I’ve been working for a long time, starting when shoulder pads and big hair were in (I loved both) and I found my dream career in health care communications early on. I have always loved my work, and I know how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to say that.
I’ve always loved sharing tips and techniques that worked for me at different levels of my career and helped me be successful. Although I wouldn’t trade the career I’ve had or where I am now, it occurred to me that there are things I would have done differently or wish I had known then what I know now.
Here are a few things I wish I knew then or had focused my time and energy on that would have made my career and my life, at times, much easier.
You have many career options and don’t have to do the same thing forever
Just because you major in one field and start working in a particular area doesn’t mean you have to do that forever. I majored in mass communications and excelled in my writing and public relations classes. In my second job at a cancer center, I worked on employee communications and interviewed people at all levels for stories I was writing for internal publications. I remember interviewing the head of oncology nursing, who encouraged me to go to nursing school, something I’d always thought about. She saw something in me that reinforced that. I was in my early twenties and could have made it work. But I liked making money, having fun with my friends and hanging out at the pool on weekends. So, I didn’t do it.
My identity was as a communications person, and I didn’t have enough self-knowledge about what would make me happy in the long term to take a big leap and change careers. Even though I didn’t become a nurse, I’ve channeled my desire to help others through mentoring and volunteering. I’ve told this story to several people on my teams throughout the years, and I’m so proud that four are now nurses.
Speak up more and don’t be afraid to share ideas
I wish I had talked more in meetings early in my career. I’ll never forget a boss once pulling me aside after a meeting and asking why I didn’t say anything. She said she knew I had good ideas and needed to share them. That was a turning point. I think I hesitated because I sometimes felt like I would have been stating the obvious, but so what? By not speaking up it looked like I didn’t care or really didn’t have any ideas.
Take the time to master public speaking, and practice, practice, practice
I should have learned more about public speaking and developing compelling presentations. I am an extrovert and can talk to anyone, but I often didn’t take the time needed to prepare and rehearse before giving formal presentations. With more practice, I could have saved myself much stress, anxiety, and self-chastisement afterward for what I considered a bad job (when, incidentally, others thought I had knocked it out of the park). There’s a reason public speaking is one of adults’ top fears, but it doesn’t have to be!
Network and maintain your professional contacts
Put the time in to meet new people and then stay in contact. You never know when it’s going to come in handy. I eagerly joined professional societies for medical writing, communications, and patient education, but with few exceptions I didn’t get actively involved or pursue leadership roles on boards. I told myself it was because I didn’t have time, but, in reality, I could have made time. Fostering networks could have led to other interesting areas of work, and more professional friendships.
Don’t let your job become your life
I was guilty of this for a long time. I always felt like I was so lucky to have a good job and therefore it had to come first. Each of my jobs was demanding, with frequent travel and ever-increasing management responsibilities, and I was always eager to get to the next level. My friendships sustained me during these years, but I spent too long in personal relationships that weren’t right for me then and never would be.
It’s not personal, it’s business – and much is out of your control
Focus on what you can control. You can’t control budgets, other people’s priorities, favoritism, unfair treatment – the list goes on. Everyone isn’t going to like you or care about your professional or personal development. I had a few managers that did care, and others that didn’t. It took a while to not take that personally. Also, and this is key – be more kind to yourself. I cringe now when I think of how I would berate myself when I made a mistake. Be kinder and gentler.
Start contributing to your 401k as soon as you’re eligible
I didn’t do this, and I should have, even if it was a small amount of money. I was too busy spending money on clothes and products when I should have been investing it. I finally started contributing money and even joined the 401k committee at one of my jobs, which was ironic.
Don’t compare yourself to other people
You’re on your own path and have much to offer. Just because it may seem like other people are being promoted faster or making more money doesn’t mean they have it all figured out or they made better choices than you did or they’re happier or more fulfilled than you are. Be content in your own path.
Consult with others
Because I’m a communications person, I obviously had to quickly poll some of my close friends to learn what advice they would give their younger selves! Ranging from early 40s to mid-60s, it was fascinating to realize how much these friends and sometimes colleagues offered career advice that echoed mine. For good measure, they threw in a few pieces of advice that I wholeheartedly support:
- always wear sunscreen
- find your tribe and nurture your friendships
- do work you enjoy
- eliminate the drama
- be the most authentic version of yourself
- trust that it’s all going to work out, and
- last but not least…floss!