While settling into the work life post college, I remember actively thinking about the kind of professional I want to be 5 years into my consulting journey. After spending a year working with the leadership at Kepler and our Fortune 500 clientele, I’ve learnt that there are a few things that will help you stand out as a professional and will put you on the path to success:
1
Establish your personal brand: Decide what you want people around you to most associate you with. You can be an industry expert, a visionary, or a go-getter. Remember that details count, especially when getting the details right sets you apart from others.
2
Plan the work before you work the plan: Always plan your course of action before implementing. A simple decision tree at the back of your mind (or on a piece of paper) can help maximize the time available for actions which have the highest potential for value.
3
Never pass up a chance to learn: Seek out opportunities to learn something new. Keep a look out for professional trainings, projects in new sectors or emerging tech disrupting the industry. The more you know about something, the more your perspective on that topic is valued by people.
4
Seek out a mentor: From a robust mentorship program to informal mentorship from colleagues, there is no dearth for mentorship at Kepler. However, most rewarding mentor relationships bloom organically than being established formally – I bet my best mentors don’t even know they’ve served in that role!
5
Offer mentorship/ feedback to others: Experience is one angle to mentorship; perspective is another. Since your perspective is unique, be open to providing suggestions that you believe can help others and add value to their work. Both mentorship and feedback are greatly valued and encouraged at Kepler.
6
Keep up with the news: While you are expected to be aware of major events in the Financial Services space, staying up to date just gives you more control of conversations with others. It also helps you form perspective on pivotal events and emerging tech in the industry earlier than others.
7
Take time off to recharge(Even if it’s just a short walk around the block.): Just like your body needs to stretch after being in one position for long, your brain needs a fresh whiff of air to come up with new perspectives and ideas to solve a challenging business problem. I have often seen colleagues switching their focus between workstreams and then returning to an earlier workstream with new ideas for implementation.
At Kepler, over a short span I’ve worked with several successful professionals who have helped large organizations solve complicated business problems while leading the most diverse teams to delivery. And while the above tips do not guarantee success, they may help a young professional prime for it.