by Teresa Betancourt
Spring time is not only a good time to freshen up your home but how about giving this time to think about a refresh in your career goals.
We can provide you with some inspiration! We’d like to share with you tips we received from a very inspiring Latina we met at the 9th Annual Latino Leadership Summit in 2018 (The 2019 Latino Leadership Summit is right around the corner).
Silvia Johnson Siguenza was one of the 5 panelists on a unique ALL female panel titled, “Elevating Diversity and Inclusion.” Before we go into her finely thought out tips in building a upward bound career you have to understand her background to appreciate them.
Born in El Salvador, she moved to the Bay Area as a young teenager. Silvia went to public school in San Mateo, going on to graduate from UC Davis with a major in Psychology. As the youngest of 4 siblings, she quickly learned how to lean on her family when needed. At the beginning of her career, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do professionally, but with the help of her sister, she was introduced to an HR professional who offered insight into what her job entailed. Silvia decided this was where she wanted to make an impact. Six months later, she landed a job in HR at Xilinx, where she remained for 6 years.
Silvia stresses the following: “Understand where you are in your career. From there, you will understand the next steps.”
Her advice – know where you are at in your career, as there is different stages. Are you a:
Learner – Someone who’s just starting out. What are the basics you should focus on to improve?
Leverage – Leverage the basic skills you’ve learned and add to them.
Leader – You’ve mastered it! How can you help build your network by assisting/mentoring others who are in learning mode? At this stage, you are strengthened by your own knowledge.
Once you have a true understanding of where you are in your career, you can determine your ultimate goal and create a plan.
List one to three things that will help you get closer to your goal. Ask questions like:
- Do you need to network?
Is there someone more senior in your company who would be a great sounding board? Maybe you don’t have someone within your company, but perhaps it could be someone outside. Try to make friends with the decision makers, or people they listen to. Cultivate relationships.
- Should you find a corporate sponsor?
WHO HAS INFLUENCE if you are trying to move up? Who should you get to know if you want to move to a different department? Who do you click with? Who may have a different point of view to challenge you to think differently?
- Should you set aside time during your day to learn more?
Feed your mind with podcasts and reading. Find places where you can learn more about your career path. Find the time to do these things. Silvia said she would prefer to use her brain to learn something new, rather than binge watch Netflix.
Silvia stressed how important it is to have the tenacity to follow your heart, and not be shy. If you realize you’re going in a different direction, that’s o.k. At one point she started her own consulting business, learning many lessons along the way. Ultimately, Silvia would find satisfaction in where she could have the biggest impact. Sometimes it would be a lateral move. Sometimes it would be upward.
We hope this insight will provide you with a foundation of where to start your 2019 career goals!
Have a Happy and Successful Year!
P.S.
We look forward to the 2019 Latino Leadership Summit on May 5th, 2019. There will be more Latino professionals offering their insight on careers, leadership, and the economic impact our community is making plus so much more!
Teresa Betancourt had a passion for Journalism since high school leading her to earning a B.S. degree in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing from San Jose State University. As her career progressed, Teresa found a quick enthusiasm for the field of Marketing. Over the past 15 years, Teresa has provided her expertise in Marketing and Public Relations to various industries from Healthcare, technology and the financial industry. As a daughter of a foster child, Teresa found a special interest in mentoring those less fortunate so on her off time Teresa volunteers as a mentor to college students encouraging and motivating them to pursue their own career goals.
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