Key Career Lessons for Early Professionals

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in my career is this: No one will advocate for you the way you can advocate for yourself. When I first entered the professional world, I thought my work would speak for itself. I believed that if I put my head down, worked hard, and delivered great results, recognition and opportunities would naturally follow. But here’s what I discovered: While hard work is essential, visibility is just as important. It took observing how others approached their careers to realize this: The people who often get ahead aren’t just hardworking — they’re intentional about making their contributions known. They speak up in meetings, share their goals openly, and make sure their achievements don’t go unnoticed. That realization changed the way I approached my career. I began to see the importance of not just doing the work, but owning my voice and advocating for myself. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way about self-advocacy: 1. Track your accomplishments. I started keeping a journal where I noted key projects, results, and positive feedback. When performance reviews came around, I didn’t have to scramble to prove my value. I had it documented. 2. Ask for what you need. Whether it’s a promotion, mentorship, resources, or even a clearer direction, I learned to be upfront about my goals. 3. Speak up. This was the hardest for me. I used to hold back, worried my ideas weren’t “good enough.” But I realized that staying silent wasn’t helping anyone, not me, not my team, and not the organization. Advocating for yourself isn’t about arrogance or entitlement, it’s about honoring your value. It’s about recognizing that your hard work, skills, and ideas are worth being seen, heard, and rewarded. If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: Don’t wait for someone else to notice your potential. Take the first step. Speak up. Celebrate your wins. Ask for what you need. Your career is yours to build, and no one else will fight for it as fiercely as you can. #StephSynergy

I spent too many years thinking my boss was responsible for my career. Or the company. Or a magical fairy godmother. I thought it was everyone else’s job to advocate for me. To push me. To help me advance and grow. And I completely missed the fact that it was me. It was always ME. Our job is to be the biggest advocate for our careers. We are in the driver’s seat. And we can’t take a back seat and expect someone else to do the driving. Here are ten ways to start advocating for your career not tomorrow, TODAY: 1️⃣ Take a seat at front of the table, not at the back of the room. Be visible. Log onto that Zoom early, make sure people know you are there. Don’t shrink to the corner of the screen or room. 2️⃣ Raise your hand 🙋🏾♀️ Ask that question. Show you’re engaged and thoughtful and there to contribute. I always ask a question early on in the meeting to build my confidence to contribute more later. 3️⃣ Ask to be put on that assignment Make sure you are working on assignments that are priorities for the company. Especially in this market. 4️⃣ Coach your peers on their work You don’t have to have direct reports to have influence. Guide peers who ask for your help: position yourself for the next level by acting like you are at the next level. 5️⃣ Build a career development plan If your boss won’t help you do this, ask a colleague to be a sounding boarding or a friend outside of work. Understand what your goals are this year and what you want your next two roles to be. 6️⃣ Focus on one new skill you want to build What’s one new skill you want to learn that can help with your career growth? Pick it and commit to it. Block 30 minutes on your calendar daily to work on it. Make this time non negotiable. 7️⃣ Take credit for your work Even if they won’t let you in that meeting, share what you are working on with others. Whether that’s it in 1:1 conversations or in team meetings, make sure you let others know the impact you are making. 8️⃣ Get meaningful feedback If your boss keeps saying you’re killing it or avoids giving your feedback, ask others. Show up with what you think your strengths are and areas of opportunity to get their reactions. 9️⃣ Keep a track of your wins Start a Google doc or grab a notebook, and down all of your wins and the end of every month. This makes it easier to do your self evaluation during performance review time and update your resume. 🔟 Always have your resume ready Whether you are looking for internal or external, always have your resume ready. And make sure it’s not saved on your work lap, especially in this market where layoffs are happening every day. How do you advocate for yourself at work? #leadership #culture #inclusion #MitaMallick

After spending 10+ years in the U.S., working at top companies, and helping 500+ people land their dream jobs, here are 11 lessons I’d share with anyone navigating their career right now: These aren’t hacks. They’re hard-won truths. And I wish someone had told me earlier. 1. The people who laugh at your rejections will celebrate your offers. Let them, it does not mean you are doing something wrong. The same people will congratulate you when you crack that offer. 2. Rejections are part of the path. Even the most qualified people get rejected. Learn, adjust, and move on. 3. Perfect resumes don’t get offers, aligned ones do. Tailor your story, and show relevance. Make it obvious why you for that role. 4. Stop waiting to feel “ready.” You’ll never feel 100% ready. Apply anyway, text that recruiter, try it today. 5. Having no network isn’t your fault, but not building one is. Don’t wait to ask for help. People are ready to refer you if you just initiate the conversation. 6. Good interviews aren’t performances; they’re conversations. Learn to explain your decisions, trade-offs, and impact. Not just what you did, but why it mattered. 7. Consistency beats intensity. One hour a day beats ten hours once a month. Job search is a system, not a sprint. 8. The people you surround yourself with change everything. Join communities. Find a coach or mentor. Don’t job search alone; it'll cost you more time. 9. Big titles don’t mean big happiness. Chase alignment, and not just logos or compensation. 10. Most people aren’t underqualified; they’re underprepared. You don’t need more experience. You need more clarity, strategy, and feedback. 11. You are more capable than you give yourself credit for. Believe it, and act like it. Remind yourself often, especially when things are quiet. If you’re early in your career, mid-pivot, or feeling stuck right now, I hope this helped. Repost if you can relate. P.S. Follow me for real, honest career advice if you are a job seeker in the U.S. I share insights on job search, interview prep, and salary negotiation.

If I had known these career lessons earlier, it would’ve saved me a lot of stress. After 12+ years of marketing experience in large enterprises, here’s some of my hard-won advice: ✅ Be visible. Opportunities don’t usually go to whoever works hardest; it’s whose hard work is most visible. So speak up, take up space! ✅ The “dream job” is a myth for most people. The phrase actually kinda drives me nuts. If your job checks your biggest 1-2 boxes, you’re doing well. That could be total comp or specific benefits like mat leave. Sometimes I would get frustrated if my job didn’t check every single box… but that’s not super realistic. ✅ You might move faster alone, but you go farther when you bring more people along. As you move up in your career, it’s not really about how much you can accomplish alone. ✅ Ask for the exact growth you want; don’t wait for your manager to give it to you (I spent too long thinking, “Surely I’ll get promoted for doing such a good job on this…” instead of asking for a promotion by a specific date). ✅ Always find the bigger initiatives that your work attaches to. Messaging pillars, events, corporate themes. If you can’t figure that out, you probably shouldn’t be doing that thing. ✅ Do a lot more competitive research on compensation. You can’t really do enough research on comp. And it’s not one-and-done. You have to keep this up for years. ✅ Our brains can’t go, go, go for days, nights, and weekends while maintaining peak creativity and efficiency. Touch grass; set the boundaries you need. ✅ In larger companies, there’s almost always a bunch of benefits you didn’t know about. Ask people who have been there a while how they use their benefits. ✅ Measure impact over output. Producing a ton of work isn’t a flex. Making a ton of impact is! What did I miss? What hard-won advice would you give to folks starting out in your industry? 👀