In attempt to broaden my horizons, I recently attended Pathways to Success, a joint event between TD and VersaFi (formerly Women in Capital Markets) designed to empower women in the financial industry. The event included a panelist discussion designed to help advise women beginning their careers in finance on how to advance and grow their careers in a hyper-competitive industry. The panelists came from all walks of life and showcased their diverse experiences to highlight that there are many paths to success in the financial industry.
Below are three key takeaways that you can implement to help grow your career in various industries:
- Establish the trust from the outset
Trust is essential in any industry, but it’s especially true in the financial sector given that the industry is responsible for managing someone else’s or different firms’ finances. Thoroughly understanding your audience or clientele is a great approach to building trust over time. To effectively establish trust with others, having courage and preparing to have conversations is an important first step.
- Personal branding is what people say about you when you’re not in the room
Having an all-around good personal branding speaks volumes about a professional’s personality and experiences. Ironically, personal branding becomes clearer when we are absent because it’s all about what others think and say about us when we’re not present. Developing sustainable personal branding starts with authenticity — if you can’t be true to yourself, the branding you build will ring hollow to others and they’ll see through the facade. Being able to understand how to adapt and evolve your personal brand based on your audience’s needs is crucial in an industry where things can change on a dime. In the end, personal branding is all about answering one question: “How will people buy into me?”
- Take calculated risks
Playing safe isn’t the best policy in a fast-paced work environment any longer. Taking calculated risks is a great way to ensure progress while experiencing new things. To understand what calculated risks we can take, it’s critical to surround ourselves with people who believe in us. Having trustworthy people around will help you understand which opportunities you can aim for in your career while offering new connections and challenges. It’s okay to ask for help when you need it – you don’t have to feel as if you need to fend for yourself throughout your career.
Continued curiosity coupled with willingness to learn can help open more doors as you progress in your career. Most of all, while taking risks is a great thing, it’s important to remember that life isn’t exactly linear and there could be detours and unexpected obstacles.
Although these three takeaways were targeted towards women beginning their careers in finance at the event, they can be applied to many different levels and industries. It’s important to remember you are not alone on this journey, ask for help when you need it, build connections and most importantly stay true to yourself, and you’ll do just fine.