How to Take Ownership of Career Growth

I spent too many years thinking my boss was responsible for my career. Or the company. Or a magical fairy godmother. I thought it was everyone else’s job to advocate for me. To push me. To help me advance and grow. And I completely missed the fact that it was me. It was always ME. Our job is to be the biggest advocate for our careers. We are in the driver’s seat. And we can’t take a back seat and expect someone else to do the driving. Here are ten ways to start advocating for your career not tomorrow, TODAY: 1️⃣ Take a seat at front of the table, not at the back of the room. Be visible. Log onto that Zoom early, make sure people know you are there. Don’t shrink to the corner of the screen or room. 2️⃣ Raise your hand 🙋🏾♀️ Ask that question. Show you’re engaged and thoughtful and there to contribute. I always ask a question early on in the meeting to build my confidence to contribute more later. 3️⃣ Ask to be put on that assignment Make sure you are working on assignments that are priorities for the company. Especially in this market. 4️⃣ Coach your peers on their work You don’t have to have direct reports to have influence. Guide peers who ask for your help: position yourself for the next level by acting like you are at the next level. 5️⃣ Build a career development plan If your boss won’t help you do this, ask a colleague to be a sounding boarding or a friend outside of work. Understand what your goals are this year and what you want your next two roles to be. 6️⃣ Focus on one new skill you want to build What’s one new skill you want to learn that can help with your career growth? Pick it and commit to it. Block 30 minutes on your calendar daily to work on it. Make this time non negotiable. 7️⃣ Take credit for your work Even if they won’t let you in that meeting, share what you are working on with others. Whether that’s it in 1:1 conversations or in team meetings, make sure you let others know the impact you are making. 8️⃣ Get meaningful feedback If your boss keeps saying you’re killing it or avoids giving your feedback, ask others. Show up with what you think your strengths are and areas of opportunity to get their reactions. 9️⃣ Keep a track of your wins Start a Google doc or grab a notebook, and down all of your wins and the end of every month. This makes it easier to do your self evaluation during performance review time and update your resume. 🔟 Always have your resume ready Whether you are looking for internal or external, always have your resume ready. And make sure it’s not saved on your work lap, especially in this market where layoffs are happening every day. How do you advocate for yourself at work? #leadership #culture #inclusion #MitaMallick

Let's be honest with ourselves for a minute. We spend a lot of our time waiting. Waiting for a company to magically create the perfect role. Waiting for our supervisor to notice our extra effort. Waiting for our organization to invest in our growth. And while waiting can be helpful at certain times, taking this passive approach to career development can seriously disrupt our professional paths. Your career trajectory and professional growth is YOUR responsibility. Not your manager's. Not your coworkers'. Not your mentor's. It's YOURS. ➡️ Want that promotion? Build the case for it. ➡️ Need to strengthen your skills? Identify ways to develop them. ➡️ Feel stuck in your position? Start networking on a regular basis. ➡️ Want more money? Bring it up with your manager, or start searching for new opportunities. So, instead of waiting and asking yourself, "What's next for me?" Start asserting, "Here's where I'm going next." Choose yourself in your career development, because nobody is as invested in your growth as you are. #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerGrowth

Nobody is coming to manage your career for you. This is the most useful thing anyone ever told me. Your manager is managing their own career. Your organisation is managing its own priorities. Your mentor, if you have one, is a gift, not a guarantee. The professionals who build careers they are proud of do one thing consistently: They treat their career like a project they are responsible for. Not like a path someone else laid out. Not like a reward for good performance. But as a deliberate, managed, actively reviewed project. Here is how to start: 1️⃣ Write down where you want to be in three years. Write out role, environment, income, and impact. 2️⃣ Identify the three gaps between where you are and where you want to be. Identify skills, relationships, and visibility. Pick the most important one and work on it this quarter. 3️⃣ Find one person who has done what you are trying to do. Not to ask them for a job. To understand what they know that you do not. 4️⃣ Review your progress every 90 days. Careers drift in 90-day increments. 5️⃣ Invest in yourself before you need to - the course, the coaching, the community. Do not wait for a crisis to start learning new things. Your career will be exactly as intentional as you make it. What is one thing you are doing next month to take ownership of your life? #YoungProfessionals #CareerGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #AfricaRising #ProfessionalDevelopment

A recent conversation with a mentee trying to navigate the next steps in their career reminded me of an essential rule I always emphasize: You own your career, therefore you have to be in the driver's seat. They recently received some feedback from their manager that was confusing as it didn’t align with previous feedback. The conversation on next steps was very vague. Reality check: waiting for clear guidance or validation from others can leave you stuck in neutral. Instead, you must proactively manage your own career path. Here are a few things I suggested: 1. Do a Self-Assessment You need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and career aspirations. Identify what excites you and where you see yourself in the future. Remember they can all change due to new experiences and gaining new skillsets. 2. Seek Constructive Feedback While feedback from leadership is valuable, it’s important to triangulate. Reach out to mentors, peers, and others in your function that you admire for their insights. Feedback is just one piece of the puzzle. Use it as a tool for improvement, not as a definitive roadmap. You never know when you might run into an unconscious bias. 3. Continuous Learning and Development I’m ever curious and always looking for learning opportunities. Look for opportunities to learn from other functions. The business world is continusly changing, and staying on top of the game, requires investing time to learn. Stay informed about your current industry trends but also look for best practices in others. 4. Advocate for Yourself People can’t read your mind, so they don’t know what your career goals and aspirations are. Don’t be afraid to articulate them to your leadership. Express your interest in new projects, responsibilities, or roles that align with your goals. 5. Adaptability and Resilience Career paths are rarely linear. My own has been a lattice. Be adaptable. Embrace challenges and view setbacks as learning experiences. Being in the driver's seat of your career means taking an intentional role in your professional development. While others can give you guidance, the ultimate responsibility for your career lies with you. What else would you tell him?

We're all freaked out about the job market. But, there is a silver lining in all of this uncertainty. The smart move? Use this time to invest in yourself. I learned this the hard way, wasting my time trying to make a move during the Great Recession. At first, I panicked. Then I realized the job market was completely out of my control and decided to focus on something that wasn't: Expanding my skillset and getting a new certification. ⭐Within 10 months, I was promoted from recruiting to leading PR and external affairs. ⭐Within 4 years, I was recruited to a dream job. Bottom line: This isn't the time to sit back and relax. When the job market turns (and it will!) you want to be ready to go. In the time you would spend job hunting, do these things to set yourself up for success: 1️⃣ Create Your Own Opportunities ↳ Volunteer for high-visibility projects ↳ Solve problems nobody owns yet ↳ Document your wins meticulously 2️⃣ Build Strategic Relationships ↳ Network across departments and externally ↳ Find mentors who challenge your thinking ↳ Be the go-to person others count on for something specific 3️⃣ Learn In-Demand Skills ↳ Master data analysis and visualization ↳ Build AI skills and experience ↳ Pick up tools to manage complex projects 4️⃣ Develop As A Thought Leader ↳ Share insights from your daily work ↳ Write internal newsletters or reports ↳ Present at team meetings consistently 5️⃣ Volunteer in Your Community ↳ Search for organizations aligned with your values ↳ Find out what help they need most ↳ Take on a leadership role to make connections 6️⃣ Teach Others ↳ Choose something you genuinely enjoy ↳ Take a deep dive into it so you can teach others ↳ Check out community centers, and local colleges for adjunct roles 7️⃣ Start a Side Gig ↳ What can you do that others can't or won't? ↳ Let friends, family and neighbors know what you're doing ↳ Ask people to refer you and share testimonials on social media 💡Career growth isn't just about changing jobs. It's about owning your own professional development. ♻️ Share to help others grow professionally. 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career insights. 📌 Need help with your growth strategy? DM me to chat.

What if I told you that the key to your next career move is already in your hands? No, I’m not talking about networking or mastering a new skill set — although those are important. I’m talking about something more direct, something that most people don’t think about, but can make all the difference in your career: writing your own job description for the next level. Let me explain. Early in my career, I had a mentor who told me that one of the most effective ways to take control of my career was to be clear about the role I wanted next. I didn’t just mean being able to say, “I want to be promoted” or “I want to lead that project.” I meant taking the time to write out exactly what that next role looked like — what my responsibilities would be, what success would look like, and how I would add value to the organization. So, I tried it. I wrote my own job description for the role I wanted, not the one I had. And it worked. But here’s the thing: writing your own job description is more than just listing out tasks. It forces you to think strategically about your career, your strengths, and where you want to grow. It shows your managers that you have a vision for yourself, and more importantly, for the company. Here’s how you can do it: 1. Start by defining the impact. What would you do at the next level that’s different from what you’re doing today? Don’t just think about tasks — think about outcomes. What problems would you solve? What would be your measurable impact? If you can answer these questions clearly, you’re already halfway there. 2. Identify the gaps in your current role. Look at your current job description (if you have one) and compare it to the role you want. What skills or responsibilities are missing? Be honest with yourself here. The gaps you find aren’t obstacles — they’re opportunities to grow into the role you’re aiming for. 3. Align with the company’s goals. This is critical. Your new job description should tie directly to the broader objectives of the company. How will you help the organization move forward?stronger. 4. Communicate it. This might be the hardest part—putting your vision out there. I’ve seen far too many talented people hesitate at this stage. But if you don’t advocate for yourself, who will? Present your job description to your manager in a one-on-one. Be clear that this is the direction you want to go and explain how it benefits the company. This is exactly how I landed my expat role in Europe—I told my manager about my interest, outlined how I could add value in that market, and suddenly an opportunity I didn’t even know existed was mine. 5. Iterate and adjust. The job description you write may not be the exact one you end up with, and that’s okay. The key is starting the conversation and showing you have a clear vision. So, why wait? Start drafting your next job description today. You might just find that the role you want is closer than you think.

YOU OWN YOUR CAREER If we have worked together, you have heard me say this before, and it is my ethos of Employee Development and Growth. While companies should provide the tools, resources, and support, the most meaningful growth happens when individuals take the lead. Your development is not limited to a performance review cycle. It’s the ongoing choice to seek feedback, explore new challenges, reflect on experiences, and remain curious. Here are a few practical ways to take charge of your growth: - Ask for feedback consistently, not just during review periods - Schedule regular time to reflect on what you’re learning - Seek mentors both inside and outside your organization - Say yes to opportunities that stretch your capabilities - Pursue skills that align with your future goals, even if they fall outside your current role - Set clear development goals and track your progress No one is more invested in your career than you are. When you take initiative, you not only accelerate your growth but also build clarity and confidence in your path. One of the most important shifts I’ve seen in high-performing organizations is when employees take full ownership of their development. What is a step you’ve taken to own your development? #Careers #LearningAndDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment

If your career plan is just “wait for a promotion," that’s not a plan. That’s wishful thinking. Let me say this clearly: Promotions aren’t given. They’re earned and asked for. I’ve worked with so many smart, hardworking people who believed, “If I keep doing good work, someone will notice. One day, I’ll get that raise or title.” But here’s what actually happened: They waited. And waited. And watched someone else, sometimes less experienced, move ahead. Not because they weren’t good enough, but because they never started the conversation. Meanwhile, another client did something different: She started tracking every big win in a Google Doc, campaigns, client feedback, and numbers. Every 2-3 months, she checked in with her manager: “Here’s what I’ve delivered. What do I need to grow into a leadership role?” 14 months later, she got promoted. Remember this: – Your manager is busy. – Your HR may not see your day-to-day impact. – Your growth won’t be on anyone’s radar unless you put it there. So if you want your next step, start here: ✅ Keep a record of your wins (quantify as much as you can). ✅ Ask for clarity: “What would growth look like for me here?” ✅ Show leadership before the title, mentor someone, and own a new process. ✅ Build your brand, inside your org and online. (People notice those they see.) You’re not being arrogant by asking for growth, you’re just being intentional. So, have you been tracking your wins? If not, start today, your future self will thank you. #careergrowth #promotiontips #leadership #interviewcoach #interview

Your manager isn’t responsible for your career. Most professionals wait for someone else to push them forward. Here’s what actually happens: → Skills don’t grow if you wait for permission → Opportunities rarely land in your lap → Promotions aren’t handed out—they’re earned → Waiting for recognition wastes years → Complaining changes nothing → Comfort zones kill growth → Networking and visibility matter more than you think The truth is harsh but simple: no one will fight harder for your growth than you. Your career moves when you take ownership: → Learn the skills that make you indispensable → Take initiative before someone asks → Deliver results, not excuses → Volunteer for projects that challenge you → Build relationships that open doors → Track your wins and show impact Stop waiting for validation. Stop hoping someone notices. Your future depends on what you do today, not what your manager decides tomorrow.