What the MediaHeads are thinking: Career(ing)

It’s refreshing to think that there has been so much momentous change in the last year. There is an energy and a pace that seems to indicate we’ve embraced the post 'new normal' and that we’ve switched things up this year.

I like to reflect on the performance of our business and the opportunities and challenges we face before entering the year-end season slide. One of the elements that I considered in the last few weeks is the concept of building a career.

As a business built on skills, individual passion and a team approach, it is essential for me that we help our team build careers. A career is about the overall professional journey that staff accumulate overtime, and it speaks to the progression of people. Careers are built on skills development, long-term goals, achievements and personal fulfilment. Jobs are about a function you fulfil for compensation. Although the two are interlinked, it is essential that our team are achieving more than doing a job, MediaHeads 360 must also be a space where we achieve career milestones.

In my time building a career, I’ve experienced some factors, influenced by people, which have contributed to my own trajectory.

Treat it like your own business: A professional environment needs to be symbiotic. There needs to be value for all those contributing to a project or a company. The mistake we make when we are doing a job is that we don’t take ownership and treat it like it belongs to us. If you were building a business, would you behave in the same way or differently? The reality is you are building a business, one that is intrinsically linked to your skills, ability and personal input. The more your personal brand/business grows, the more value you hold for your client, which is your employer. As a young professional I never considered this in my first few jobs but being introduced to the concept of a career value chain, I changed my attitude towards growing my ‘own’ business.

Invest: Freelancers understand the concept of investing into their careers as it gives them the edge. New skills, updated thinking and methodologies and enhanced networks. For freelancers this is essential as it is part of the value they add when hired on a project. Don’t wait for your employer or company to suggest a learning and growth intervention. Be proactive in enhancing your skills. It makes your more attractive as a future potential hire even if it doesn’t seem to have immediate benefit. Careers are built on a series of decisions and events not single interventions.

Mentorship: Mentorship remains a critical and understated part of building a career. I see mentorship as a three-way relationship between the organisation, the mentor, and mentee, with value for each party.

The most obvious benefit is to the mentee. Guidance, support and increased confidence help mentees make better decisions over time and can encourage them to take on new challenges and responsibilities. Coupled to this they can grow their network for future opportunities and collaborations.

For mentors it sharpens their coaching and communications skills. The process will make you a better listener and help you structure your feedback and guidance. Mentorship is also an opportunity to be exposed to new ideas, technology and concepts outside of your established space, and an ideal opportunity to grow as well!

For organisations a mentor/mentee relationship foster a culture of learning, growth and support. It is good for new and established talent, and it challenges both parties. Mentorship also fosters a culture of knowledge transfer, including best practices and skills. The process can also contribute to a more diverse and inclusive leadership structure overtime.

Change: Careers change direction and gears. Know when to move on. The decision to leave an organisation is sometimes easy. A new opportunity, with more benefit and greater scope in-line with personal goals. A no-brainer. It can be more complex as your career progresses. The elements of change in mid and senior career decisions are quite different to those when you are more junior. Don’t be afraid to change, use your experience and insight to evaluate your options and value. Professional relationships can end when the mutually beneficial value is exhausted, and that is OK. Be agile in approach, honest in expectation and clear in communicating. If you’ve worked on your value proposition it will present you opportunities and facilitate the ability to change.

Fulfilment: The Wham Wrap comes to mind here. “Do you enjoy what you do?” An overall sense of fulfilment is an essential part of having a career and not a job. I’m always astounded when I meet people who took a career change after thirty years of working in an industry. Purpose and personal fulfilment goals can change. Do what you enjoy.

With 2024 careering towards December, take an opportunity to consider your own career journey and if it is time for a change of season. Happy Spring!