You'll Never Know What You Don't Know Until You Ask

As a young professional, building a career plan and setting advancement goals has proven quite challenging. Determining what you want to make of your career and future is entirely up to you, and you alone. It's one of those things that doesn't have step-by-step instructions, nor can you follow any one person's footsteps. What works for one person may not work for another. What works today may not work tomorrow.

I began my career endeavors 6 months ago, upon the acceptance of my first job offer in connection with my area of study. It was a newly created position with no formal training plan, no clear outlining of expected results and minimal feedback. I've submerged myself in each task given to me and truly have accomplished so much since my first days. I can successfully navigate our packaging software (I've even been able to teach my boss a thing or two) and I've mastered creating and analyzing the many reports we rely on for operation and quality control. I feel that I have easily managed and adopted all the duties that have been given to me.

I felt great about my progress and excited by the idea of having conquered these new challenges.

Until one day I realized that the horizon of my accomplishments was far too close. Surely, my current daily duties will not keep me busy forever, at least not busy enough to motivate me. Yes, I know how to manipulate numbers on a spreadsheet, but what of these numbers? I know what we use them for, I know where they come from, but what factors would change them? How can they be improved? I need to know more about the company than what simply crosses my desk. I need to know so much more than I do now.

To do my current job successfully, I could continue on like I have for the past 6 months and be just fine. But my current job isn't my dream job, the pay won't satisfy me for much longer and I can see that I'm already getting bored. So what is a new, 23 year old employee to do in an industry she knew nothing about when she entered it? As I look around the various departments working together to form our Operations segment, I am surrounded with retirement-age folks who have been doing this for 30+ years. The industry is old and the people who operate it, just as much. How will I compare to all these knowledge-filled, experienced, seasoned veterans of the industry?

I've got to learn. I've got to ask them questions. I've got to think on a greater scale, a broader scope. I've got to roam and poke my nose in areas I don't understand. I've got to be curious and open-eyed.

I realize, that I have no idea what to make of my future in this business - because I know nothing about it. It's like deciding whether or not to buy a house you've never visited or drawing a portrait of a face you've never seen.

If I get out there, and explore the industry and ask questions - I'm sure I will find an area of interest. Maybe I will stumble across a challenge or two that I think I could fix. Maybe I will recognize areas of growth. And once I can see clearly, I might be able to envision an outline for my future. And with that outline, I can start to create goals and find ways to build myself towards achieving them.

Building a career is so different than "having a job" in high school or college. It is going to be a learning process. I need to strive for advancement, both in my personal growth and the growth of the company. Right now, curiosity and inquisitiveness will be my best friends. With that mindset, I will gain knowledge, understanding, and of course will form new questions and meet new people.

I've decided to start following other "young-professional" bloggers that sing the the tune of career advancement, gaining certifications to boost your value to the company (and with that, your salary) and of course, networking.

A few blogs of note I would like to share:

• Ms. Career Girl , who lends insight on success in areas surrounding both careers and life outside of work
• Your Coffee Break, which envelopes conversation about fashion, beauty and career. There are quite a few posts specifically related to the PR profession (which a few of my close friends would likely enjoy), but I feel that most content can be beneficial to any young woman starting out her career. 
• Dr. Hiten Vyas's the Empower Blog gives advice on building confidence, becoming a better communicator, avoiding negativity and simply building a better life. 

I think I'll take a trip to the bookstore and ravage the Business and Self-Improvement sections, too. This Barnes and Noble list of "Books Every Working Woman Should Read" seems like a great place to start.

In the next week or so, I plan to start organizing my plan at work - which areas I would like to know more about, who I would like to chat with and when the best times to explore would be. Most of our packaging is done in the late afternoons and nights, maybe I need to plan a few nights to come in. I'd like to organize a list of questions that have been lingering in my mind and then find a way to gain answers to them.

I recognize that nobody is going to hold my hand and feed me the information that they worked hard and long to gain over the past 30 years. I have to find it for myself, I have to want it. I've got to take control of my career.

A static mind will never lead me to a successful career. I'm positive that reading thoughts from others will provoke me to relate and ask questions and decipher meaning. I can't wait to see what I think of my career in another 6 months - what I've made of it, what I plan to do with it, what I want from it.

Happy Reading!