It’s been 10 years

This year marks the 10^th year I’ve been in HR. I think back to when I first started, a summer intern with no idea what a resume should look like. It’s wild to me how things have changed. So I wanted to share a few of my biggest takeaways from the last decade in the professional world.

Here are my top 10:

1. Work will always be there. People won’t. This one really hit me when I became a mom 4 years ago. Once I had kids, I realized how selfish I’d been with my time – and how fast the time goes. Especially in the young years, don’t make the mistake of missing out on those important moments. No amount of money or title will make up for the regret of wishing you’d been at the baseball game or spelling bee. Our kids are only little for a blink. So try to align your job with your life as much as you can – I don’t know anyone who looked back on their career and wished they’d spent more time at the office. No job is worth your health, your sanity or your relationships.
2. Exposure and good training can substitute for almost any degree. Good mentors and leaders are quite possibly the most impactful way to grow and gain confidence. I’ve had the amazing privilege of having not one but two bosses who were ridiculously smart, dynamic women, both who trusted me and taught me so much. These days there is so much to be said for experience vs education. Hire for attitude, train for skill. I’d rather work with someone who was willing to learn than someone with 3 degrees and thought they knew it all.  
3. Get comfortable being wrong. Early on it was really, really hard for me to admit I made a mistake. Or to concede to someone I didn’t agree with. I think it comes with the territory of Type-A people, but we can be ridiculously stubborn when we want to prove a point. Trust me – it does NO good. Even if you know you’re right, there is no benefit in being the a-hole who can’t let it go. Remember that there’s oftentimes more than one right answer to a question. Be okay with that.
4. Let people see the real you. I think early in our careers, we try to show up as this rigid perfect pro because we’re trying to prove that we deserve to be here. But it ends up coming off immature and inauthentic. Be yourself, let people know you just want to work hard, learn a lot and have some fun.
5. It’s okay to change your mind.  About a job. About your career. About a project you thought you could handle. Pivoting or admitting you need help is not weakness, it’s part of growing. People gain major respect for you when you tell them you struggled and had to do the hard thing. Most of us are all doing that in some capacity anyways, we just don’t like to tell others about it.
6. Don’t assume people know. Speak up when you have an idea. Say thank you often. Be specific and intentional when you ask for something. I was always the girl who would wait until someone raised their hand first in class. Your voice is valuable – let it be heard.
7. Show some vulnerability every now and then. I’ve realized that most of us are all dealing with a lot that we don’t share with others, and yet we expect everyone to be professional robots and just do work. It’s okay to show up and admit you had a long night with your infant, or that you’re going through personal drama with your mom. Humanness creates credibility and connection. There are so many times I’ve admitted something to someone, and they say, “oh my gosh – you too? I thought I was the only one.”
8. Don’t take it personally. I’m sure this will tick off my fellow millennial and Gen-Zer’s, but for goodness’ sake, stop taking every email without a smiley face as a personal attack. We’ve grown up in a text-first, talk later, world and it’s done us a disservice. We don’t know how to “read tone” in an email, and we can’t bear the thought of getting up to walk to someone’s desk and just ask them what they meant. We need to stop hiding behind our screens and be a human again. Sure, you might have an office jerk. But most of the time, people are well-intentioned and just trying to get their job done. Give them the benefit of the doubt and stop taking it as a slight against you.
9. Leave it better than you found it. I think with every company I’ve been a part of, one thing has remained the same – I’ve wanted to make an impact. I’ve wanted to create positive change, and create a legacy of leading with love, with people in mind. It’s hard doing that in HR some days, when you have no choice but to be the bad guy. Not everyone likes us, and you have to learn not to be offended by it. It comes with the job. But ultimately, no matter where I am, I see my role as one that contributes to the success of people and how they do their jobs. If I’m not leading with that motto at the forefront, I know my priorities are out of whack.
10. Be where your feet are. This one might be my favorite. Life, work, friendships…they all change. We all go through seasons, depending on what’s important to us. Don’t fall into the “I’ll be happy when…” trap. You’ll fast forward through your own life if you think this way. Work, things, a person – none of those are the sum of happiness. Every season comes with both joy and hardship – learn lessons from both and be present in them.

All my best,

Courtney