Receiving and taking onboard mentoring and advice is vital at any stage of your career for both personal and professional growth.
We hear from some talented women at Schneider Electric who were recruited from the company's global student competition Go Green in the City as they share career tips for young professionals like themselves.
Get out of your comfort zone
Lishi Chen is a Customer Project Engineer for Schneider Electric Hungary.
“Be open, be proactive, get out of your comfort zone and try different things, so you will be clearer about what you really like," she says.
"Chase each opportunity. We grow up in the way ‘learning by doing’. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, but do not repeat the same mistake twice.”
Be bold in sharing your ideas
Angela Carver is a Performance Assurance consultant for Schneider Electric US.
“My advice is to be bold by sharing your ideas. I was able to do this through my experience with Schneider Electric’s Go Green In the City competition. I learned that even though I was still in school, my ideas were valuable. The competition gave me and my teammate a platform to share our crazy ideas with people who could help us make them happen," she explains.
"We were assigned to a mentor with industry knowledge who was able to help us fine-tune our business case and carry us to the Global Finals of Go Green. If my teammate and I had kept our idea to ourselves, we would never have had the support of the people from Schneider to propel our idea forward.”
Have a problem-solving attitude
Jasmine Lee is a Sales Engineer at Schneider Electric Hong Kong.
“I would like to share useful advice from my supervisor. She said that the most important skill when you've just started your career is the problem-solving skill and attitude. We are the one to solve problems, or at least attempt to solve the problems," she says.
Some final words of advice
Isabelle Kahakura works for the Global Employer Branding team leading Schneider Electric's Go Green competition. She shares some final thoughts.
"We all have career dreams and ambitions, but every stage brings the right foundation for the next step ahead. Be open to #LearnEveryDay and embrace the process of getting matured in every role, every project. The excellence present in every task will lead you on the right path towards your objective," she explains.
"You are responsible for your career. Sometimes in your role you’ll need to step up out of insecurity and try something new. It sure feels like butterflies in the stomach, but always remember to ask for senior people’s advice to help you succeed on your new task. Ask them for mentorship and learn from their experience. They are always ready to help young professionals with career tips," Isabelle says.
"Innovation comes from diversity of ideas. While working and researching on a topic, new insight may come to your mind. Share your ideas and insights with your colleagues and manager to get their feedback and vision. Not all ideas become a project, but certainly all ideas are needed for great project be developed," she continues.
"As you progress in your career, you will face complex problems. If you position yourself as a problem-solver, you will certainly be ready for new challenges with positive spirits. I’d dare to say that most of the times, truly understanding the problem itself is the most important moment and will bring the solution organically," she adds.
"Everyone: your colleagues, your manager, people in the cafeteria and security guards. Everyone can teach you something based on their career experience, their background, their life. You can be empowered by many people, but you also can empower someone today. People is what makes a company great, and I’m happy to say that you can also be part of it."
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.