"Tis the season for graduations and my latest "20 lessons" list

‘Tis the season for graduations, new jobs and life transitions. It’s also the season for my annual updated “20 lessons” list.

A number of years ago, I started a list of professional life lessons for a presentation to a group of college seniors. Since then, I like to revisit and update this list annually as a way to reflect on the past year.

Recently, I’ve helped several folks fine tune their resumes and cover letters for “second career” job changes. Over the past year, I’ve approached this with a “let’s figure this out together” perspective instead of a “I have all the answers” perspective.

The reason? I don’t have all the answers (see item #2 below). That’s a great lesson for me to remember for life in general and the perfect addition to the top of this year’s list.

It’s been interesting to see how the style of resume writing has kind of come full circle back to the simple format used when I first graduated from college.

Today, AI and Applicant Tracking Systems often mean the simpler the resume style, the easier it is for these tools to extract relevant information. Back in my day, the simple resume was all that was available to us. Complex formatting, fancy graphics and an array of fonts just weren’t a thing.

My first resume was simple. I paid to have it typeset which meant I couldn’t change things up to customize my resume for various positions. Looking at this first resume today, I wonder how I ever got my first job. But at that point, I believed it illustrated strong leadership skills, solid job experience and good writing samples (and yes, it was appropriate back then to include age and marital status on a resume).

First desk at my first job in 128 Cannon House Office Building working for Congressman Robin Tallon.

But it did the trick and helped me land my first job as a receptionist on Capitol Hill. I was thrilled with that first job. I knew turnover was high in Congressional offices, and young staffers could move up quickly if given the chance to prove themselves. I had my sights set on being a press secretary, after all.

That newly minted young professional had no idea what was in store for the next 40+ years of a winding career path. I also had no idea of the lessons I’d learn along the way.

Lessons from diploma to today

Hopefully seasoned and new professionals alike will find a nugget or two here.

1. Cultivate strong writing skills. Solid writers are the people strong leaders want around the leadership table with them. Be the one colleagues seek out to flesh out and articulate ideas clearly on paper with accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation. Even if writing isn’t a priority part of your job, be the one on the team who can quickly break down and communicate concepts on paper with clarity and purpose (and remember, avoid fluffy words that are the drunk party crashers of writing).

2. It’s OK not to have all the answers. This is a lesson I’ve learned only recently from my work coaching people to be better speakers and writers. I always preface this work with the disclaimer that “I don’t have all the answers.” While this approach may sound counterintuitive, my goal is to recognize we’re all different. Everyone’s strengths are their own and everyone’s challenges will vary. That means I can’t always respond to a question with the same answer for everyone. Taking this approach forces me to listen better to make sure I’m giving the response most helpful to the person asking the question. It’s a valuable lesson for all parts of my life.

3. Take risks. Look for the unexpected opportunities. No one can expect perfection. It’s OK to be a beginner. You can often learn more from mistakes than successes. Yes, really, you can.

4. Write thank-you and follow-up notes (handwritten, not emailed). Collect business cards or contact info from people you meet at events, in meetings, or just out and about. A handwritten “nice to meet you” note will set you apart and help people you meet remember you. Technology is good, but the personal touch still matters (along with good penmanship).

5. Seek out a mentor. I’ve found most mentor relationships happen naturally rather than being established formally. Be on the lookout for them. I bet my best mentors probably don’t know they even served in that role. Also, look for “reverse mentoring” opportunities. You can be a resource to your older colleagues. Seasoned professionals can learn a great deal from their younger peers.

6. Keep learning your craft. Find out what your boss or leaders in your profession are reading or listening to (books, blogs, professional publications, podcasts, websites, etc). Seek out professional development opportunities. Pay for them yourself, if necessary. Join professional organizations and get involved.

7. Be kind and remember that everyone carries their own sack of rocks. You never know what type of personal issues the co-worker who missed a deadline is dealing with at home or with his family.

8. Keep up with people. The students you sat next to in class. Your roommates and their friends. Bosses in your entry level college jobs. Lab partners. Professors. They will all have contacts within their professional circles. Stay in touch with them. You never know where a new job contact, sales relationship or your next stellar employee will come from. Every job change I ever made was the result of someone I knew making a connection for me. All of my current Medway Group clients grew out of established relationships.

The photo below is with Danielle Salley of Danielle Salley Creative who I’ve known for many years when she was my husband’s co-worker. I contracted with her recently to update my Medway Group website. She got me connected with a now-mutual client we both enjoy immensely.

With Danielle Salley, founder and creative director of Danielle Salley Creative in Columbia. This was a rare in-person brainstorming meeting with our mutual client, Civint.

9. Travel any chance you get. Travel to small towns and big cities across the country and around the world. Don’t put off travel – use your vacation days. You’ll never tell your grandchildren about that great trip you didn’t take because you were too busy at work. Be present in your travel and leave your work behind.

10. Plan the work before you work the plan. Having no plan gets you nowhere. Plans will change either by force or circumstance. Be flexible, but have a plan regardless of whether it’s a work project, a trip, a job search, a major purchase or an important life decision.

11. Looking busy doesn’t equal being productive. The co-worker who crows about her heavy workload and long hours is probably much less productive than the one who is organized and prioritizes his days.

12. Go to your boss with a solution, not a problem. Your boss is solving problems all day. Make her life easier by presenting a solution when you present a problem. Even if it’s not the solution that ultimately solves the problem, presenting an idea for a solution keeps your boss from dreading the sight of you at the door or your number on her phone.

13. Stay in the loop, but avoid the gossip. Be a “boundary spanner”— someone who is respected and trusted by people at all levels of the organization. Just don’t be the one who everyone counts on to know “the dirt.”

14. Build your financial literacy. Pay yourself first. If you use direct deposit, set up an allocated amount to go to your savings account from each paycheck. If you get the chance to participate in your company’s 401K, do it! Even that smallest contribution early in your career will help you establish good saving and investment habits. Learn the basics of budgeting, saving and investing. Keep your rainy day fund separate from your retirement dollars.

15. Be interested and interesting. Ask good questions and ask them often. Young professionals have a great deal to offer a work environment. Speak up when you have something to offer, but remember to balance your enthusiasm with senior-level colleagues’ experience.

16. A good editor will make you shine. Don’t look at having your writing edited as you would look at a teacher correcting a paper. Editing is a collaborative process, and there’s always room for improvement in your writing.

17. Move during the day. Regardless of whether you have a desk job, use your lap as your desk while sitting on the couch or work outside of a traditional office environment, moving your body and getting your brain engaged in something other than your work is key to sanity and creativity. Walk around the block, stretch once an hour, or put in your earbuds and listen to high energy music.

18. Sharpen your speaking skills. A strong speaking presence doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but practice can help anyone improve. Seek out opportunities to speak up in meetings, identify your pain points, practice in front of a mirror, watch speakers you admire. Learn to be the one in the room who can catch – and keep – people’s attention.

19. Establish your personal brand. Decide what you want your reputation in the workplace to be, and let your actions define you. Keep promises and make deadlines. Under-promise and over-deliver. Avoid behavior in your personal life that could hurt your professional life (even more true today with all the risks of social media in the mix). Remember that details count, especially when getting the details right sets you apart from others.

20. Have fun and be creative. Figure out your own version of work/life balance. The “balance” will probably fluctuate daily, and it most certainly looks different after the past COVID years, but keep focused on creative outlets, exercise and hobbies that let you have fun.

Following my own advice

Over the past several years, I’ve realized it’s never too late to follow my own advice while launching into my latest professional adventure as a business owner at The Medway Group.  I’ve connected my love of writing (#2) and editing (#16) with the relationships I’ve developed over my career (#8).

I’ve spent a lot of time evaluating my strengths, identifying opportunities, learning all I could about being an entrepreneur (#6), getting comfortable with not having all the answers (#1), and plotting a plan (#10).

Thanks to insight and advice from many professional colleagues and mentors (#5, 18), I’m now busy helping clients with their writing and editing projects. I’m working with organizations to fine tune their communications planning and staffing. I’m plotting advocacy strategy around legislative issues and leading media training through my work with the Buckley School of Public Speaking.

I’m grateful for the opportunities today that let me share my strengths and do the type of work I enjoy. (Read more about the work The Medway Group is doing.) I’m also making sure not to overlook the importance of that balance we hear so much about (#20) by making time for my music, family, friends, and travel (#9).

And I keep sending those hand-written thank you notes (#8).