You're mapping out your career goals. How do you leverage feedback to steer towards success?

When processing with my students; 1. I encourage them to start early in scheduling appointments with their Career Advisors. 2. Look for mentorships with professors, university staff, peers, and alumni. 3. Complete job shadow experiences to learn from individuals that are currently in the job roles that they are interested in. 4. When completing internships actively engage with supervisors and ask for feedback.

Start with the end in mind ie. knowing your career end game. If unsure, go to LinkedIn, study your role models, and reverse engineer their career path. You will likely establish a pattern after a few case studies. Next, follow your performance/results (not passion). If your results align with the potential career path of your role models, seek feedback on your goals and tweak them to ensure a higher chance of career success. All the best!

Accepting critique can be difficult, but it's crucial for using feedback to our benefit. When we receive constructive criticism, avoid becoming defensive. Instead, see it as valuable information about how others view our work. Understanding where we can improve provides opportunities for professional development. The aim is not to take feedback personally but to use it as a means for self-improvement and career progress.

In leveraging feedback, here are 3 tips to consider as you map out your career goals: 1. Seek feedback from respected individuals who you value. These include your managers, mentors, colleagues, and even subordinates. 2. Embrace input. Do not be quick to discount unsolicited or negative feedback or opinions that do not align with your usual way of thinking; you could be overlooking opportunities that reside in your ‘blind spot’. 3. Be open-minded and willing to try out new ideas and sources of feedback you haven’t considered before. These tips could help you steer toward success.

When mapping out your career goals, leverage feedback by embracing critique as a tool for success. Actively seek constructive feedback from mentors and peers to identify areas for improvement. Approach critiques with openness and a growth mindset, using them to refine skills and strategies. Implement feedback promptly to enhance performance and align goals with developmental opportunities. By embracing critique, you demonstrate adaptability and commitment to continuous improvement, propelling yourself towards career success.

Selecting the right mentor is a critical step in your professional development journey. Here are some practical tips to ensure you find a mentor who can truly help you: Clarify Your Career Goals: Begin with a deep understanding of what you want to achieve in your career. What are your aspirations? What skills do you wish to develop? Research and Network: Utilize your professional network, industry events, and online platforms like LinkedIn to discover potential mentors. Seek Diversity in Mentorship: A mentor with a different background or field can offer fresh perspectives and challenge your thinking. Envision the Mentorship Journey: Discuss with your potential mentor what success would look like for this relationship.

Consider developing a “personal board of directors”. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to restrict yourself to just a single mentor. You have mentors for various areas of your life and career. You could have a mentor for the work that you do day-to-day, a mentor for your people management skills, your leadership skills, or really anything where you want to develop. If you’re lucky to find a single person that can mentor you in all that’s ideal, sometimes having other perspectives can be helpful as well.

Mentors are a must. But you also must find the right mentors. Find a great mentor and always be a sponge and soak up and knowledge you can. I couldn’t have gotten to the point in my career had I not sought out amazing mentors!

Mentors provide more than just advice; they offer a roadmap for leveraging feedback effectively. When choosing a mentor, prioritize someone who can offer diverse perspectives and is interested in your success. Their guidance extends beyond interpreting feedback; it involves fostering a mindset of continuous improvement and aligning feedback with long-term career objectives. A mentor's role in refining your response to feedback can significantly enhance your ability to pivot toward opportunities that align with your evolving career aspirations.

Ao mapear seus objetivos de carreira, aproveite o feedback procurando mentores. Escolha profissionais experientes e respeitados em sua área para orientá-lo. Solicite conselhos e feedback regular sobre seu desempenho e progresso. Mentores oferecem perspectivas valiosas e ajudam a identificar pontos cegos, além de fornecer orientações práticas. A orientação de mentores capacita você a tomar decisões informadas e a ajustar suas estratégias, orientando-o para o sucesso contínuo.

Using feedback received to help guide your progress is a great way to show a growth mindset. And goals can help when planning to improve or make changes in specific areas. I love training people on goal-setting, and the SMART framework is an easy-to-follow method that can be mastered with some practice. I have often seen teams and individuals increase productivity and motivation by setting and achieving specific and measurable goals.

Setting SMART goals transforms feedback into actionable steps that propel career growth. Beyond mere intention, SMART goals ensure clarity and accountability in addressing feedback. For instance, if feedback suggests enhancing technical skills, a SMART goal would outline specific courses to complete within a defined timeline. This approach not only streamlines professional development efforts but also demonstrates a proactive stance towards leveraging feedback constructively. By integrating SMART goals into your career strategy, you turn feedback into a structured pathway for achieving sustained success and professional fulfillment.

Ao mapear seus objetivos de carreira, aproveite o feedback definindo metas SMART (Específicas, Mensuráveis, Atingíveis, Relevantes e Temporais). Use o feedback recebido para identificar áreas de melhoria e criar metas claras e detalhadas. Acompanhe seu progresso regularmente e ajuste suas metas conforme necessário, garantindo que sejam realistas e alinhadas com suas aspirações de carreira. Metas SMART orientadas pelo feedback ajudam a direcionar seus esforços e alcançar o sucesso.

Too many times employees are only told of the negative they do. Praise an employees good performance and watch them continue to work hard for simple recognition! Positively is contagious!

Feedback-Inspired Skill Swaps: Peer Learning: Pair up with colleagues to exchange skills based on your feedback. For example, you might improve your technical skills while helping a colleague with communication. Micro-Mentoring: Hold short, focused mentoring sessions to work on specific areas highlighted in your feedback. Rotating Partners: Regularly change partners to learn from different perspectives and continuously improve.

Network and don’t network for the sake of what someone else can do for you but rather how can you BOTH can help each other out. Don’t make connections if you aren’t genuine about helping them if they could use your help or a point of contact.