip, you need to know what to pack for your career journey. Determine the skills or knowledge necessary for your dream role. 5️⃣ Choose how to learn: Different people prefer different learning methods—reading, visual cues, podcasts, or hands-on experience. Find what works best for you and experiment if you're unsure. 6️⃣ Practice: Apply your new skills whenever possible. Shadow others, volunteer for projects, and actively develop the competencies you need. 7️⃣ Reflect regularly: Set a monthly reminder to assess your progress and adjust your strategies if needed. 8️⃣ Seek accountability: Remember the saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." Find a mentor, friend, or a coach friend to support and hold you accountable. What strategies have you used or would you recommend to feel less overwhelmed and more empowered in your career growth? #careerdevelopment #professionaldevelopment #midcareer

New Year, new possibilities! 🔥 Forbes reveals that 38% of 2024 resolutions aim for financial improvement, with over 33% focusing on making more money or securing a new job. Sound familiar? Over the past 5 years, I've assisted numerous Silicon Valley professionals in achieving their dream jobs. Let's kickstart your success with a powerful Career Vision. Unfortunately, many start the year with dreams of landing a new job within 3-6 months, only to find nothing changed by December 31. The #1 reason is lacking a Career Vision. Other hurdles include: - Lack of confidence - Burnout or busyness - Comfort in existing roles - A resume lacking impact or keyword optimization Change is possible. Here's your guide to creating a Career Vision: STEP 1: Reflect on Your Values, Skills, and Passions Clarify your goals and motivations. Define your "why" for those goals. Identify long-term objectives and align them with short or medium-term job titles. STEP 2: Set Specific and Measurable Goals Map out intermediate milestones between your current position and "Landed my dream job!" Examples: - Set up saved job searches on LinkedIn. - Optimize resume, LinkedIn, and cover letter. - Reach out to network for referrals. - Land x interviews within y months. - Hire a career coach. - Land offers and negotiate salary. - Decide on an offer and confirm a start date. Celebrate success! STEP 3: Develop a Plan of Action Get specific about action steps: - Time block on Google Calendar every Mon, Wed, Fri from 10 am - 12 pm. - Apply to at least 20 jobs weekly. - Reach out to at least 7 people for networking per week. - Complete at least 5 networking conversations per week. With clear weekly goals and a tracking system, consistent progress guarantees success. Ready to make 2024 your year? Share your Career Vision! 🚀 #CareerSuccess #NewYearNewJob #CareerVision #GoalSetting #DreamJobJourney

A 21-year old college grad recently messaged me for career advice. Here’s the 10 insights I shared 👇 ——— 1️⃣ Your 20s are all about experiences. Focus less on the destination and more on the journey. • Try different things • Say yes to opportunities • Consider starting a company Take some risks and find what you’re truly passionate about. ——— 2️⃣ Prioritize learning over titles Your 20s are for learning—not chasing titles. Focus on building a bunch of complimentary skills. • Choose challenging roles on purpose  • Consider startups to get more responsibility Learn as much as you can, as fast as you can.  ——— 3️⃣ Build relationships, not numbers Forget follower counts.  And focus more on meaningful, genuine connections. Especially with people that are ahead of you in their career. • Get on their radar • Figure out how to help / offer value • Be consistent & dependable Go deep, not wide. ——— 4️⃣ Find your 'Why' No one likes their job 100% of the time. But if you have a strong core purpose… You’ll get through the tough times better than most. • Write down your 'why'  • Post it somewhere visible.  • Re-evaluate every couple years ——— 5️⃣ Take pride in your work No matter what you do… Dive in with precision and take pride in the details. • Hone your skills • Seek feedback and iterate • Be known for high quality Tip: Watch ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’ for extra inspiration. ——— 6️⃣ Life’s a Negotiation There’s not much that can’t be negotiated. • Job scope • Compensation  • Benefits Go for it. You don’t get what you don’t ask for. ——— 7️⃣ Listen More, Talk Less My first boss told me… ‘You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room.’ What he meant was: Rather than shouting answers… I should try listening & absorbing more first. • Actively take notes  • Listen to other perspectives • Absorb, consider, then speak. ——— 8️⃣ ’Be Fierce with the Fierce’ This motto is from my Scottish last name…  But its relevant and means: • Don’t get pushed around.  • Stick up for yourself.  • Don’t give up. Growth happens at the edge of discomfort. Push yourself. ——— 9️⃣ Don’t be a “quiet quitter” An unfortunate trend with Gen Z… But, no one wins when you do the bare minimum. Optimize for job happiness: • Align personal passions with job roles • Ensure your job reflects your personal values Otherwise you’ll waste precious years of growth. ——— 🔟 Find great mentors In real life, or through books, podcasts, etc. Absorb knowledge from: • Leaders  • Entrepreneurs • Philosophers Find people who inspire you in various aspects of life. And go all in. 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️ **Thanks for reading!** If you enjoyed this, you'll love my free newsletter on *leadership & startups*. Signup link is in my bio.

Advice to a Young Professional A young professional called me up the other day - he wanted to air some concerns, take some feedback and confirm if he is on the right path. Now if you know me, I rarely let go of any opportunity to share my, ahem, wisdom with the young'uns. This was in the context of someone who is in their late 20’s, so you won't see mention of health, family, work-life balance, etc as much as if it were someone in their 40’s - that’s another post for another day! 1.   Work hard early in your career and set a good foundation. Be proactive and take up additional roles and challenges early in your career when you have less things, like children and health, to worry about. This is the time to burn midnight oil, not past 45. This will set you up on a strong platform and help develop your personal brand. 2.   Individual success is important, but a rising tide lifts all ships. Celebrate and spread success of your peers - it will improve the overall perception of the team/unit. In early part of your career, worry less about credit and more about building your network and banking some goodwill. You can encash both as you progress in life. 3.   Be aware of promotion, pay raise, power hierarchy and aspire for better, but do not over-focus and get labeled for it. Visibility is important but evaluate whether it’s getting you the things that are important to you. 4.   Evaluate your job/role once a year - early on in your career - and maybe once in 6 months, later in your career. Have you learned something new, have you at least one success that you can be proud of? You have a "1 page resume" - did the past year displace at least 1 line in it? That is one way to measure progress. 5.   There will always be politics in corporates. That is the nature of the beast. You need not play politics or be the instigator of it, but always be aware. By saying you are apolitical and trying to play victim to circumstances only makes you that - a victim. If there are 2 factions and you align with A, B will beat you up and if you align with B, A will beat you up. The reality is if you align with neither, they will both beat you up. Be aware and act accordingly. 6.   Be true to your personality. If you are good with words and a strong communicator, by all means take up air space in a meaningful manner. But also allow others to contribute in a group discussion. If you are more of a thinker and/or action-oriented person, do not feel obligated or come under stress to speak. Hollow words and pointless arguments will only hurt you - rather focus on actions and results. 7.   Find your tribe and do and learn things together. You may not always land up in a collaborative team, but creating your own will ensure that you will set yourself up for a good time. #personalviews #leadership #weekendwisdom

I decided to start the week with this. I’ve discovered that for experienced professionals, some things seem like platitudes. But for folks who are still feeling their way through their career, and “adulting" the right type of guidance helps. You feel overwhelmed at work & are not doing tasks you like. Unmotivated & frustrated, you're uncertain if you should quit, pursue a master’s program, or start your own business. But even that is confusing! Sounds familiar? Here is how I recommend you get out of that rut. 1) 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: It's okay not knowing everything. The key is to embrace learning & keep growing each day. Accept that it's fine to make mistakes, provided you learn from them. It's part of the learning curve. 2) 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: SMART= specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Instead of saying, "I want to get better at my job," say, "I want to improve my sales numbers by X% in Q3." This gives you a clear target and a way to measure your progress. 3) 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 Y𝐨𝐮𝐫 G𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: Have clear, tangible goals and visualize them daily. They serve as your signal in times of uncertainty and remind you what your targets are. 4) 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: While motivation is a can aid action, it fluctuates. Discipline, on the other hand, keeps you going even when motivation wanes. Discipline is committing to your goals and working towards them, 5) 𝐀𝐜𝐭!: Instead of waiting for the perfect plan, take action based on the information you have. Be willing to adjust your approach as you gain new insights, moving closer to your goals with each step forward. 6) 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: Seek constructive feedback from colleagues, mentors, or supervisors. This can give you insight into areas where you can improve. Remember, feedback is not a criticism of you as a person but a tool to help you improve. 7) 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬: Maintain a sense of curiosity about your work and field. This can lead to a deeper understanding and open new avenues for growth. Ask questions, do research, & always strive to know more. 8) 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: Building relationships can be beneficial. You can learn from experiences, get advice, & discover opportunities you would not have otherwise found. Don't be afraid to connect with others. 9) 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Everyone has days they feel inadequate. It's part of being human. Instead of feeling bad about yourself, approach these situations objectively. 10) 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞: Work is important, but so is the rest of your life. Ensure you have work-life balance. This prevents burnout & keeps you from getting overwhelmed. Relax. Spend time with loved ones. Remember, personal & professional development is a continuous journey of growth and self-discovery. Embrace the process, stay resilient, & enjoy the fulfillment that comes from progress and achievement. Have a great week. Davidson 

A recent conversation with a mentee trying to navigate the next steps in their career reminded me of an essential rule I always emphasize: You own your career, therefore you have to be in the driver's seat. They recently received some feedback from their manager that was confusing as it didn’t align with previous feedback. The conversation on next steps was very vague. Reality check: waiting for clear guidance or validation from others can leave you stuck in neutral. Instead, you must proactively manage your own career path. Here are a few things I suggested: 1. Do a Self-Assessment You need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and career aspirations. Identify what excites you and where you see yourself in the future. Remember they can all change due to new experiences and gaining new skillsets. 2. Seek Constructive Feedback While feedback from leadership is valuable, it’s important to triangulate. Reach out to mentors, peers, and others in your function that you admire for their insights. Feedback is just one piece of the puzzle. Use it as a tool for improvement, not as a definitive roadmap. You never know when you might run into an unconscious bias. 3. Continuous Learning and Development I’m ever curious and always looking for learning opportunities. Look for opportunities to learn from other functions. The business world is continusly changing, and staying on top of the game, requires investing time to learn. Stay informed about your current industry trends but also look for best practices in others. 4. Advocate for Yourself People can’t read your mind, so they don’t know what your career goals and aspirations are. Don’t be afraid to articulate them to your leadership. Express your interest in new projects, responsibilities, or roles that align with your goals. 5. Adaptability and Resilience Career paths are rarely linear. My own has been a lattice. Be adaptable. Embrace challenges and view setbacks as learning experiences. Being in the driver's seat of your career means taking an intentional role in your professional development. While others can give you guidance, the ultimate responsibility for your career lies with you. What else would you tell him?

I had the opportunity to interview someone early in their career yesterday, and I was reflecting on my career journey, trying to think of what advice I would give my younger self. 💭 1️⃣ Take risks, embrace when you fail, and learn from it. 🚀 Early in my career, I was afraid to take risks, and that got me in some toxic work environments that made me feel I couldn't do better. It's when I picked myself up, said enough, and went on a new journey that I learned my values and my best traits. So, don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take calculated risks. 🌟 2️⃣ Find your passion and purpose. 🔍 Cliche to say it, but it is so true. When you are passionate about your work, the hurdles are just there for you to leap over. When you align your career with your values and purpose, work becomes more fulfilling and meaningful. So, take the time to explore different industries, roles, and opportunities until you find what truly lights a fire within you. 🔥 3️⃣ Don't stop learning 🌱 The world is evolving at a rapid pace, and staying ahead of the curve requires a commitment to lifelong learning. Seek out others in your industry, connect with experts, and express your voice. Take courses, attend webinars, and read industry publications. By investing in your personal and professional development, you'll not only enhance your skills but also position yourself as a thought leader in your field. 4️⃣ Lastly, remember to take care of yourself. 💆♀️ Took me years to balance my work ethic with my family and me time. When we are chasing success, it's easy to neglect self-care. But trust me, burnout is real, and it can hinder your growth and happiness. Prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Find a hobby that will require you to physically and mentally unplug. Surround yourself with a support system that uplifts and encourages you. 💕 I hope these pieces of advice resonate with you as much as they do with me. 🌟 If you're just starting out in your career, I encourage you to embrace the journey, stay curious, and never stop learning. 🌈 What advice would you give your younger self? Comment below, and let's start a conversation! 👇✨ #careeradvice #lessonslearned #personalgrowth

🔑There are so many career lessons I've had to learn the hard way so now being a #CareerCounselor for Gen Z, I feel a commitment to be the voice that I wish I had. One of those lessons is about how important #selfadvocacy truly is. As an empathic, soft-spoken introvert, I struggled greatly with speaking up and owning my own worth. I would often say "I'm just happy for the opportunity." Over the years, I saw how much that complacency stunted my growth. Now, I impress upon all the young adults I work with to take considerable time in knowing several important things that help build self advocacy before they even enter their first professional job search. 1) What are your key #strengths? 💪 Knowing what your natural talents are can help rock out in your interview, find the opportunities where they will be best utilized, and provide the bargaining power for the highest possible salary. 2) What are your core and work #values? ❤️ Taking time to understand what you deem most important provides a compass and a magnetism to where you want to be, thus making it less likely that you settle for anything less. Knowing what you value and the level of priority ensures you don't sacrifice beyond what you should. 3) What #impact do you wish to make? 💥 Taking the time to know who's lives you want to impact and why streamlines your job search to the prospects where there is most alignment. This creates opportunities to have a career that feels authentic and therefore more advancement opportunities and better work environments are more probable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in catching more career tips, info and resources? Follow me and send me a message! I'm the Founder of Mint To Be Career, LLC and Certified Career Counselor driven to help Gen Z successfully navigate their career journey!