From Intern to Trailblazer: Navigating Your Career
Okay, hear me out. I know it’s been some time since I last wrote a blog. A lot has changed, but we’ll save that for a different post. Just know that many exciting things are happening.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a few interns and recent college graduates. A lot of these conversations were just to pick my brain about my career journey and what keeps me going. To be honest, part of this has made me feel a little “adult” because I feel as if I was just in their shoes, but doing the math shows a different story, ha!
These conversations have been enlightening and make me hopeful for the future of the leaders who are coming up. I recently read A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir and Manifesto on Reimagining by Rachel E. Cargle, and there was a section where she defined something I have always believed in so elegantly.
She wrote, “If your only goal is to ‘break the glass ceiling,’ consider who all those shards of glass will be falling on if you’re not bringing the most marginalized women with you.” To me, it has always been about bringing people with me even as I advance. Being able to share my journey, both good and bad, is just a small piece of that.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about all the things I’ve shared and wanted to share that with the masses. So here are my top five things for recent graduates and current interns who want to go into the fun world of storytelling and communication!
1. Relationships
Relationships are everything in communications. Most of the time, communication professionals want to highlight stories, which is easy. However, to do storytelling, we ask people to open up and share themselves with us, and people are more comfortable when they trust you. Building relationships helps create that trust. Relationships are also important as you apply for jobs because you never know who is able to speak on your behalf. We are human and wired for connection, and connections help us advance and grow.
2. Agency
Agency is a word that has become so ingrained in my everyday life and allowed me to be kind to myself, true to my values and boundaries, while I grow. Counselors at Patterson Professional Counseling and Meditation Center define agency as “the sense of control that you feel in your life, your capacity to influence your own thoughts and behavior, and have faith in your ability to handle a wide range of tasks and situations.” As we go through change, we have to make decisions, but while we face that change and decision-making, fear and scarcity can pop up. But when we make decisions from a sense of our own agency, we are able to fight that fear because we are being true to ourselves. I’ve always checked in with my values when making big decisions, like where to work, how to respond to a hostile situation, and so much more. Entering the workplace for the first time, be it right out of college, new job or relocation, is very stressful and scary. But through every journey, being able to hold on to your agency is what will help you grow true to yourself.
3. Mentor
I’ve always believed in having a mentor. But not just your best friend—someone professionally who can hold you accountable, challenge you and encourage you. With technological advancements, a mentor can be anywhere in the world. You just always want to ensure that you check in with your mentor so you are held accountable to your goals and actions. A mentor isn’t someone who is there to hold your hand along the way. They are someone you take your ideas and hurdles to. They are there to see you grow and succeed. Be sure to have a formal cadence on the calendar and try to stick to it. This should be someone who truly believes in you. I always suggest that you set up time to meet and interview the person you want to become your mentor. You have to ask them very clearly if they can commit to the time you would like to meet. If they can’t do it, it doesn’t mean they are a bad person or a bad mentor. Everyone is busy, so this direct conversation allows everyone to be on the same page. I always believe in allowing the person you are asking some time to think about it and let them get back to you. If they say no, that’s okay! Finding a mentor takes time sometimes.
4. Goals
Understand your goals. Having a timeline for life is not what I am saying—trust me when I say it won’t go as planned. I tried it. However, understanding what your goals are and where you want to go professionally and personally helps you understand where you may need to go. It even helps with picking your mentor. Goals change, and that doesn’t mean failure at all! There have been so many times I’ve had to revisit my goals to make them realistic, reachable or even because I just don’t want to do “that thing” anymore. Our goals are meant to be changed and allow us to hold ourselves to our own standards. Know this: your goals are yours. Don’t take on someone else’s goals because they manage you, you look up to them or they are your mentor. Don’t get me wrong—if your manager has given you goals, be sure to meet those. However, the standard that others hold themselves to should not bleed over to your idea of what you should be.
5. Grace
Lastly, give yourself grace. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us grow. So, be kind to yourself. Take breaks when you need to, and don’t be too hard on yourself when things don’t go as planned. Remember, every step you take is a step forward, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment. Your journey is unique, and it’s okay to go at your own pace. Tricia Hersey wrote in Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto “We are moving in and out of worlds all the time so give beautiful grace to yourself. Start again”
That’s it for now. Keep pushing, keep thriving, and remember to bring others along on your journey. Until next time!
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From Intern to Trailblazer: Navigating Your Career
Why I Became a Trailblazer: A Mission Beyond Greeting Cards
