27. Do you need to have a Career Conversation?

In my experience, I’ve found that women don’t necessarily have enough career conversations.

This type of conversation can be invaluable, for quite a few reasons. So, why should you be having more?

Here’s a few situations where this type of conversation is useful:

• You’re wanting to explore or find out information about other jobs, in or outside of your organisation
• You’re seeking feedback about your performance
• You’re needing help or ideas of how to grow your career

Often, organisations will have a periodic check in with you after your first 3 months working with them, to help you through your probation period. Another check in usually occurs 6 months in, and then a development review will be scheduled when you reach the 12 month mark.

However, it’s my belief that ambitious individuals should be having more frequent career conversations.    

How can you do this?

Schedule a time with whoever you feel you need to speak to (it might be your boss, a work friend, or a mentor figure) and be clear about what you need to discuss. Picking a time when you are both available and have the capacity to focus on the conversation is also crucial! It’s important for you to drive the conversation, and it can even be useful for you to send through an agenda of what you specifically want to discuss.

Listen to the other person’s feedback and ask for examples if you’re unclear on anything that’s been said or suggested. Take notes so that you can create an action plan for improvement after the conversation. I would schedule a follow up conversation in another 3 or 6 months once you’ve worked on your improvement.

It’s always helpful to have career conversations, but the most valuable part of the whole exchange is what you choose to do with the feedback you receive.

So, in summary:

• Take charge of your own career conversations
• Use feedback to your advantage
• Focus on moving forward
• Schedule another conversation at the 3 or 6 month mark to assess your progress