Career Tip: Constantly Improve Professional Growth
Please note: this is a personal site. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer.
Even the most seasoned professionals burn out sometimes.
With only a few months til my one year anniversary at my current job, I am facing that familiar “now what?” debate of where I stand. I have discovered I go through phases in any position I’m working, and perhaps you do too:
First three months = the honey moon phase. In the beginning, everything is the best thing ever. Processes are fascinating, people are fun, it’s all about observing and learning, and you’re the new kid on the block who gets to use the “but I’m new” excuse to pass over the big projects that come in.
Six months = crap, this job is hard. Here’s where you roll up your sleeves and join your co-workers in the trenches. Changes happen more times than you can count. But it’s okay, because you love your job, and you can reap the rewards soon enough.
Almost one year = question everything. Is this really what I want to be doing? Is there a better way? Do I really want to keep working with these people? Am I just a lost soul again? Can I stay afloat while everything and everyone is whizzing by? Should I shut up and deal with the fact that this is just the industry we’re all in?
I’m currently in this last phase. Anyone who knows me personally or professionally knows I march to the beat of my own drum.
So it’s no shock that I struggle to get beyond the daily grind to keep the bigger picture in mind. With that, three big questions have been on my brain, and I present them to you all to think about and answer as well:
How do you conquer the speed vs. efficiency challenge at work? Today’s digital-centric career calls for creative ideation and execution at an insanely rapid speed – from client responses to project deadlines, I’m having a really hard time finding a balance of producing quality work at shorter timeframes. How can we better manage these expectations?
What are your favorite examples of great office/work culture? What do you look for in a team? Do any companies stand out? How can us “little people” (i.e. low/mid-level employees) shape better culture in our own offices?
How do you hide your personal attitudes in the workplace? If/when you find yourself in disagreement with a coworker or client about something, how do you (literally) save face? I always joke and call myself the "Larry David" of the office because I can’t fake nice and can’t hide my emotions. However, this is not good for professional development. What practical tips do you use in the workplace to get through these situations?
What's the key to longevity at a company? As I mentioned before, I seem to grow out of my honeymoon phase after a short time, then I get stressed out, battling to maintain that happy, positive outlook anymore. How can we stay in the game for the long term and not throw in the towel?
Best of luck to all of us climbing the ladder.
