Today I started reading/listening to “The Start-Up of You” by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha (hey, I’m a busy, working Mama to a 2 year old…multi-tasking is how I survive). Something that really stuck with me is the quote above. Hoffman and Casnocha shared with me that while not everyone should own a business (isn’t that the truth!), everyone is an entrepreneur. The start-up venture is…our own careers. The days of getting hired right out of college, receiving training, and climbing up the ranks only to retire from that same employer who hired you right out of college are….GONE! The new norm is full of strategic career moves, hard work, initiative, and networking. So if you’re dreaming of a career path that is pre-paved for you to just coast through like your parents or grandparents, stop dreaming right now. That’s just not the way it works anymore. You’re going to have to put in a ton of hard work and sweat to gain the experience and earn the opportunities that were once a given in the work world. You are going to change companies (and maybe even careers) more than once. My advice….get ready for the sweat and hard work (because without it you’re not going to get very far), reach out to EVERYONE to build a solid network that is built on reciprocal opportunities and genuine interactions, and – the most important – be strategic and think about the BIG picture. Where do you want to be at the end? Will this move or that choice get you there? You are driving this start-up venture….what’s your next move?
This Working Mama 