🗺️ What's your career "Google Maps"?

Hi friends!

How is your summer?

Today I'd like to share 3 tips for your career:

• Get the best out of yourself

• Create your career "Google Maps"

• Get a mentor

💪 Get the best out of yourself

I met a lot of high-potential colleagues during my Executive MBA. I heard often that they want to be the best version of themselves in the possible shortest time. You might think a successful career is easy for them, but it’s not… To get the best out of oneself requires:

• Discovering true passion

• Leveraging core strengths

• Displaying market value

To start, creating your own "Google Maps" may help...

🗺️ Have a "Google Maps" for your own Career Do you have a “Google Maps” for your own career? When coachees come to me, I always ask them the below question at the start of our conversation: “What’s your current career situation, and where do you want to go?” Not everyone has a clear answer. Well, that’s totally fine as long as you still WANT to know and discover it. I recently read a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article: “A simple way to map out your career ambitions” by Marc Effron. I think it provides a great starting point for anyone who wants the fastest growth of his/her career. Here are the summarized key points:

1. Create Your Personal Career Experience Map

2. Interview experts in your field:

• Identify experts inside and outside your company

• Request an interview

• Ask for insights

3. Build your map: experiences that you need to grow

• Life-cycle experiences

• Management experiences

• Geographic experiences

What really resonated with me is the personal career experience map. Because if you don’t know where you want to go, there is no way of knowing how to get there. Before reading on, pause and ask yourself: "Where do you want to go in the following 2-5 years?" "What 'Google Maps' will help you get there?"

💡 Tips for who is in his/her early career in the Netherlands There is always something better to start early than later. Find yourself one or more mentor(s) is one of them. Some employers do offer an internal mentorship program, but not all of them. If your employer provides it, don’t hesitate to make the most out of it. If your employer does not provide it, get yourself one. More importantly, you need to find the RIGHT people to work with. But how? Here is what Tamara Erickson suggests in her HBR article “Taking charge of your career”. Step 1: Why do you need a mentor? “How you’ll benefit from dedicated sponsors-mentors who go above and beyond to provide advocacy, resources, and tactical support so you’ll prosper in the organization.” Step 2: Refine your “Google Maps” with your mentor “You’ll step back and think more deeply about your current situation and where you want to go.” Step 3: How to set up your mentorship plan? “Finding the right types of mentors, defining your goals and expectations, building relationships, establishing a give-and-take dynamic, networking effectively-in short, making mentoring work for you.” “All this takes time and discipline— but it’s well worth the investment.” How do you want to get yourself a mentor?