Growing in your career
I thought about naming the title of this post, “Your path to promotion”. But that is exactly what I have noticed is not constructive when moving froward in your career. If your focus is only around arriving to a higher salary and a higher level you are missing the real purpose. Your first and foremost motivation needs to be growth, learning and trust. With these fundamentals economic and level increase will follow. Here are some areas to focus on when wanting to advance in your career.
1. Focus on your impactful contribution
Make sure that discussions are foremost around the positive impact you have had on your colleagues, the problem space you are working on and the company as a whole. And less about you simply getting a raise. This will set a much more constructive conversation with your leaders and keep you focused on the real reason you would be advancing in your career.
2. Go above and beyond before asking for a promotion/raise
If you are not pushing the boundaries of your responsibilities you are not ready to start talking about advancement. Going above and beyond and possibly stepping outside of your comfort zone can be by doing something that you were not asked or expected to do. It can also be demonstrated by you helping someone else that is in need. When it comes to product design we get a lot of attention for having pixel perfect flashy designs, but remember to dedicate time to the dirty work. Tidy up documentation, mapping states, user journeys and edge cases. Going the extra mile will be noticed.
3. Focus also on the growth of your colleagues and team
How you are doing as an individual contributor is often reflected in how those around you are doing. Since your success depends on the collaboration with others, focus on how you can advance forward together as an integrated group of people. Being a team player and the growth of your team is equally important as your personal growth, they go hand in hand.
4. Gather feedback regularly
“How do you think I did?” - seems like a simple question but it leaves us vulnerable. It is actually a very hard question to ask. It is kind of like public speaking, practice makes perfect. Once you get used to asking for feedback it will get easier and more natural to have these exchanges. Gathering feedback can come in many forms. It is not limited to a 1:1 with your leaders. You have exceptional talent working along side you that can provide you with interesting insights on how to improve your day to day work. If you are not up for asking face to face, consider sending out a survey.
5. Maintain a positive outlook
If you find yourself surrounded by a group of people that focus on what is going wrong and complaining about colleagues, management and processes, try to change the narrative. Focus on opportunities and how you can constructively support your company. This does not mean to fake a positive attitude and pretend that every thing is A OK. If you think that something can be improved (and there is always something to be improved), bring it up. Provide enthusiasm to improve it and be a part of the discussion. This positive, get shit done attitude will be noticed and appreciated by leadership. Lead you on the road to advancement in your career.
