The Time Is Now - Get Yours!
As a trusted Talent Acquisition resource and coach, currently working in the media industry, I am often asked by female professionals what they can do to get ahead in male-dominated fields. Oftentimes, they are frustrated with slow promotion processes at their company and opportunities to make more money are limited and happen at a much slower pace for women in general; which means an even slower growth pace for women of color working in competitive industries laden with great talent.
People who are actively engaged in the daily workforce sometimes have a hard time understanding how career growth can mean anything outside of the achievement of a greater title and a heftier bank account. My response to these concerns is to always encourage people faced with this conundrum to remain with an employer for as long as possible in an effort to increase credibility and to establish a solid commitment to the company if it is a safe work environment that is conducive to the individual's well-being, of course.
If you are one of these people, I suggest that for every day that you stay, your primary focus should be on Y-O-U, in terms of establishing your own growth track by developing projects that enhance your professional portfolio and that demonstrate your leadership capabilities. When the time comes to embark on the next step along your career trajectory, you are prepared to show receipts. It is now time to make strategic boss moves every day spent within the organization. Work smarter, not harder, on YOUR behalf. In my opinion, the key to real growth is in what you can CREATE + OWN + TAKE AWAY WITH YOU. Shift your focus from the title + financial chase to self-directed learning + development initiatives. This is how you sculpt your place as a leader within the competitive infrastructure of an organization.
When in a stagnant situation at work, instead of complaining, assess your environment and think of some specific ways that you can improve it. Even when working for a bureaucratic corporate entity, it is essential that you carve out ways to create projects and content that ultimately you will own. Are there ways to make antiquated processes more efficient? Can you create a guidebook document for certain procedures that will improve workflow for your team and future hires? How can you come up with a project that will benefit the company as a whole that you developed and your name is attached as the owner?
My motto is simple - everywhere I go, I grow, whether the company assists in the facilitation of my growth or not. When I decide to part ways with an organization, I always walk away with leverage - with assets that I have created that have improved the overall company ecosystem for the better. For instance, in my current role, I am pretty happy with the work, but managing complex recruitment processes and cycles is not the only way I want my career to be defined. So, to keep myself professionally fulfilled and to feel as if I am growing as a professional while committed to this particular role, I created and implemented an interview training for managers that exposed my work to every manager in the organization within the region. As a bonus, the development of these training sessions enhanced my skill set as a course facilitator, which aligns nicely with the career direction I plan to move in next. This leadership training also acted as the prototype for subsequent training sessions in other regions across the United States. The next time I go on an interview, I can now reference my successful metrics as a recruiting leader and in-classroom facilitator of a game-changing, management development course. This type of self-initiated growth is GOLD and is what may distinguish you, in the eyes of a future employer, from other candidates interviewing for the same role.
The Candid Truth: INVESTING IN YOU, first and foremost, in every aspect of your career is the key to long-term professional success and personal fulfillment as a professional. Being YOU-focused is not a selfish approach because your success as an employee, leader, and innovator, will be more than advantageous for your employer, in terms of your holistic contribution to the organization and its reputation. So don't hold back when it comes to making yourself shine in the workplace - GO GET YOURS! It's about damn time! ;)