Most of us can look back at the start our careers, when we were fresh out of university, as eager as we were petrified to take on the workforce and can clearly recall how “green” we were then. It is remarkable how quickly that changes as we ease into our roles, begin to make waves in our professions, and are no longer (sometimes sadly) the youngest in the office. Here are a few signs you may have gone from green to golden.
People Don’t Intimidate You
Early on in your career it seemed everyone intimidated you – they were more experienced, respected and, let’s face it, older. In their presence, you worried a little more; what you wore, how you conducted yourself and what you said. You looked up to people at various stages of their careers and hoped that one day you would be met with similar fate. Now you are. You realize that people in your company, field or related fields are just people, like you. The workforce has become populated with people who are your age or even younger and some of whom are friends, either pre-existing or new ones. You know exactly what you are talking about now, are most certainly supposed to be there and are eager to converse and strategically network.
Juniors Look to You For Advice
Interns and very green fresh-out-of-university colleagues now turn to you for advice on everything from how they may advance their own careers to how to correct an embarrassing amateur mistake. You feel honoured and happy to sit down to offer them advice the same way that your seniors once did for you. Perhaps an even bigger reward is when your seniors begin to ask you for your opinion or advice more and more often.
You Don’t Second Guess Yourself
Whereas you used to proofread emails three or four times before even sending them, you have the knowledge, skill and confidence now to trust your instincts and make decisions and stick to them. You know what works and what doesn’t, have improved your critical thinking and have the confidence, insight and resources to make decisions and stick to them.
You Look to Grow and Expand Your Knowledge
At the start of your career, you once had no idea how you could possibly digest all the information thrown at you and felt you were truly challenged as you frantically scribbled notes on a notepad and tried to take in everything around you. Now that you’ve learned the ropes, you now make a conscious effort to be better – whether that means expanding your skill set by taking courses, challenging yourself by accepting public speaking opportunities or sucking up your shyness and strengthening your professional network by working the room at events. Most fellow young professionals don’t like to feel stagnant in their careers and, once they do, are always looking for new ways to improve and stand out in the crowd.
Your Hard Work Has Been Recognized and Rewarded
The biggest indication that your shades of green have faded away are that your hard work has been noticed and the rewards reaped in the form of very obvious praise, like promotions and bonuses and perhaps even written emails or mentions in company newsletters. You may even be nominated for certain award or invited to speak on a panel.
So, are you golden yet?