Create a Career Vision for a Successful Journey in Tech
Why it matters to have a career vision to keep you focused
I had a watershed moment in my career when looking for a new job some time back. I stumbled upon a career coach (thanks, Andrew LaCivta; this is not a promotional piece, in case anyone is wondering) who taught me about having a career vision during my job search.
The premise focuses on who I want to be rather than the shiny rewards a job or a role can offer.
This resonated with me because I disliked YouTube videos with titles such as "A Day in the Life of a Data Scientist" or A Day in the Life of a High-profile Tech Role. It usually annoys me, especially when the titles include "At Google," "At Facebook," or any renowned tech company.
I am making a sweeping statement here. Still, the few videos that I have seen involve:
A professional waking up in the morning
Making coffee
Going to the office
Doing some work
Taking a break here and there
Walking the dog in the evening before going to bed
Why does it rub me the wrong way? Firstly, it has nothing to do with the job. Instead, it is a promotional piece of lifestyle that this tech role seemingly offers. Let's also consider that data scientists or tech roles are highly paid and sought after. It makes everything look so easy and comforting to be in a tech role.
I'm not suggesting that folks posting such videos misinform others about the role. It is YouTube, a place to get views so creators can make money. And I'm not suggesting that some people in these roles are not living the lifestyle presented in the video.
However, it is a far cry from what the tech role is all about.
Tech roles support businesses. In order to provide value to the business, an element of discipline, knowledge, and skill must occur.
Many folks enrolling in a tech boot camp didn't realize the discipline part of a tech role. I would use another example to illustrate my point. It is not difficult for anyone to learn to cook. However, there is a difference between cooking for a family, cooking for a local restaurant, and cooking for a top-tier restaurant in a hotel as a celebrity chef.
The difference is simply standards. We can accept subpar food from our friends and family, but we definitely cannot when we eat at a restaurant.
This is one of the reasons why many give up in a tech boot camp after some time or give up pursuing a data career. The idea of a tech role that promotes a seemingly easy lifestyle and the discipline to excel in that role is mismatched. There is always a price to pay to excel in any work, regardless of whether it is tech or not.
People told me I was working on their dream job when I led a team to predict sports analytics for CBS Sports. However, only some knew about the sacrifices and discipline I had to make to get there. There were moments when I worked until 4:30 a.m. and sacrificed weekends because I had to finish the product before the deadline. Nobody knew the thousands of dollars and time I spent to get skilled without the company's help.
When the dust settles after I've completed the job, I can sit back, smell the roses, and enjoy life, just like the YouTube videos depict.
The idea of a career vision is to ensure your reason for getting into tech will fuel your determination when your legs feel heavy on your journey because being in a tech role isn't a sprint but a marathon.
How do you craft a career vision?
First, understand what a career vision is and what it isn't.
A career vision is a purpose and outcome you set for your success and personal fulfillment. No one else but you can create it.
Folks typically confuse a position of influence as a purpose and an outcome. I have engineers who told me they want to be a tech lead or be promoted to a senior position. There's nothing wrong with wanting to have a position of influence, but positions are a means to an end and not merely an end by itself. Positions should serve a purpose and a calling in your season.
What happens if you're not promoted to the position that you want? Do you then lose your career vision as a result?
A career vision should be steadfast enough to help you navigate in times of ambiguity and uncertainty. Tying it to a position in a company may discourage you from the purpose that you set out to be when you're not where you want as presently constructed.
Also, people assume that career growth should always be positive and linear. However, most of us experience moments of rise and fall, just like the S&P 500 stock, but it should pan out positively at the end of a few years.
As how Jeff Bezos said, "We are stubborn on vision and flexible on details." Tying your career vision to a specific position in a company can hinder you from being flexible.
Second, anchor the reason for having your career vision.
Anchoring a career vision is about anchoring the reason why you're embarking on a data career or a tech role in the first place. It should be something that can withstand challenges, such as:
Do you want it bad enough that you're willing to sacrifice for it?
Are you willing to learn whatever you require to succeed, including learning to become self-sufficient before requiring additional support?
Do you believe in yourself no matter what?
Can you remain focused because your love for the purpose remains the same even if everything around you could change?
When Andrew LaCivita (I'm trying to give him credit here) posed these questions to me through his course, it was a resounding yes.
I invested USD 80000 in my NYU Masters of Business Analytics. Even before investing in the master's program, I spent money on equipment, cloud services, and training programs to stay on top of my game.
I moved from Singapore to the United States to ensure I anchor my career.
I was OK with consistently putting in the effort and hours to self-study, prototype, and build workable artifacts so that I could anchor my role in this field.
Does it mean I don't have more important things in my life outside of my career? Of course, I do! I have my family, and I do have other matters that I'm more passionate about. Like everybody else, I'm working hard to support my family financially, and being in a tech role that pays well certainly helps.
However, if my reason is only on monetary rewards, it is easy to give up and find another role outside of tech that could provide financially well for me and my family.
Does it mean I'm working so hard that I'm neglecting the other essential things in my life? Certainly not! It is a matter of pace and consistency that I'm willing to take to excel. I don't see the need to burn every weekend to excel, but I do see the need to organize my life to reserve enough time to dedicate to my craft and not compromise on my other aspects of life.
The above hard-hitting questions are designed to ensure you are sure of your path, even though you may not have all the answers.
Third, ignore the how when crafting your career vision.
Too often, we let the "how" discourage us from our career vision because we simply cannot see how to achieve it from where we are.
On many occasions, the hurdles seemed insurmountable. Perhaps you're discouraged because others seem to have an easier learning curve than you are when you're trying to get started in your data career. Or the lack of finances or time makes you feel you're behind.
Bill Gates famously said, "People overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years."
With time, the "how" can be worked out eventually. Craft the vision without figuring out how to get there first, and once you believe in your vision enough, you'll be able to figure out the rest with tenacity and hard work.
That's why I started my newsletter: to help others achieve their data careers by providing the "how" and the details.