Three work lessons I’ve learned
Career progression doesn’t have to be linear
I grew up in Australia and came to the UK on a 10-month job exchange as a librarian at a university in Hull.
When I decided to stay here permanently, I discovered being a librarian wasn’t nearly as well-paid in England as it was back home.
And my educational qualifications – matriculation instead of A-levels; an arts degree from a university no-one here had heard of – weren’t getting me interviews for other jobs I was sure I could do.
So I started again from scratch, applying for countless admin roles at the biggest regional employers, reasoning that once I was in there would be scope to move up.
Eventually, after 18 months doing data entry* in a cupboard at a big local firm and taking evening classes to gain marketing qualifications, my new career was underway.
At the time, taking a job paying less than half what I’d been used to felt like a (big) step backwards. Now I see it for what it really was – a sideways step on the path to a happier working life. Anyone, at any age, can learn the skills they need for a new career.
It makes sense to focus on what you’re great at
We all have stuff we’re good at and stuff we’re less good at (in some cases, much less good at).
Some managers put a lot of emphasis on encouraging team members to work on their ‘development areas’ – but I think it makes more sense for people to spend as much time as possible on tasks and projects that fall into their sweet spot.
We tend to like doing the things we’re good at and vice versa, so this approach also makes work more enjoyable and rewarding.
It hasn’t always been possible to avoid doing tasks I’m frankly rubbish at – but demonstrating to managers how much more I can contribute by focusing on my core strengths has usually helped!
Relationships are everything
This is a careers-focused blog, so I’m talking about the relationships you build with colleagues, whether you work with them daily, collaborate on the occasional project or get to know them in the staff canteen.
For me, strong relationships with workmates have made good times better and hard times easier. I’ve been lucky to discover they also make both good and hard times a lot funnier.
And I can’t count the number of instances over the years when a friendly or supportive word or gesture from a colleague has helped me through a difficult day or week. I hope I’ve paid the favour forward.
Have good relationships with colleagues benefited my career? I’ve no idea, but they’ve definitely enriched my life.
*It wasn’t just data entry. Some days were spent sorting piles of paper records into alphabetical or numerical order.
Find out more about Kay’s role at Pace here.
