By Corey Daxon, President
As the owner of one of the largest Canadian human resources and talent consulting firms, I’m fortunate to have the viewpoint I have on careers and successful professionals.
Through our executive recruitment practice, I see firsthand how leaders make themselves stand out and be consistently sought after for prime roles.
Our career transition/outplacement practice has shown me how strong managers and executives bounce back from being terminated and continue with great careers. And our coaching practice allows me to witness leaders build on their strengths and proactively push their careers forward.
Through observation and conversation with executives and business leaders, these are my five key takeaways that any early career individual can incorporate into their growth strategy.
1. Whatever Opportunity You Get – Run With It!
We all start with an opportunity, a first job, a career decision. Quite often it’s not where that opportunity is that determines success, but what you do with the opportunity. As an MBA grad the “prime” opportunities on campus were with major corporations, and entrepreneurial roles or small business careers were seen as secondary options.
An overemphasis was put on landing a prime role, versus seeing equal opportunity for strong performers to excel regardless of the launch pad.
Whether you start in a large, highly sought-after role or choose a less travelled path, success is based more on what you do than where you do it.
2. Learn From the Top
Successful leaders often speak of other business owners, mentors, managers, and executives who made a significant impact on their approach to work. They take the time to watch leaders and learn what made them successful and they incorporate these behaviours and skills into their approach to work.
Look for stand-out leaders in your organization or industry, watch and learn. Ask for their advice and their take on what separated them from the pack and combine your style and skills with the lessons you learn from them.
3. Be Strategic, Thoughtful and Precise to Make Yourself Stand Out
Take a strategic, tactical look at your business, your role, and your key performance metrics. Typically early career roles are more heavily focused on operational delivery, with strategic components becoming more important as your career progresses.
In addition to delivering on your day-to-day, understand what your company values, what your managers are looking for, what their managers are looking for, and start to incorporate a more senior focus into your daily routine.
Understand what is really valued in your business over and above your operational responsibilities and ensure you add these components into your role.
4. Be Confident, Optimistic, and Own Your Situation
Strong successful professionals consistently own their successes and failures. I guarantee good and bad things will come your way – expect it, think about it, and determine what you will do.
Solve problems instead of pointing fingers. Time spent on determining how to make things better is far more effective than finding blame for the problem.
Work towards positive, tangible outcomes when you hit a bump in the road. And approach each challenge knowing that you’ll find a way to figure it out.
5. And Yes, It Is Hard Work.
Grit, focus, dedication, planning, working smart, delivering results – there’s a lot. Leaders comment that they had to invest a lot to see their success. Not at the expense of their families, balance, and personal life, but consistently showing up with focus, driving things forward and delivering.
If you are just starting in your career or feel stuck, try incorporating some or all of these tips into your work self. Simply shifting your mindset and being aware of these suggestions can help you start to propel your career forward and see measurable success.