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In February, I received two offers, and I decided to join Lumen (formerly CenturyLink) as a Business Analyst. It has only been a week, and I’m already working with a collaborative and dynamic team remotely. (Yayy!!)
I humbly thank Ram Balasubramanian, Ann Samuel, Mathew Samuel, Amruta Dhotre, and former colleagues for guiding me through these last few months. The interactions helped me understand the nuances of the tech industry and gain perspective on navigating it smoothly.
I have summarized my learnings for other early professionals seeking their next career move
- Find mentors from your domain
- Iterate your narrative
- Self-reflect (Become a mirror)
- Volunteer at a startup
- Strike a balance
- Keep it simple and “SMILE” :)
+ Find mentors from your domain — Connect on LinkedIn and request virtual coffee sessions, learn from their stories, projects, accomplishments. This will help you craft your own narrative.
+ Iterate your narrative — Periodically get feedback on your resume, cover letter, elevator pitch, and request mock interviews. Suit up fresh confidence, video record yourself, and re-work on presence.
+ Volunteer at a startup — This may set you apart and let you gain invaluable hands-on skills. I worked at WITAlign, led Design Thinking workshops, designed MVP, beta tested the product services. It converged my professional experience and polished my skills.
+ Self-reflect (Become a mirror) — Identify your strengths and weaknesses (both real and perceived). Strengthen interpersonal and technical competencies. Your verbal and written communication will help you excel for years to come
+ Strike a balance — Disconnect from social media, and take breaks to engage in tangible activities. I recollect learning new songs on guitar, playing tennis and chess games, and going for a run in the snow. They ground emotional perturbation, instills creativity to enhance mental and physical endurance. (The best part is no one can steal them away from you 😉).
+ Keep it simple and “SMILE” — Your choices and decisions are reflections of who you are. They are followed with bundled consequences, so keep them simple. Make conscious choices and educated decisions to shape your profile and proceed one step close to your goal!
A simple hack I follow ask, “Will this help me grow?”
For more questions and directly reaching out to me, Click Here!
P.S. You see an action figure on my desk. Something the cartoon taught me — “Don’t be a Jack of all trades, be a Samurai Jack.”
