Dahlia Season Consulting

Originally published June 29, 2016 on cocktailmonkey.blog

I’ve had four careers to date. I’ve been a photographer, a Linux systems administrator, a traditional program and project manager, and now an agile coach and scrum master. I’ve been in this last career for longer than the others, at nine years. Perhaps I’ve stayed in this career the longest because it’s been, by far, the most challenging.

In my second year as a sys admin, I got the best career advice of my life. My coworker told me that my career was my responsibility. He said that I might work at companies that supported my career growth, and if so, I should take advantage of that. However, I might also work at places that had no interest in my career, nor any resources to allocate to it. Regardless, it was up to me to make sure that I continue to grow. I took this advice to heart, and live by it every day.

I have gone back to school three times since I graduated from college, to retrain for each of my new careers. I read books and engage in community regularly, in person and online.

I encourage others to take responsibility for their career. I’ve met folks who have the attitude that they won’t take a class, go to a conference, or get a credential unless their employer pays for it. I’ve also met folks who don’t think about their career or where they want it to go at all. Having worked in many startups, it’s easy to have zero attention paid to one’s career trajectory. The only person this hurts is you!

This is what I think, how I live, and how I encourage others to do. My career is my responsibility. I must continuously learn new things and try new things. Curiosity is my ally. If I find myself feeling miserable at work, I need to create my own change. I must make sure that the work I do makes me happy, and is fulfilling.