Do you feel like you’re working your tail off and nobody notices? Do you need help having people notice your efforts to advance your career? Being proactive may be your first step. Every day we are presented with new opportunities. Sometimes noticing the opportunity and acknowledging the value of that opportunity can be tricky. At least that’s how I feel.
My journey in the electrical industry first started in 2008 with Jen Electric. I was introduced to many things I had never seen or even thought about before. At 20 years old, a recent transplant from Colorado, I was introduced to many new situations –like the joys of gluing 1’’ PVC together in a trench during my first Arizona summer. While this didn’t scream ‘fun’ it did scream ‘opportunity’ to start learning something new. From there the opportunity grew from knowing how to dig the trench to being able to see the entire process planned out. Once I grasped the process and knew the methods of installation. The opportunity had grown to being able to be a leader (knowing what is next and how to GET IT DONE) on the project. I was able to offer help on some of the smaller tasks like leading a rough-in or trim crew while the foreman could concentrate with planning the next phases of the projects.
With these types of experiences with hidden opportunities, I started to realize that I was gaining more knowledge and experience every day at work. So I did my best to take an enthusiastic approach to work every day. If it meant learning something new and exciting for the first time, or gluing the same pipe in the seemingly endless trench I would recognize the real value of what I was doing (knowledge and experience that was mine). Every day we have the opportunity to learn something or improve our skills at something we have done before. You may be doing something that you have done for years, but can you improve the process or perfect your method? Can you have a conversation with your superior to hear what would satisfy them enough to give you more responsibilities? The ‘opportunity’ is that you are able to improve your skill and knowledge of how to do something so that you can take on a higher valued skill.
Now the bigger opportunities that hold a little more weight than gluing the pipe, may not be so simple to approach or tackle but by acknowledging that all people need very good help to fulfill on their commitments (like building a facility) and being willing to take on the opportunity and discover how to deliver on the commitment requires conversation. Interested to talk about ways to move your career forward or opportunities that I see at Jenco? Call me or stop by my space so we can learn together.