EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
ALASKA MAY , CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER , ONTINUE
The best piece of career advice I ’ ve ever been given is to be hungry and stay hungry . For me , that means driving your career practically every day and having a growth mindset .
If something comes up in a board meeting or other workplace environment that you ’ re not clear or well-versed on , don ’ t be afraid to put your hand up and ask the why , what , how questions .
For people in senior roles , this can be a daunting prospect as there ’ s sometimes a fear of ‘ looking too junior ’. But my advice would be to set aside any ego and stay humble . There ’ s always more to learn and being hungry is about constantly striving to add strings to your bow and books to your library .
In practice , this might look like a non-finance worker volunteering to work on a finance project , even if it ’ s outside their usual remit . Sometimes the best ideas and perspectives come from people working in different areas , so don ’ t feel like your experience won ’ t be valued or appreciated , in fact your work history and experiences are extremely powerful .
on lessons learned . Watch how people around you manoeuvre their way around a role , career , meetings – learn about different communication styles and how to work with colleagues . Reflect on and digest that information and then put it into practice .
It ’ s cliche to say , but each day is a lesson – especially when working with the next generation . Again , it ’ s easy when you ’ re more senior to get complacent , but working with the next generation , I ’ m constantly in awe of their creative ideas , savviness within tech and ways of thinking and working . So , stay open to learn , be open to change . x
IT ’ S THAT CONSTANT CURIOSITY AND THIRST FOR MORE THAT WILL PROPEL YOU FROM ONE GOAL TO THE NEXT .
When you ' re in-house , I think the best way to stay hungry is to consider what other opportunities there are within your company . Just because you are comfortable in a role , that doesn ' t mean to say that you can ' t continue planning for your own career success and development . Lateral career moves , while often daunting , can be extremely rewarding too , so take a look at the in-house career map .
It ’ s that constant curiosity and thirst for more that will propel you from one goal to the next . I ’ ve driven my career in that way . When I became an HR director , I didn ’ t settle – I ’ ll always ask myself , what ’ s the next step ?
In addition to looking for proactive ways to grow , make sure you take the time to reflect
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