4 Tips for owning your career
At Chime, our philosophy is that career development is employee-owned and manager-supported. This means that employees initiate the thought process around their career goals and lean on their managers to help them get there. “After all, you know best what you want,” explains Galen Crawford, Chime’s Learning & Development (L&D) Partner. “It’s not on your manager to figure out your path — that’s up to you, and your manager is there to support you.”
To that end, Chime’s L&D team hosts Own Your Career Month every year to bring awareness to how Chimers can own their careers and are supported in starting the conversation with their managers about holistic career development. “Lessons learned from Own Your Career Month are meant to be applied year-round — it’s just a great opportunity for us to give career development some visibility and to encourage Chimers to give some thoughtful consideration in this area of their work life,” says Galen.
You’re in the driver’s seat
When employees own their careers, it’s great for the organization, increasing retention and driving internal mobility. But really, where it makes a huge difference is for the individual. “We believe that owning your career is critical because it impacts how you feel about your work in the day-to-day,” explains Galen. “That’s why we support Chimer development so actively.”
Owning your career isn’t just about what most think it is: promotions. It’s about doing work that aligns with your values and the kind of life you want to live, your career satisfaction, and what intrinsically motivates you. “If someone is in the driver’s seat of their career, they’re doing what energizes them, and that makes a huge difference in happiness, productivity, and quality of life,” says Galen.
To achieve career satisfaction, self-knowledge is paramount. “Knowing yourself and what you value or want to achieve is the first step,” explains Galen. “Then, spend time thinking about your growth from a holistic perspective, including skill development, network connections, and leveraging those who can help you, like your manager, a previous manager, mentors, friends, etc.”
In Chime’s Own Your Career workshops, we talk a lot about what individuals do and don’t have control over: You can’t control getting promoted or assigned a specific job, but you can control the knowledge and skills you acquire or fine-tune.
4 Ways to own your career
1. Start with self-reflection
Get to know your values, what matters most to you, and what kind of work brings you joy and satisfaction. What motivates you to do your best? When have you felt proudest of your contributions to a project or cause? What kind of work makes you feel invigorated and excited?
2. Think of your career as a checkerboard, not a ladder
Whether you’re moving from one role to another or across industries, your career path isn’t linear — it can go in many different directions. Be open to lateral career moves or industry jumps, as you can stand to learn a lot of skills that might help you achieve your career goals in ways you didn’t expect. “One thing I’ve consistently heard from leaders is that making lateral or, at times, what might be considered ‘downward’ moves — such as from manager to individual contributor — can be great ways to do what’s best for you and your career, not just what you might think looks best on a resume,” says Galen.
3. You are the driver of your career — be proactive!
One of the biggest misconceptions about career growth is that it’s up to your manager to think about your path. You are the person who best knows what you want — and what you like doing — you’re the best person to drive your career. Instead of waiting on your manager to initiate the conversation, bring up your career path, the goals you have, and the skills you’d like to acquire. Ask your manager to help you get there. You’re the driver, they’re there to help give you directions.
4. Mentors are invaluable; seek them out
Finding mentors who can provide you with advice, guidance, and skill building will help you align yourself on a career path that’s right for you and accelerate your progress. Seeking out a mentor shows initiative and will give you valuable perspective on your career.
You’re in the driver’s seat — start owning your career today!
If you’re ready to start owning your career, it’s as easy as starting the conversation with your manager after a period of self-reflection and cursory planning. Laying out the work you’d like to be doing or the skills you’d like to learn with them and asking for support is a great place to start.
“For me, the best way I’ve taken control of my career is by always having a long-term plan and being open to it changing at any minute, which it has several times over the years,” says Galen. “It’s helpful to stay anchored in your goals and recognize what you do and don’t have control over. If you focus on what you can control, like your skills, self-knowledge, and the work environment you seek for yourself, you’ll already be closer to achieving success.”
Whether it’s Own Your Career Month or you’re simply looking to jumpstart the next chapter of your career, there’s never a bad time to start working towards your goals — what are you waiting for?
