Getting Unstuck in Your Data Career
Creating tools to help you move forward
From a career perspective, I've had a few successes. However, it hasn't come easy.
The most challenging moments in my career were not about my projects or work output. They were about making overall career moves. When to stay in my current role? When to go for a promotion? How do I ask?
The Lightbulb Moment
One day, you realize, "Hey, I'd like to grow my career." Then what? It's not a simple switch you can flip, and then everything happens. This realization starts a long process towards getting you a result. That result is usually one or more of the following changes you desire:
Job Title
Job Responsibilities
Compensation
Many life changes can impact this. Perhaps you were single and then got married and had a few children. You realize that kids cost money (surprise!), and there's a cap on what you can make in your current role.
Or, you may have been working on the same projects for the past few years and are bored. You may want a change of pace and be ready for more interesting work.
There are also career optics. In some companies, job titles matter. Once you reach a specific title, you're invited to new meetings and conversations you've never had before.
What Now?
The challenge was that I didn't know what to do. There was no easy path. I would ask my leader, but no great advice was given. The only real suggestion I received was when I wanted to be a director, and my leader told me, "We want to see you create and execute a strategy." I had no idea what that meant. I know now, but there was no clear path at the time. So, I was forced to sit there and languish for a few years.
Now, I'm on the other side of that. As a senior leader, I've had people contact me for advice. I have helped people get promotions. I've been in conversations with other senior and executive leaders about who gets promoted and who doesn't.
What I’m Working On
Below are the three major career changes I've been part of and have helped people navigate. These are the transitions that have caused the most effort and stress.
Individual Contributor —> Senior Individual Contributor
Senior Individual Contributor —> Manager
Manager —> Director
Outside of my 9-5 job, I'm working on creating courses to help professionals navigate these changes. My goal is to give people the knowledge I didn't have and help them achieve success faster than it took me. The multiple years it took me to learn the hard way will be reduced.
There is nothing easy about any of it. As you move up, it becomes more challenging, and the skills are different. Getting promoted to a senior individual contributor is very different than getting promoted to a director. The skills and expectations are vastly different. You cannot rely on your technical skills alone to move into certain roles. You may be a great developer or engineer. However, that alone will not get you promoted into senior or leadership positions, if that is your goal.
Luckily, I understand those differences and can explain them.
So be on the lookout for future announcements for the release of these courses. Some of my upcoming newsletter articles will be excerpts from some of the course material.