Monday was a big night for the music industry as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presented the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. The live broadcast didn’t disappoint. If you missed it, be sure to grab your popcorn before heading over to CBS.com, as the night wasn’t without its drama. With ongoing speculation of a feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West in the tabloids, all eyes were on the country-turned-pop star as she accepted her award for Album of the Year.
“As the first woman to win album of the year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame,” said Swift. “But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, some day when you get where you’re going, you’ll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there — and that will be the greatest feeling in the world.”
Swift’s acceptance speech got me thinking, and not just about the obvious diss in response to West’s lyrical claim to her fame in his new song, “Famous.”
How can we as job seekers, career builders and entrepreneurs take ownership of our careers? As the sole proprietor in our success, here are three ways to start taking ownership today:
Use your resources wisely.
Take full advantage of professional development opportunities offered by your company or even create your own, even if that means stepping outside of your comfort zone. Tuition assistance? Take a class. Open spot on an internal committee? Volunteer. Brainstorming session during a meeting? Pitch your ideas. Yearly conference? This isn’t 1989, network, network, network. Your growth is in your hands, so don’t sit on them.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
If group projects in school taught us anything, it is that there will be times in your life where credit isn’t always given where credit is due. But don’t let it create bad blood between you and your coworkers. Recognition isn’t everything. It is just as important to establish yourself as a team player as it is to be a trailblazer, especially early on in your career. Use your collaborative environment to your advantage by learning from those around you. Different perspectives birth new ideas and fuel creativity – join in!Have a successful mindset
Don’t let the fear of rejection keep you from going after the things you want. If you don’t try, you’ll never know. If you do and fail, take it as a learning opportunity and try again. The ability to shake it off, adapt and keep moving forward will always get you to where you want to go, you just have to have confidence in yourself.
