At 25, I was miserable, lacking professional fulfillment, and beginning to believe that technology was overhyped. Work felt hollow. There were no clear next steps, and all I got from my managers was boilerplate feedback about staying focused on the tasks at hand.
It wasn't until later that I realized my misstep was obvious. I had followed the wrong recipe; the traditional career ladder wasn't going to do what I wanted.
I neglected personal growth but optimized for company growth. My current role iran mobile database in a large organization did not allow me to advance visibly. After joining a younger, less defined company, there were a million ways to add tangible value. I tried to exhaust them all until I found the right way to solve a problem at scale.
Performance reviews are far less important than continually delivering results. Massive impact promotes new levels of personal growth. Following conventional wisdom to perfect skills or check boxes for promotion takes longer and has poorer rewards.
This different approach also made me think outside of a specific “ladder.” I forged my own path—a path that led to creating my own high-performing persona.
I want to help you avoid my mistakes and create a rewarding career. While everyone else is climbing a well-defined career ladder, build your own. It's more fun.