OG#38: Five Lessons from my 10-year Career
How to Make your Work-Life Count
Welcome to OnGrowth&, a monthly newsletter on career and personal growth 🌱🚀
November 2023 made it 10 years since I started my career and I’ve been longing to write about it.
When I started my career, I had an idea of who or what I was going to become. By the time I was done with Uni in 2012, I had written CCNA and CCNP certifications. During NYSC, I wrote an HSE certification (it was useless eventually) and tried my hands on many things - I learnt to make bags and hats, redesigned my PPA’s website, did some graphics design, and was at the same time studying for GRE so I could apply to a grad school in the US to study Engineering Management.
In November 2013, just a month post-NYSC, I landed my first job as a frontend developer (HTML Programmer). I was super excited to be away from home and finally figure out life on my own.
Several job titles, 5 career transitions after, and I can’t believe it’s been a whole decade since I started my career journey. I certainly don’t look like I’ve been working for 10 years and I don’t feel like it either. One thing has been constant though, throughout my journey, I've sought roles that bring me genuine joy and fulfilment.
In today’s newsletter, I share 5 lessons from my 10-year career and how you can use these tips to find work-life harmony in your own career:
1. Own your journey
Take ownership. Your career is in your hands.
When I graduated Uni as one of the top two students in my class, I knew I had many interests - I enjoyed project management, software engineering, a touch of robotics. While many, including my parents, believed pursuing a master's degree was the logical next step, I strongly felt like the best way to find direction was to gain some work experience. It didn’t matter whether Person A was already getting another degree or had relocated abroad. My conviction was clear: understanding my career path required giving myself the opportunity to explore with a real job, and I towed that path. I eventually realised I didn’t enjoy software engineering as much as I thought I would and that I was more of a generalist.
For you, it might be the complete opposite. You might be fully convinced that getting a new degree or changing countries is pivotal to your growth, then do it!
💡Pro Tip: Take charge of your career by introspecting on your current position, your values, and your aspirations. It's okay not to have all the answers immediately. What's not okay is yearning to be someone else without taking any steps toward achieving the career or life you desire. Embrace uncertainty and take bold steps, even if they make you feel afraid.
2. Treat your career like a global one
Do excellent work.
I find that many times, people are waiting, waiting to be at a big tech or their dream job before they do their best. You shouldn’t. I started delivering quality results before I knew what a performance management review was. I was determined to deliver the highest quality of work wherever I found myself and that naturally became a part of me.
Recently, I saw a team review document from my first job praising my work.
💡Pro Tip: Doing excellent work is like a muscle. The more you try, the better it gets. . It doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes, it doesn’t mean you know it all. Learn from your mistakes and do better next time. Prioritize delivering quality results irrespective of the scale or recognition of the task. Save feedback as well. You’ll be grateful you did.
3. Build capacity
Evolve, upskill, and continuously learn.
As someone who has had multiple job directions, I’ve had to continuously learn. Learn the nuances of a new field, learn a new skill, learn about a new business; but learning is not peculiar for those transitioning, anyone looking to grow has to be open to learning.
Make sure to gain relevant skills everywhere you find yourself. Learn, try and keep learning. Sometimes it’s technical skills, sometimes it’s soft skills, heck sometimes it’s even learning how to use certain tools or getting a certification or another degree. Don’t waste opportunities to learn.Â
💡Pro Tip: Certifications are valuable, but they're not the sole measure of growth and they are not enough. Don't neglect soft skills - optimize for building a good reputation; it solidifies your learning, boost confidence, and enhance your value. Every opportunity to learn, whether technical or interpersonal, contributes to your growth.
4. Find what matters to you
And find ways to do it
Be so in touch with yourself that you feel comfortable to travel a road less traveled. From an early age, I always knew I loved to solve problems, share knowledge and make impact. I was not sure how to make this possible early on, but as I grew in my career, I sought opportunities that allowed me solve tangible problems and make an impact.
💡Pro Tip: Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need a 5-year step by step plan for your life. What you do need is to find what matters to you and ways to do it. Sometimes you’ll get it right on a first try and some other times you might not, that’s okay. I read somewhere that our career decisions are more reversible than we think. So embrace the uncertainty that comes with finding clarity and continue to find what matters to you at work. That way, you can live an enriched work life not just for a paycheck.
5. Build social capital
Don't burn bridges if you don't have to.
I’ve mentioned severally that my last three roles weren't through job boards but through connections. Cultivate professional and personal relationships, as they often play a pivotal role in career advancements.
💡Pro Tip: Build relationships long before you need them. Be kind. Be courteous. Be helpful. Your peers today are the CEOs of tomorrow.
Whatever stage you are in your career, know that work-life harmony is possible and that your dreams are valid. Here's to more growth and fulfilment!
If you found this helpful, or any of my past articles, please share a comment or tweet about it. I’d love to read from you.
Thank you for this well written piece. I enjoyed reading it
I couldn't agree more with these lessons! Thank you for sharing.