Advice from Someone Who's Been Here Before
Last week, during the Spring Forward alumni day event, I was able to listen to Carolyn Clark of Yahoo! speak about her career and the path that led to it. Carolyn's passion and dedication to not only her field, but to helping those coming up behind her was very evident. Carolyn gave some refreshing pieces of advice, that I don't hear often from speakers at events like these, that we can all follow at any stage of both our careers and personal lives.
1. Don't "fake it 'til you make it."
This was something that somewhat surprised me to hear from Carolyn and I appreciate the honesty that she put behind this. Carolyn spoke of how she had tried to "fake it" for so long in her career, pretending she knew how to do things asked of her until she could figure them out herself. Until one day she realized that some of the people around her that she considered to be incredibly smart were always asking questions and trying to learn more than they already knew. This was very refreshing to hear, as often times I feel like I'm going to have to "fake it" in order to make it in a job that I may not know how to do everything in. Carolyn was reassuring in the fact that we are allowed to ask questions and not know how to do something; it is just another opportunity for us to learn.
2. Follow your passions.
Carolyn made a huge point of following your passions in your career, rather than picking something just for the money or stability. She used her own example of how she made very little money in the beginning of her career, but just a few short years later she is able to live very comfortably. Carolyn once again reassured me, and I'm sure many others, that if you follow what you are passionate about and find a job that you are more than satisfied in, everything else will fall into place. Similar to this, Carolyn pointed out that you don't have to stay in a job you aren't completely happy in. It's okay to move around until you find where you fit. Don't settle.
3. Resentment leads to burnout.
This small statement, which Carolyn passed on from a boss of hers, was what has stuck with me the most. It is something that I can see apply to not only my schoolwork and my career, but also my personal relationships. Carolyn made the point that if you have a weekly dinner with friends scheduled for Tuesday nights at 6 pm and you start missing that on a regular basis because of work, you will become resentful and in turn you will burnout and no longer be satisfied in that position. It is all about finding a balance between your personal life and work, making time for yourself to do the things that you want to do.
Carolyn Clark offered some great advice from someone who has been where I am currently sitting and I really appreciated having a guest speaker that seemed so real and genuine in what she was sharing with us!
