Like the perfect recipe for etouffée, growing your career within the public sector requires not only the right mix of ingredients and planning, but also steady, attentive cooking, and constant stirring and seasoning.
In a follow-up to one of my recent GovLoop articles — “Being the Best Version of You: Surviving and Thriving in a Federal Government Career” — I thought it important to spell out some critical “dos” and “don’ts” to guide you as you climb the proverbial ladder to success:
The “Don’ts”
Don’t Neglect Performance
Consistently high performance in your current role is all-decisive. Know this cold: Meeting your supervisor’s expectations is but “average” — and don’t settle for “average”. Diligently work to exceed expectations.
After all, while performance evaluations play a significant role in promotion decisions and future references, it’s your reputation for excellence that precedes you. Always be striving.
Don’t Avoid Change
Embrace organizational change, as flexibility and adaptability are highly valued competencies. Embrace and seek out new assignments, especially those outside of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself.
Mastering a diverse set of roles will profoundly enhance your skills inventory, as well as your internal visibility and marketability. Always be evolving.
Don’t Overlook Relationships
Build and maintain strong and productive relationships with everyone. Exuding personability, professionalism, and a collaborative attitude are key elements to career progression. And be a mensch — come to be regarded as a thoughtful advisor, and a shoulder to lean on and empathize.
Your internal “brand” will shine, and you will be widely known as a well-respected, engaged, top-notch pro. Always be a trusted connection.
Don’t Ignore Work-Life Balance
Orchestrating a proper work-life balance is an absolute must to maintaining good mental health and to your long-term career success. Burnout can only impede your career progress. So, prioritize your well-being alongside your work life, professional aspirations, and goals.
Know this: Taking time to enjoy life — however you define it — should never be a “nice-to-have”. Balance in your life will generate the forward momentum necessary for your career. Always take care of yourself.
The “Dos”
Do Adopt Continuous Learning
From this moment on, you thirst for knowledge. You crave it like nothing else. It is interwoven in every waking moment. Continuously invest in expanding your technical and functional skills inventory and interpersonal competency toolbox. Avail yourself to everything — internal training programs, external certifications, advanced degrees — everything.
Make no mistake: Progressing in one’s career is a competitive sport. And that squirrely ol’ early bird, I assure you, is not only the most prompt, but also the most earnest student. Always be learning.
Do Seek Mentorship
I cannot stress enough the importance of identifying a mentor or mentors. They can provide sound career guidance, share their experiences, and help you navigate the progression of your career. Mentors can offer valuable insights into career advancement strategies and also help you develop invaluable interpersonal competencies.
And mentors know people who know people — and when it comes to maintaining your career, who we know is as important as what we know and who we are. Always be listening.
Do Your Homework
Know your job cold. Know your department cold. Know your organization cold. And keep abreast of policy changes, new regulations and emerging trends in your field. Don’t just be prepared for meetings — be mega prepared. Anticipate what may — or could — be next, and next, and next.
While showing off is usually a putrid cologne, knowing your stuff and not hiding your talents under the carpet are crucial — it positions you as a knowledgeable, sharp, and forward-thinking professional — primed for promotion. Always be prepared.
Do Demonstrate Leadership
Take initiative in your current role by volunteering to lead and manage. This could take the form of shepherding parts of a particular project or set of projects, mentoring/coaching teammates, as well as providing leadership for projects and programs outside of your department.
Demonstrating effective leadership skills and a willingness to go above and beyond your job description will set you apart when promotion opportunities arise. Always be “super-you”.
End Thought
Take a close look at the do’s and don’ts above. Live them, breathe them.
By inculcating them into your professional makeup, you will optimize your ascent up the public-sector career ladder — with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable esteem and success.
And just like the most carefully crafted and delectable etouffée, your career ascension will become one to admire and emulate.
Jerry Cooney, “Jer” to his friends, has spent his career serving in various capacities within Human Resources and Talent Acquisition. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in HR from Cornell and is a Senior Certified Professional in HR (SHRM-SCP) and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW).He began his career at a small firm in Manhattan and has since gone on to work with such famous names as Amazon, Siemens, General Electric, and Amtrak. Jer is originally from Islip, New York, but now calls Philadelphia home. He is a huge baseball fan.
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