You’re going to want to write these down.
How often do you get the opportunity to gain insights from your colleagues and mentors? The office is supposed to be a place where knowledge is shared and stories are swapped. But given how quickly the workday can fill with nitty-gritty daily tasks, those water cooler conversations might unfortunately be few and far between.
In other words: When you’re so busy doing actual work at work, you might not have the time for big-picture chats about goals, aspirations, and career pain points. And since those conversations are so necessary for growth, we’re bringing them to you.
In a recent LinkedIn Live event hosted by Katie Couric Media and Travelers, Katie moderated a panel aimed at offering advice on professional development. “No one has the same story for how they got to be where they are,” she said, “which is why it’s so important for us to share our lessons learned, the ways we manage to handle failure, how we network and grow our careers, and more.”
Below, you’ll find five essential pieces of advice about how to supercharge your professional career, as offered by five Travelers employees who’ve been there — and have the accomplishments to prove it.
Seek Out Mentors
“My mentor Lindsay Bingham really made an impact when I first started working in the insurance industry. She saw my potential and took the time to invest in me. I’ll forever be grateful to her for giving me the confidence to shoot for the stars and never stop believing in myself.”
-Tondreka Robles
Push Your Comfort Zone
“Early on in my career, when I was figuring out “what I want to be when I grow up,” my mentor told me to take on whatever projects I could, do them well, and doors would open for me. Her advice and support along the way encouraged me to take on or help with projects outside of my current role. I learned so much and became a more versatile professional, thanks to her cheering me on. It’s something I’ll forever be grateful for.”
-Shauna Leighton
Keep an Open Mind
“My own career has been anything but a straight line: I’ve moved in and out of several industries and never thought that I would end up in the financial-services industry, let alone working in insurance. Had I not kept an open mind and been willing to see divergent paths from where I began my career, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
-Lisa Caputo
Chase What Scares You
“I was at the same company for 17 years — and over those years, I probably had eight or nine different role changes. Those roles each demanded something different from me, but it still didn’t feel like a risk to switch between them, since I was still at the same organization. Then one day I got an opportunity to take a real risk: to switch companies and start a new job. At that moment, I really reflected on the advice I’ve given others throughout my career: Go after the things that scare you. I did, and I’m so grateful for making that decision.”
-Erin Rodliff
Stay in Learning Mode
“As a woman of color in insurance, it was really important to me at the beginning of my career to focus on product expertise. I wanted to learn a particular product within the insurance industry, so that I could be the best at it. So I spent quite a number of years following that strategy, to a good amount of success — but as time progressed, my desire to continue to expand my horizons grew. I realized that in order for me to be able to do more, I needed to become uncomfortable. This realization was a major factor in some of the successful moves I made later on in my career.”
-Rachel Perry
