Wow! I can’t believe I’ve (almost) completed my first year as an #SAPro. I have learned so much about myself—both personally and professionally. I’ve also finished my first class in my doctoral program, and man, that was a process! But I’ve been enjoying my journey, and I recognize the long term benefits. Here are the top three pieces of advice I’ve come up with by reflecting on my experience:
Understand your why
As I develop further in my career, I become more able to recognize how important it is to understand my why. I try to understand why I am in my role and why I am yearning to learn more about myself professionally. I plan to delve into this more as my career progresses. Furthermore, I plan to read Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why and incorporate such an understanding with my RA staff.
Constantly look to develop yourself professionally
I’m always looking at ways that I can develop myself and push myself to move past my current position. I now realize that pushing oneself ultimately has to do with each individual’s professional goals. Recently, I stopped to look at what my goals actually are, and I have since been thinking about where I want to go next. In addition, I’ve realized I need to push myself out of my comfort zone to learn and grow.
Have fun!
I’ve learned the importance in developing a good work/life balance. I am not going to always know the answer. There won’t always be enough time in the day to get everything done. And honestly, that’s okay! We were hired for a reason. We have the ability to learn our jobs, and do them well. But we must remember to have fun while doing it!
It has been an absolute pleasure blogging about my first year experience! Thank you to all who have followed my journey! Be sure to check me out on twitter: @celly_fig
This post is part of the Emerging SA Pro series following 4 awesome people: Aracelis, Emalie, Felicia, and Patrick, as they blog monthly about 1 year of their journey as either a new SA Pro or SA grad student. We are proud to help them share their stories as they break into our field.
> BONUS <
Podcast with Jacob Patrick and #SAGrad Scholarship Reflections
