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Earlier in 2024, we asked you to share the best career advice you received at the start of your career in higher education. After reviewing the responses, we detected several themes that may be helpful for your career whether you’re just getting started or feeling stuck in your current role.
When you’re starting your career, the workplace can be intimidating. If you’ve completed an internship or worked part-time or over the summer, those experiences can help you make the transition from college life into a full-time job. It may feel awkward or challenging to speak up for yourself, but it’s an important skill to develop as you establish yourself in your role at an institution.
Jessica B. said that the best advice she’s received is that you are your best advocate. This can include asking your boss for more autonomy, better resources and a promotion.
Brandon C. agreed, and he added that you should not wait for others to notice you or your work. Speak up for yourself and make sure your supervisor is aware of your successes.
Start a spreadsheet tracking career highlights, whether you’ve contributed to important reports – including writing or designing graphics – or helped make your university look good at an event or meeting.
Did someone you meet or work with send a complimentary email, or did you make a new connection that led to a new working relationship for your division, department, or institution? Keep those kudos in a folder on your desktop and share them with your manager when it’s time for your quarterly or annual review.
HEJ contributor Justin Zackal advised that you might not want to play the “or else I’ll quit” card unless you absolutely must. Read more tips in his HEJ article about the right and a wrong way to go about advocating for yourself.
Avoid Criticizing Yourself
Another reader said: Don’t be your own critic. Imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence can sabotage your application before you even begin. Learn and know what you’re good at, and confidently tell your story and experience.
Research has shown that imposter syndrome is alive and well on college campuses for staff and students, though more recently, some experts called the phrase into question.
Clare Josa, author of “Ditching Imposter Syndrome,” has identified what she describes as the four P’s associated with imposter syndrome: perfectionism, paralysis, people-pleasing, and procrastination.
It’s important for individuals to be aware of these traits, and managers should also watch for these P’s as a warning sign, she said.
If you’ve got somebody who’s normally a really great team player, and suddenly they’re butting heads with others, it might be due to imposter syndrome, Josa said on her podcast. They may be using perfectionism as a coping strategy, and then they get more aggressive than they usually would. This is one of the ways that imposter syndrome can lead to a toxic work environment.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
Sara H. said the best advice she received was “mess it up in style!”
“I used to take it personally if I was corrected for making a mistake,” she said. “I finally shifted my mindset around mistakes and now advise the same – usually mistakes can be fixed or forgiven. So, I’m much less hard on myself and others now days.”
If you do mess up, forgive yourself even if you are embarrassed. Do what you can to make things right, too. And remember, even someone who is at the top of their game like Mark Cuban, American businessman and television personality, once made a mistake or two on the job.
After graduating from Indiana University, Cuban has said that he quit or was fired from multiple jobs. He came up with business ideas that failed.
“One of my favorite sayings is, it doesn’t matter how many times you fail, [you] just have to be right once. Then everybody can call you an overnight success,” said Cuban in an interview with CNBC.
Job Search Outside Your Comfort Zone
One reader said when applying for jobs, it’s not about what you studied or what you’ve accomplished or who you’ve worked for over the years. Instead, focus on how well your skills and experience meet the needs of the hiring firm.
It is okay to apply for a job you really want, even if you think you don’t meet all the qualification criteria, wrote one reader. Employers often want candidates with diverse backgrounds, and you may be just what they are looking for, but they don’t know it yet.
HEJ contributor Christopher Lee said: “The question that makes all the difference is ‘Am I competitive?'”
Qualified candidates have the requisite education and experience, he said. Competitive candidates have a wider and deeper degree of experience and expertise.
Read more from Lee on this topic in “‘Am I Qualified for This Job?’ Is the Wrong Question to Ask.”
Be Your Authentic Self
One of our readers said it’s important to be honest and lay everything on the table. Show up as your complete self in every situation, suggested another reader.
“While I did not receive this advice until I was well into my career, I had been only bringing the parts of me that made others comfortable,” they said. “When I shifted to truly acknowledging and understanding my ‘why,’ I could no longer exist in spaces that were limiting. I have not experienced this much joy and fulfillment and I owe it to that piece of advice and my willingness and self-awareness of who I am, holistically.”
Authenticity is important at all levels, whether it’s day-to-day or in times of crisis and whether you’re a staff person, faculty member, or president of a university.
As Raymond Crossman wrote in an article for HEJ, authentic leaders communicate about and use their vulnerability while solving problems and resolving conflict, respond to feedback with reflection and self-awareness, and share and center their values in decision-making.
“Leaders and aspiring leaders who are members of historically disadvantaged or oppressed groups are wired for authentic leadership,” he said. “Our experiences of vulnerability become an asset.”
Keep that in mind as you either start your career in higher education or advance in new roles. Being your true self is an asset and it will help you stand out in the workplace. It can also enhance your feelings of self-worth and pride in your work.
For more on these themes, see “3 Tips to Advocate for Yourself at Work,” by HEJ contributor Justin Zackal and “Taming Your Inner Critic” by Leah Jackson.
We want to hear from you when you’re struggling with your job search, workplace issues or career transitions. When you log into your job seeker account or see us on social media, look for future questions on these and other topics. Have a hot topic or question you’d like us to explore sooner? Send an email to: [email protected]