A common question I got from my mentees is how to stand out in a competitive environment. There is no easy answer to this. It would be best if you had a bit of everything. For me, the most critical ingredient is self-reflection.
Self-reflection is a process of assessing, evaluating, and challenging your past actions and behaviours for future reference. However, let me add another layer to it. It's self-reflection with a positive mindset (I'd like to reference my previous article if possible ^^).
Most of us international students have invested significant resources to study here in Australia. Therefore, most of us would expect a high payback ratio in the form of an attractive paycheck and different perspectives and opportunities this experience would bring us. We all started our careers after graduation. However, ten years later, we all end up having a completely different career trajectory. Here comes the million-dollar question, why?
One key reason contributing to the difference is regarding the frequency and effectiveness of self-reflection.
Self-reflection with a positive mindset allows you to:
know yourself better and adjust your actions accordingly for desired outcomes;
realign your career aspiration with your current position; and
strategise feasible steps to realise your goals and keep improving as a professional.
Below are some of my reflections for you to take away.
Experience: It's not about X number of years experience; it's about the skills and knowledge you have gained from experience.
Title: It's not about the title of your job; it's about the responsibilities you undertook and the result you delivered under the title.
Network: It's not about how many senior leaders or celebrities you know; it's about the trust you have built with people around you.
Feel free to share yours in the Comment section below đ