It's two months since the launch of this year's 30% Club UK and Moving Ahead mentoring programme and I'm absolutely astonished by the people that make this happen. I'm incredibly lucky to be mentored by Sonia Zhang who has blown my mind! I feel like a whole new world has opened up and it's still early days into our mentoring relationship. Huge credit also goes to my EA mentor and the 30% club ambassadors in the Environment Agency who have really supported our cohort and been fantastic guides. I'm really excited to see where the next 6 months goes.
Some things I have learned so far:
1. The more you speak up, the more people understand you (a safe space is key)
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it - seems obvious but I think we struggle with this, particularly women.
3. Surround yourself with supportive people - family, the critical friend, the boss that believes in you, the great colleagues and a workplace that encourages personal growth.
4. Don't let a lack of knowledge hold you back from the next step/s in your career- Empower yourself by reading, doing courses and immersing yourself in the subject. This sounds obvious, but when you've worked in a specific field for over 20 years, it can be daunting to branch out into the unknown. So read and learn to improve your confidence.
5. Volunteer for as many different learning opportunities as you can to broaden the scope of your knowledge.
6. When doing any job/task ask yourself; does it add value, does it challenge me, does it help me grow. If not, find something else that does!!
7. My development is MY responsibility! Take ownership to seek opportunities, reach out to people who can guide you and support you, and let people know what you want to do and where you want to go!
8. Network, Network Network - I haven't valued the power of networking until now, in fact I've actively avoided it! From now on, I'll be talking to lots of people in a variety of roles, and finding out what they do.
And finally don't give up - rise to the challenge and keep the momentum and positive energy going 💪😁👏
Ingeniero en sistemas de la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana
1moCongrats