Wow!  Hello!  I’m really excited and how could I not be with my celebration of 31 years as a career professional.  I’m proud to say I have been able to navigate a successful career from entry level to senior level!  Yes, this is a humble brag, because it didn’t come without some hard lessons learned and a few failures.  OUCH!  

Over the course of 31 years, specifically the last 15, I’ve had great opportunities to participate on leadership panels and share my leadership journey.  I want to utilize this platform to share some of my tidbits through a series, I’m calling “Panel Questions”. 

Here is one thing I know for sure, there’s more to the leadership journey than being a subject matter expert in your field of study.  Speaking of which, I should provide a bit of background on my career field.  The long of the short, I started in finance…. not my calling, AT ALL!!!!  I was either going to continue slowly failing or tap into my true purpose, and seek a career change.  I chose the latter and transitioned over the HR space, through the specialized area of EEO, Diversity and Inclusion.  This is where I spent the majority of my career in progressive leadership positions.  Later, I was successful in transferring my skills into core HR for a few years and now I’m a business executive for a major line organization in my current agency.  It’s been a phenomenal journey.  

Here is what you can expect from our regular engagement, “Panel Questions”:

Question:  Do you need a mentor to be successful?

Answer:  Yes, yes, yes!  Mentors are able to provide a roadmap and a strategy for career success.  I will be honest coming into the EEO/D&I space, I was a fish out of water and not sure how to craft and progress in my new career field.  Through participating in various training opportunities and conferences, I got a better sense of my goals and met a PHENOMENAL mentor, who helped me develop a career strategy.  

Dedicated mentors are passionate about seeing others succeed and sharing every bit of relevant knowledge to mentees.  Here’s the thing, the execution of the strategy had to be carried out by yours truly…I still had to grow in the field, collaborate across my agency, develop my voice and presence.   And it wasn’t easy, but knowing I had somebody to call who talked me through some challenges, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and was inspiring while providing constructive criticism, gave me the motivation I needed and positioned me for progress.  As time moved on, I picked up additional mentors, a total of about 5 now.  Each providing experience and exposure that is relevant to my current field and agency.  Mentors are a necessity that I will never outgrow.  There is always something to learn, additional experiences and exposure opportunities.

So, how do you find a mentor?  Look around…. who is successful in your career field; what are some viable training opportunities; where can you volunteer to engage with more people in your agency/organization or even a non-profit organization?  Finding a mentor takes a bit of engagement, so push yourself to get involved and collaborate.  You will not only likely find a great mentor, but you’ll start building your own professional circle.

Next week we’ll cover the difference between a mentor, an advocate and a sponsor!  Please stay tuned as I take time to delve into great topics that may provide insight on your journey to position yourself for promotion!  

Until we meet again, please remember you are the architect of your career!!

P.S. Please tap in if you have a question.  I will definitely provide more insights!

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