In just 8 years I went from a 22 year old who had just nailed getting her first post-graduation job to a company director of a leading global technology company. Though 8 years sounds like a long time, I sit here writing and reflecting on how quickly those handful of years went by. Wrapped up in the corporate career ladder as a young woman always wanting more and wanting to make a name for herself, I was (and remain) an ambitious woman who wants to enjoy, empower and create value wherever and whoever I work with. What I didn’t always consider was that the corporation didn’t always want me to succeed and I faced battles I naively didn’t ever consider I would.

The first step

Starting out as a maternity cover, I officially had money in my pocket (wow!). It was like I hit the jack pot even if I did only have a 6 month contract. I entered the world of Product Marketing – if you don’t know what Product Marketing is, don’t fret, I’m going to share more on this discipline which is the beautiful sweet spot between Product Management and Marketing, BUT it is distinctively different to both of them! – joining a small but mighty team. It was during these first initial months I learnt that some people work harder than others, some manager are not born leaders – yes, manager and leader are SO different – and some people are not even made to be managers.

From there, I worked my butt off to make an impact in 6 months. I went permanent and the lady I was covering for returned to work. Going permanent. The power of challenging the status norm.

Finding the gap

I spent about 2 years in that role, understanding the foundations, navigating the changes of business and the cycles it goes through until my first experience of redundancies, change of boss and how you can walk into the office one day and it all changes, just like that. With these changes though come opportunities, a chance for you to find the gaps, propose new ideas to new faces and minds and find the gap in the business that could help it excel and what you want to do. And that’s kind of what I did and continued to do over my squiggly career to date. Whether its focusing more of portfolio management, creative ideas to connect stakeholders or innovate ways to share more knowledge across the business, these things will set you apart and you may even be able to create yourself a new role.

squiggly journey

As I described above some of it is pure opportunity and out of your control, however, a lot of it is also in your sphere to influence. Nothing is linear, we know life is not linear and so embrace the squiggly career. A term I learnt more about while I was working for a company and has stuck with me. I never dreamed I would’ve made it to where I did so quickly, although I did know in my core one day I would get there. However, from taking the opportunities that I saw and then crafted enabled me to get to understand more in the business, build my reputation and brand and allowed for me to get a broader understanding of what business operations and success looked like. So from a Product Marketing Manager, I took an adjacent step from the commercial side of the business into Product and took on a strategy role focusing on the overarching portfolio.

making it to senior leadership

By moving role not only did it mean I would have to learn and lean on a different skillset but also it was my first taste of reporting into an executive. Reality check indeed! Sometimes we judge these individuals for the decisions they take or don’t take, or that they don’t make them earlier and think “but this is why they’re paid the big bucks’. Well yes, they are paid the big bucks but they are no different to each other person weighing up the information and data they have to hand and making the best decision they can. This gave me an appreciation of how I wanted to be perceived as a leader and on reflection I think was the single most important chapter for teaching me how I did and didn’t want to be. The only problem I didn’t see coming was how the pressure and politics of business can cloud that and at times not support you wanting to be your authentic self.

Combat corporate by –

• Knowing hard work will pay off – but don’t expect it to always be recognised straight away, sometimes it’s a slow burner.
• Learning from others what you like and what you dislike – both are just as valuable as each other.
• Don’t be afraid to give it a go – finding the gap, confident in the purpose, sell in the vision. You don’t know you needed it until you’ve got it – same goes for business.

x L x