It's not unusual to find career choices ranking within the top ten 'Most Important Decisions in Life' list. After all, a lot is riding on it. Given how our careers will likely shape our lives, please don't leave any of it to chance. Taking a deliberate approach to your career and actively planning how you want to get to where you want can expose you to options and help pave the way for you to become better in your current role or equip you for that next opportunity.
Women learn and think differently. At Programmed, we welcome the unique skills and approaches each person brings to boost our shared business success and recognise its significance within a trades environment that has strong female representation.
We want our female trades to feel empowered by their careers and excited by the opportunities that lay ahead. It all begins with a plan. To help you get started, here are seven simple steps you can follow to start growing your career.
Start with a self-assessment. Think about your interests, career values, skills and personality traits. What will help you become more proficient in your current role? You can create your own criteria for improvement as well as outline ones that will help you reach your career aspirations. To do this, consider which projects or jobs were most satisfying and successful for you, then, consider aspects which make work meaningful or stimulating. In this way, you can start homing in on careers and opportunities that fit your personal interests and work strengths.
It's hard to be something unless you see it. Find a role model for the role you are interested in, even if this person or role is outside of Programmed. This will inspire you because a real-life example shows you that it can happen.
Identify a mentor and reach out to them for direction as you'll get value from different people in different ways. Mentors can be above your level, your peers or even those junior to you. It is a two-way street though, so consider how you can help your mentors just as much as they can help you.
Have an open mind and a positive attitude. Have a willingness to learn, create healthy boundaries and be prepared to spend time educating yourself on your trade and industry of choice. Know that you deserve the opportunity to acquire skills and thrive in your trade. Consider subscribing to trade newsletters, join industry networking groups, learn something new each day, take on challenges with the goal of learning to enhance your performance in your current role and to prepare you for the next.
Leverage and learn from those around you to build relationships, collaborate and extend your network. The broader the network, the more the opportunities you have to learn. Those who have enjoyed success are often willing and able to guide you with your career.
Actively seek out opportunities to help move your team forward and grow yourself. When you identify opportunities where you can contribute, take a chance and step up. You don't necessarily have to know all the answers, you just have to be willing to find them. At Programmed, there are as many opportunities as there are challenges that need solving. So, put that h and up. It demonstrates accountability, a mindset of wanting to build new skills and an eagerness to keep yourself relevant.
Just do it. Do not underestimate yourself and your own determination. When having a career conversation with your manager, it's most effective to speak directly about the role and how you best fit it. Focus on what you bring to the table and what you do know, rather than on areas you may need to develop further. Even if you don't immediately get a better opportunity, your manager will know you are keen to expand your career and can help you grow it through different projects, roles and responsibilities.
Having a successful career is less about what you choose to do, and more about how you do it. These seven steps are easy to apply. As you start practicing these habits and using them as career conversation starters, you'll be setting yourself up for success, regardless of your career path.
Let's chat about careers at Programmed! Email womenintrades@programmed.com.a to find out more or to speak to someone in the HR team.