The Advice I Would Give Myself

14 years ago today I left the National Australia Bank after 17 years of service. During my time at nab, I had some amazing experiences. I was offered brilliant opportunities and had the pleasure of working with some of the most professional, inspiring and fantastic people, that in many cases, I still call friends.

Recently I was asked to donate a mentoring session for a fund raising event. A young woman who was commencing her career as a graduate at KPMG won this session. In preparation I asked her what outcomes she wanted from the mentoring. Principally she wanted to know what advice I would give someone starting out in the corporate world (no pressure!).

It made me stop and ponder what advice I would give and indeed what advice I would give the younger version of myself. I thought back to that day in 1988, when I walked through the revolving doors of a corporate life at the nab. I was starting my career as a mainframe computer operator with gelled hair, shoulder pads and singing along to Kylie Minogue’s Locomotion on my Walkman.

So after 17 years of working in corporates and 14 years working with corporates (gee, that is making me feel old), this is the advice I would give my 20 year-old self.

Be a lifelong sponge

Commit to life-long learning. You will hit the ripe old age of 30 and assume you know it all (well at least I did) but you don’t…. at 30, 40, 50 and I assume at 60. By 70 I am hoping I know it all, don’t care or can’t remember!

Take control of your brand well before you think you need to

Your personal brand is defined by the stories people share about you when you are not in the room. From the moment you walk in those revolving doors your brand will start to be defined. Take control of it from day 1.

Own your career

My colleague and friend, Janine Garner, says ‘that your company owns your job but you own your career’. If you want to do Professional Development but your company will not fund it, then pay for it yourself. Continually invest in your own personal and professional development – don’t outsource that to anyone.

Earn the right to disrupt the status quo

By all means take a stand but don’t disrupt the status quo on day 1. Get to know the culture you are apart of, do your time and then strategically and respectfully challenge the status quo where needed. I sometimes went way too hard and too early on this.

Be strategically active on professional social media platforms

Granted social media wasn’t even a thing when I started my career (the internet, mobile phones and PowerPoint weren’t even a thing!). Become active on the most trusted professional social media platforms. At the moment that is LinkedIn so be strategic with your presence there.

Ask good questions

A good question is often better than a good answer. Practise the art of listening and asking good questions, whether it is in job interviews or meetings. Getting better at active listening is something I am still working on, as my impatience can be an obstacle.

Find your voice

Most people hate public speaking and a lot of people stay quiet (especially women) because they don’t want to be judged. Let’s face it, you are getting judged all the time. Avoid being known as the person who does not contribute anything by finding your voice early on in your career.

Build and maintain relationships

Every job I have had, every opportunity I have been given has come about from people I know. Build and maintain your connections, stay in touch and stay in service. Your network is everything and you will never know when you will need them and they will need you (professionally and personally). Don’t burn bridges, regardless of how tempting it can be at the time. You will end up regretting it …trust me on this.

Do what you say you are going to do

Nothing erodes trust quicker than not doing what you say you will do. So just as Nike implores us to do, ‘Just do it!’. Of course, if you can’t achieve something, get back to those concerned and explain why. Everyone is busy, but using the hectic pace of work as an excuse to not get back to someone when you said you would is pretty slack. So avoid disappointing others by not doing what you say you are going to do and certainly don’t get a reputation for it.

Admit when you are wrong

This is something I am still working on but when I have done it and done it quickly I know the outcomes are better. In preparation for my last Harvard program, I had to ask my family about the one thing they would change about me. My daughter Alex said, ‘Admit when you are wrong’. I responded with, ‘I don’t think I have a problem with that’, and she responded with, ‘I rest my case’. Bloody smart arse kid, I have no idea where she gets that from.

Prioritise the important stuff

No one will EVER, EVER, EVER remember the meeting you couldn’t get to or the report that was a day late. But your child/partner/friend will always remember that dance concert/hockey game/dinner party you made an effort to get to.

 

That is the professional advice I would give myself. As an aside, I would also tell myself that if you meet a guy called Andrew at about 26 who seems too good to be true …he is, so run for the hills!

Your thoughts

What advice would you give your 20 year-old self?