The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get
A couple months ago, I was asked to speak at a local meeting of the Association of Women in Communications. The panel’s topic? The TED Talk below. In preparation, I watched the video and then wanted to share it with every single working woman I knew, because this is truly important to know, regardless if you’re working for a Fortune 100 corporation or as a teacher at your local elementary school.
I was blessed to start my career at a big 4 accounting firm. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do, but I also got a rare glimpse into how the biggest companies in the world are run and thanks to some amazing mentors and bosses, this is one of the lessons they passed on to me too: the importance of knowing how the game of business works. Because it isn’t enough to just show up and do your job, keeping yourself in the box of just your own job.
We called it “business acumen,” which means knowing how your business works and also how that plays into a global economy. What metrics are used to measure success in the industry you’re in? What is the bottom line and how is that calculated? Can you read a financial statement to understand how your firm or organization is doing financially? What are the business and strategic objectives? The 5- and 10-year vision for your company and your industry? And most of all, where do you and your job role fit in? How can you help your organization get where it’s going?
The way I described it on the panel is this: think like a CEO. You may be the lowest woman on the office hierarchy right now as you start out your career, but how you do your job will be transformed if you are able to see the big picture of the business you’re in and where your organization is headed.
I once heard an interviewee share that every day, she dedicates an hour to think like a CEO. This woman was in middle management, but she would spend time reading industry news and the Wall Street Journal, as well as thinking strategically about where her industry is going and how her company could get there.
Take the time to develop your business and financial acumen. Understand your industry and industry trends. Learn new skills that could help propel your career and benefit your company. Learn to read financial statements. These little things will set you apart greatly!
What did you think of this TED Talk? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yelena is the founder and editor in chief Tirzah. Yelena works as an attorney in tax and in her spare time, she is working on her first book for unmarried twenty-something women in extended waiting seasons and running Tirzah. She has a passion for pointing young women to Christ, and enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with her family.