When I first started working at LaSalle Network over 11 years ago, I was like most recent graduates: living with a couple of roommates, starting my first real job, and unsure if I was in the right career. After 90 days of work, I was really struggling: unable to get new orders, working long hours, and still confused about my role in the recruiting industry.
I contemplated quitting, but luckily I got some advice and took action that changed my opinion and the course of my life:
1. Don’t let outside influences affect your career
The biggest problem I had was constantly comparing my job to my roommates and friends that I graduated with. Every morning I’d leave before my roommates woke up, and every night I’d be the last to return. They’re weren’t investing close to as much time into their companies and STILL had a higher salary! I let this comparison really affect my motivation – it made me constantly question if I was in the right industry. It wasn’t until I stopped focusing on their careers and started focusing on mine that I became successful.
2. Talk to leadership
Be transparent if you’re struggling. When I was considering quitting, I talked to my manager multiple times and had open conversations about my goals and expectations. My manager and our CEO had great tips for my work and gave me advice I took to heart:
3. Be proactive outside of work
After work ended, it was tempting to come home, complain about my job, and join my roommates on the couch playing video games. Instead, I forced myself to go out and have new experiences. I networked at local events to gain connections, attended company happy hours to meet coworkers, and volunteered with industry-related associations to learn new skills. These are just a few ways to grow your career outside of the office.
4. Look at your personal goals
Make a list of what you want in a career and decide if the company you’re at can support those goals. Is there opportunity for career growth? Do they help employees train and develop new skills? Do they promote internally? These questions are all good starting points when reviewing a company. You really do control your own destiny and without personal accountability with goals, you’ll be stuck in neutral.
5. Find role models within the company
Look at the leadership: do you want their careers? In my case, I did. I found role models to look up to, ask advice, and benchmark my career path around. This is when my job really turned around. I analyzed how these top performers made it to the top and started working harder to do the same.
You get what you put into a career. Once I stopped comparing myself to my roommates and close friends and started proactively engaging in the company that was willing to hire and invest in me, I started seeing positive changes in my performance and could build a successful career path. At the end of the day, it really starts with you and what you want. Anything is possible if you believe it and follow through on those goals!
