From Rookie to Renowned
Were you ever the new kid? You know, the kid that joined a new classroom midway into the school year. Without a choice, you had to leave your old friends behind, move to another city, state or country and start over. There’s a nagging fear that you’d become that weirdo unable to make new friends because everyone in the classroom or school had established friend groups.
That’s what it could feel like changing career fields at our big age. It’s so easy to sink back into a childlike state wondering whether anyone would like you. Or if you would be able to gain the same level of respect and credibility you once had in your prior career.
I’m going through that now given that I made a pivot from AR/VR to AI. Although I’ve remained at the same company, I’ve found myself engaging with a new set of peers. New stakeholders to collaborate. New leadership teams to engage. New ways of getting things done. And despite the small wins I’ve made thus far, I’m still left thinking to myself: When will I ever gain my footing and feel like the big girl on campus again? It’s not a matter of being the head honcho or winning a secret popularity contest. Rather, it’s about gaining cachet because I’m not done growing in my career.
However, this isn’t my first rodeo. I was a nobody when I came into the AR/VR space. I had to put the work in to get the output many of you have seen over the past couple of years. If there was a shortcut to this process, I’d package it up, sell it, and become a billionaire - especially in this influencer economy! However, there’s no shortcut. These sorts of things take time.
But there are some strategies I learned over the years that have helped me settle into a new industry. And lucky for you, I’m gonna dive into those below!
Learn the subject matter
This should go without saying but I feel that it’s worth calling this one out. If you want to gain your footing in a new space, it’s imperative that you don’t find yourself talking out of your neck. Demonstrate that you’re able to contribute to the conversation. While no one is saying you must be an expert (unless of course that’s in your job description), come to the table with a working knowledge of the topic at hand. You won’t get too far sitting back with minimal engagement. Find the time to commit yourself to filling those knowledge gaps.
So, how do you determine where to start? When you’re in meetings or brought into an email thread, take note of the topics that leave you with question marks floating around your head. Literally, open a notebook or grab a sticky note and write down the topics that are fuzzy or that you know absolutely nothing about. Those are the topics you should spend time getting to know. I’ve found that working backwards to uncover any prerequisite knowledge helps me better paint a full picture of everything I need to learn. And once you have your list, go find the resources that’ll help you learn. There’s a great big internet out there full of knowledge. There’s also books!
The worst thing you could do is, well, nothing. Taking no action towards your personal growth in knowledge will leave you stagnant in your ability to be an active contributor in your field.
Say YES to opportunities that scare you
It’s so much easier to take on the tasks that you’re fully confident in your ability to successfully complete. Those assignments are going to be your easy wins. Although you could make a career out of easy wins, it won’t fully demonstrate your ability to lead with ambiguity. As you climb higher up the ladder, the ability to produce great outcomes, even when things seem uncertain, is far more impressive than consistently doing well when everything is already laid out for you on a silver platter.
Find yourself a good balance between doing the things that come naturally and doing the things that scare you just a bit. I don’t mean for you to take on tasks that leave you sleepless at night. Rather, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and pursue something you’ve never done before.
I can almost promise that you’ll grow from that experience. Will you make mistakes along the way? Probably. But what matters most is what you do in response to making those mistakes.
Not to mention, saying yes to opportunities that scare you and doing them well is a great way to gain some visibility and make a name for yourself.
Make yourself visible
Speaking of visibility, you won’t get too far if no one knows you. Come out from behind your computer or laptop screen and put yourself out there. Be vulnerable. I know that could be a tall order if that goes against your social style. However, it’s a challenge to establish yourself in a new field if no one’s ever heard of you.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you have to be an internet troll that posts hot takes hoping to incite digital violence. While that’s one way to gain some visibility, that’s not quite the direction in which I’m heading. However, be careful not to find yourself in a place where you’re far too agreeable either. Still have the confidence to stand your ground and have an opinion. Just don’t be an asshole about it. You don’t want your reputation to proceed you in a negative manner.
Seek opportunities to be in the same room (or meetings) as senior leaders. Likewise, do the same for being around your new peers. It’s not a matter of only rubbing elbows with execs. Yes, they’re important but at the end of the day, we’re all important. Everyone at every level of the org structure is important. Be genuine in your engagements as you get to know people. While you don’t have to become “buddy buddy” with everyone, do be respectful – even if you have differing opinions. Again, you’ll get further with class than being an ass. I should put that on a t-shirt or something!
Narrow down your area of expertise
This step should really only happen once you’ve gotten comfortable with the foundational knowledge of your field. You’ll soon find yourself gravitating more towards a particular focus in your new field. As time permits, start to go on deep dives in whatever that topic is. Get to a point whereas if you had to become the author of Snapple facts for your chosen area of expertise, you’d have enough knowledge to at least produce Snapple facts for a year!
As you start to grow in that area, let it be known that you have extensive knowledge in that subject. Author blog posts, do talks, start a YouTube channel, write papers, start a podcast, etc. Demonstrate your knowledge across whichever mediums you prefer. And when you’re at work, volunteer for assignments/projects that require that subject matter expertise. Consistently volunteer as tribute for those assignments. Soon enough, you’ll become the point person for whatever that topic may be.
Have fun
Having fun is honestly the most important advice that I could give. If you’re not having fun then why take the effort to grow in a new field? Will there be days where you wish that things were easier? Absolutely. I have a couple of those throughout the year. That’ll happen regardless of what you do in life. However, don’t focus so much on the negative. Take every negative and find a way to turn it into a positive!
If you’re having fun, it’ll be evident in how you carry yourself. It’ll be noticeable. Others will take notice of your enthusiasm in how you engage in meetings, with customers, and others in your field. However, we’re not aiming for toxic positivity here. Absolutely not. Like I said, we all have those days where we wish that we could’ve stayed in bed or extended our vacation to another month. Therefore, if you find yourself in a position where work is draining you, it may be time to evaluate whether this is the path for you. Or maybe you’re just pissed off at something someone said in a meeting. If it’s the latter, then I’m confident that you could work through it to get yourself back on the fun train. But if it’s the former, well, it could be time for some soul searching to get to the root of what it is that you want out of your professional life.
No one said it’d be easy to establish yourself in a new field. It’s going to take some time and some heavy commitment on your end. Put your best effort forward and enjoy the journey!
