To kick off the beginning of April and my #WerqueLikeABoss career series, I thought it would be a great idea to share some lessons and accomplishments that happened during my Q1.
Q1 /Quarter 1/ the first three months of 2017, has brought forth a whirlwind of opportunities and change for me. I noticed that once you secure your dream job, itโs easy to become caught up in the 9-5pm (mostly 8:30am-7:00pm) grind that you forget relish in the big and small workplace victories and reflect on lessons learned. Itโs important to celebrate what you do right, whether itโs quick run to Starbucks/Blue Bottle with your manager or work BFF, or text your community the good news at your desk. Itโs perfectly okay to revel in the little successes to keep you productive in the workplace, while also taking a moment to reflect on lessons that propelled your progress forward.
Coming off the heels of a hectic holiday break, I didnโt quite have the energy to start off Q1 with a bang. So I decided that I would gradually develop my momentum with hopes to steadily increase my productivity over several months, but unfortunately that didnโt happen either. Due to shifts in management and structure within my company, I had no choice but to quickly adapt to the change and lead.
See the 3 things that I learned in Q1 that Iโll take with me through the rest of 2017 and my career:
ConfidenceโโSpeak up, you got this.โ
When I first started as a social media strategist, I was anything but confident. Transitioning from traditional PR, I felt that I came into social media with less experience than my counterparts. My lack of confidence prevented me from speaking up and providing social strategy recommendations for my clients and to my team. I quickly noticed that I was doing my team and myself a disservice by not bringing my creativity and passion for client work to the table. During my 1:1 touch base, my manager suggested that I provide 2-3 social recommendations for our client throughout the week. Once I began doing so, those recommendations gave me visibility AND confidence. Even though you may not feel confident at the moment, I encourage you to think of the reason why you got your job and build off your raw talent to turn it into skills.
Exploring Areas to GrowโโHow can I call myself a social media strategist, when I havenโt taken a class about it?"
So, I did a thing or two. I pitched my company two career advancement opportunities, a ColorComm C2 conference and a UC Berkeley Extension Social Media Marketing Strategist course. The company sponsored me to participate in both opportunities. I thought, how can I further position myself for career advancement when Iโm not taking the necessary leaps to become a tangible asset to my company. I learned quickly that talent will open the door, but skill will keep you there.
Gaining Office AlliesโโThis is a major key.โ
No matter how much good work you do and the excellent client service you provide, it doesnโt mean anything without a good reputation and rapport with your coworkers and upper management. Be sure to connect with your colleagues outside of projects to encourage future collaboration and vulnerability.
One quarter down, 3 more to go!
Share with me some of your career lessons, in the comments below!
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