Reflections on the start of my post-MBA career

I’m now almost 18 months into my post-MBA career, and while I’ve only begun to scratch the surface on how much learning I still have ahead of me, I’ve learned a few important lessons already.

Technical expertise matters.

In business school, we focused on tackling business problems at the level of a senior executive. This is certainly important, but in your first role (especially at a large company), you won’t necessarily be making big strategic decisions right away. And that’s ok.

The decisions you’ll make early on in your career will be relatively small in scope and impact, but the closer you are to the work, the more expertise you’ll need to make the best decisions.

Early on in my post-MBA role, I noticed that getting things done involves accomplishing tasks, ones that usually require an in-depth knowledge about the task at hand.

For example, one of my current responsibilities is a monthly report involving analysis of the category and brands I work on. The marketing organization is counting on me to be an expert on all aspects of my business.

Obviously, this task requires much more than a general knowledge of broad category trends. It requires a detail-oriented mindset (something I often struggle with), and knowledge of internal systems and processes to probe for more information and detail.

Another key thing I’ve realized is that for your next role (internal or external), you need to be able to demonstrate specific, transferrable skills and accomplishments. Early in your career, having a “generalist” mindset is definitely important, but being a “generalist” as it relates to your current role doesn’t make it look like you’re ready for a promotion, it just makes you look like you’re bad at your current job.

Ask for help.

You don’t have to have all the answers.

This sounds obvious, but the earlier you are in your career, the more you get a pass on having to know the answer. Use this to your advantage by being curious, asking questions, and meeting people.

Great jobs are the exception, not the rule.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that having a job where you love the work you’re doing and the people you work with is not common. When you find yourself in this situation, be grateful for it and enjoy the ride.

Always say yes.

Every opportunity is a gift.

I believe it’s extremely important to say yes to as many opportunities as you can, especially early in your career, for a few reasons:

• Helping people feels good. Take it as a compliment when someone asks for your help or advice. Plus, you never know who will end up being your boss someday.

• Conversations and projects that span a variety of topics and people help you figure out what you like and what you’re good at.

• Most people don’t think about you that much or even know you exist. Early in your career, get in front of as many people as possible. More people knowing who you are, what you do, and what you want to do can only help you down the road.

Lastly, be patient with yourself. Your work career is a marathon – focus on getting reps, having fun, and staying in the game. Good things will follow.