When establishing yourself, there are many different factors you need to keep in mind, so much so that it can be a seriously daunting task. There are many things to learn, and remember to ensure you’re doing it correctly. This also requires much self-reflection, which many of us struggle with.
At Achieve, this is why we believe in taking baby steps as a far more sure way to meet our goals. Finishing a task no matter how small will give you the momentum you need to tackle larger projects. Or, break a large project into small portions to make it more manageable and avoid becoming overwhelmed. Success happens with small consistent steps. It ensures that we don’t forget anything and helps us complete our tasks and goals as thoroughly as possible.
Getting Started
Over the course of the next three blog posts we will be breaking down and highlighting some of the key points that you need to remember while working to establish yourself professionally. Obviously these is a lot that goes into a successful career, but at least by starting here, you will find yourself on the right track to meeting all of your goals.
Working in conjunction with Dawna L., who has over 30 years of experience working as a manager, Dawna has a lot of good advice for those looking to establish themselves. In the following articles, we will be going over things such as:
- Soft and hard skills and accepting feedback from others
- Building your credibility and branding,
- Networking,
And overall, just taking responsibility for your development and your career. No one knows you better than you do, and no one can ensure that you reach your definition of success like you can. This is about taking the reigns on how you establish your own career and being in charge of your own success.
So, let’s break down the steps you need to take to establish yourself professionally.
1. Soft Skills and Hard Skills
To start, what are soft skills and hard skills?
Soft Skills: Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. (Cambridge Dictionary). These are skills that are judged subjectively.
Hard Skills: technical knowledge or training (Indeed). These are skills that are judged objectively.
A large part of establishing yourself includes understanding what you already know. Make a list of each, even if each list consists of only two or three things. Keep this as an ongoing and evolving list to remind yourself of what you’re good at whenever you are either working on a new project or joining a new team.
Be aware that you have strengths, regardless of how early you are in your career. Be honest about what you need to work on, and then find a way to build the skills you need for the future.
2. Accepting Feedback from Others
Understand what you can learn from others in your organization and when you may need to develop outside the organization. This will keep you current as information, skills, and knowledge constantly change in our contemporary world. You are not just establishing yourself in one particular organization, but rather as a whole.
Don’t stop learning and listening. Be humble enough to know that you will always have things to learn from others. Take on projects that will help to develop the skills and experiences you need to build. Show you have the initiative and the confidence to learn. Don’t be underutilized, and show that you are interested in helping the organization meet its goals.
Believe in yourself. Even when others may not.
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there.”
Venus Williams
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