There is a sense of accomplishment and serenity that comes with doing good for others. And there is hardly anything more important than helping others grow, so they are more likely to reach their career goals.
“Give Back” is one of the essential 12 behaviors and actions to adopt and practice from Success in the Technology Field that will help you to advance or prepare for a career in technology. The twelve recommendations involve adopting crucial behaviors that apply throughout your career, as well as specific actions you should take at different stages of your career.
In the technology field, the support of others is crucial to one’s success. Many of us can point to certain bosses or other formal or informal mentors who made such a meaningful difference in our professional lives. A great piece of advice, or the opportunity to step into a leadership role, or support to get us past a particular challenge—these are just some of the ways that others support us in our careers. For many of us, there are significant benefits to helping others in their careers. The benefits can be emotional as well as professional.
Give Back and Support Others
Emotionally, giving back provides satisfaction and a sense of well-being. It is satisfying to mentor others and support their development through advice and teaching moments. Emotional benefits include satisfaction and a sense of well-being in providing meaningful support to others. I have found it satisfying to mentor others throughout my career and support their development through advice and teaching moments.
Professionally, giving back and supporting others to grow in their careers is a leadership trait. As such, being a boss or mentor, and focusing on developing others, enhances your reputation as someone who takes developing talent in your organization seriously. As you reach mid-career, begin to think about how you can support others. In particular, consider the following ways in which you can give back:
1) Be a mentor to someone, either via a formal program or informally if necessary—Look to mentor someone in your organization if you have a formal program, or consider mentoring through a professional association you are involved in.
2) Become an advisor—Become an advisor, typically to a small group or project team. While you may offer and become an advisor to teams within your organization, also look outside your organization, perhaps through a professional association.
3) Teach in your area of expertise—A meaningful way to give back is to teach. If you have developed expertise in an area of technology or a related process discipline, you may wish to use this expertise as a teacher. This can be at a college level, internal to your organization, or via a training company focused on technology-based subjects.
There is no rule regarding how you should support others. It is a highly personal decision, and other aspects of your professional and personal life determine how much time you can dedicate to supporting others. Indeed, you should put your family and career first. But as you move into mid-career and certainly later in your career, you should think about how you can incorporate activities in your career plan that focus on others’ development. Perhaps you can only mentor one or two individuals during mid-career, or do a little teaching. It is likely that once you start, it becomes more important in your career planning. There is a sense of accomplishment and serenity that comes with doing good for others. And there is hardly anything more important than helping others grow, so they are more likely to reach their career goals.
Success in the Technology Field: A Guide for Advancing Your Career
Success in the Technology Field is a practical “how-to” guide for a career in technology. It presents a holistic model, incorporating skills and behaviors that help you define and attain your career goals, whether you aspire to be an executive, a leading technologist, or a successful product salesperson.