05/10/2023

Early Career Advice 

what has worked for me, what i wish i knew, what i want to tell you

I get asked for advice related to career and education quite a bit. I’ll caveat that this is written from the perspective of *my* lived experience – I am a woman of colour, an immigrant, and a first-generation student. These labels do not define who I am entirely but they have certainly influenced some choices I have made and opportunities I have or have not been granted. 

a picture of me from undergrad presenting my thesis research at a conference

  1. Nothing is “unreachable”. Where you come from does not have to define where you go. 

  2. Reduce the general activation energy required to learn new things. Get to know yourself deeply. Spend time alone. Give in to your curiosity. 

  3. Become introspective about your choices. Are you making decisions out of confidence or insecurity? 

  4. Do not take advice from people who have not accomplished what you want to. Everyone will want you to do the thing that will confirm their bias. 

  5. Learn to think for yourself. Build self-trust by doing things you think are right for you. Build intuition.

  6. Optimize for breadth in skills and depth in field. A specialist will have a high paying job. A generalist will always have a job.

  7. If you have an idea, execute on it right away. Recruit your friends. What you lack in context and experience, you can make up in speed and effort. The best way to learn is by doing and by making mistakes. Make them when stakes are low. 

  8. Chasing after social status or signals is not a long term strategy. Don’t go to a party just because the son of the CEO of Walgreens will be there. Be good and the rest will follow.

  9. Learn to market yourself. Have a pulse on your respective industry and the world in general. Understand the gaps and how only you can fill certain said gaps. 

  10. Ask for what you want. Ask to be put in projects and in meetings. Ask to be paid more. Make a habit of asking so it does not feel as daunting when stakes are higher. Understand the difference between entitlement and merit. 

This piece is 40/50 from my 50 days of writing series. Subscribe to hear about new posts.