Value in Variety: Redefining career ladders through role exploration

Whether you’ve landed in your current role by chance or because it aligns with your passion, interests, or values, each individual’s career path is unique. Some may opt for long-term growth in one position. Others seek new challenges and enjoy venturing beyond their comfort zones to explore uncharted industries.

In our panel discussion “Value in Variety,” Kristina Chen (Fisher Investments) and Kelley Shirazi (GitLab) shared practical insights on how embracing various roles can redefine your career.

Here are some key takeaways to guide you in your professional journey.

Align your values with career opportunities.

Remember, you can change your behaviors, but not your values. Identify your non-negotiables and use them to evaluate career opportunities. When exploring roles or going through interview rounds, learn about the company values and assess if they resonate with your own. At some point in your career, you will have to make difficult choices, but you can make them within the confines of your values.

Make friends everywhere.

Seek out conversations with people inside and outside of your network. Understanding the business, role, and responsibilities empowers you to make strategic career decisions. Expanding your network broadens your influence and it gives you the opportunity to learn more from your peers.

Identify your flow state.

What aspects of your job bring you the most joy and energy? Work towards identifying what you truly enjoy. Even if it’s an area that you haven’t fully mastered yet, your answers can help you uncover growth opportunities and guide your next steps.

If you find yourself at a career crossroads, reflect on your skills, strengths, and desires. Lean on mentors, family, friends, and your network for support and inspiration. And remember, it’s okay to step back and explore when uncertainty strikes.

Want to learn more? You can stream the full event recording here.

Thank you to all of the WISE partners for making this event possible and our panelists for sharing their time and advice.