A Memo to My Early Career Self
Olufemi (Femi) Ayeni, Notch Academy Founder
Every year of my 14-year postgraduate educational journey presented me with invaluable learning experiences. However, the most challenging and steepest learning curve happened once I entered the workforce. During the early stages of my career, I relied on a trial-and-error strategy when making decisions and seeking professional advancement. This approach yielded both unexpected successes and setbacks. While some lessons were swift and relatively painless, others proved to be quite challenging. In hindsight, using trial and error as a developmental tool appeared inefficient. During these first years of my career, I met and married my wife, a fellow surgeon, and we were blessed with the arrival of four children in less than a decade. This significant life change necessitated a more strategic approach to managing my time and resources.
I have always been a keen strategist and started to focus on how to advance my career in a meaningful way while utilizing my resources most efficiently. What I discovered was that the principles of success in both sports and medical training could be applied to career advancement. Establishing a thoughtful framework early on significantly expedited my achievements and allowed for rapid career growth in a relatively short period of time.
Since then, I have become an internationally renowned surgeon-scientist with over 380 publications. I hold various clinical/academic/business leadership roles and was recently appointed a Canada Research Chair. All while simultaneously maintaining a full-time clinical practice and a rich family life juggling two full-time surgeons’ schedules and 4 active children, each pursuing their own interests and endeavours is no small feat on its own). Furthermore, I have helped dozens of young trainees and early professionals to find their own paths and develop exciting careers.
Reflecting back now on the combined 30 years of postgraduate education and professional experience, I am sharing these insights to help you navigate and overcome some of the challenges I encountered and learned from. I believe that these principles can guide professional growth in any field. The framework begins with a deep understanding of the driving force behind your career goals, staying humble, setting “micro” goals, and embracing opportunities for continuous learning while fostering and nurturing productive relationships. Consider these aspects in your early career:
#1 Understand The Why (Measure of Success): Early in your career, it is essential to grasp the concept of “ikigai”, a Japanese philosophy that roughly translates to finding your inner purpose. To find your purpose, ask yourself meaningful questions including “Are you doing what you love?”, “What are you good at?”, “Is there a need for it?”, and “Does it compensate you fairly?”. It is important to dig deep and uncover the reasons you chose a specific career path. This introspective exercise involves understanding why you’re pursuing a particular career goal and defining your personal measure of success. Failing to engage in this self-discovery early on may lead to aimlessness, where you drift from one task or job to another without truly comprehending why you’re pursuing a specific goal.
#2 Recognize the Importance of Humility:
In building my research team, I quickly learned that having both an MD and a PhD degree was not sufficient. Constructing a team where each member felt empowered to contribute demanded a sense of humility from me. It meant acknowledging that individuals with less formal credentials may know a lot more than me, especially when it came to organizing and developing a team that executed tasks well. Remaining humble served as a grounding force, allowing me to foster an environment where open participation was not only encouraged but actively sought after.
When embarking on a new role, it’s essential to acknowledge the significance of humility. While your education may have equipped you with the technical expertise, the practical application of that knowledge often necessitates on-the-job experience. Understanding that, despite your impeccable credentials, you don’t possess all-encompassing wisdom is pivotal.
In your career journey, you’ll need to translate your technical skills into real-world scenarios to successfully make them count. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, even if they reveal gaps in your knowledge. Approach each situation as a learning opportunity without the fear of reprisal. Like a sponge, eagerly absorb all the information available in your new role. Process this knowledge, and when applying it, seek guidance from more experienced peers. You can even start off with a question related to a task with a phrase like “I’m sure many of you are familiar with this, but I’d like to learn more about…” This approach fosters a collaborative atmosphere and demonstrates your commitment to growth and improvement.
#3 Set Smaller “Micro” Goals: The most important career goals are not often the larger career milestones or promotions. Instead, the most vital objectives often take the form of smaller “micro” goals. They are precise and achievable goals that are attainable within a shorter time frame. They constitute your daily habits that collectively build a foundation for long-term success.
For example, consider the goal of honing your public speaking skills, which was once a focus of mine. I began by presenting the results of a group-assigned activity to a trusted colleague and actively sought their constructive feedback. From there, I’d expand the size of my audience over time. Eventually, I refined my ability to present to a much larger group within an organization confidently.
Earlier in my career, I found it beneficial to maintain a monthly presentation tracker. This tool allowed me to assess my speaking experiences and monitor my progress over time, providing me with tangible evidence of my growth.
#4 Embrace a Continuous Learning Mindset: Embrace both the wins and losses of your career. Consider keeping a journal to document these experiences as your career unfolds, transforming them from abstract occurrences into tangible lessons.
After achieving a career milestone or facing a setback, take the time to reflect and absorb the experience. If you choose to keep a journal, this documentation allows you to revisit these experiences as your career progresses, helping you track key takeaways from each experience. For example, the process of applying for research grants can be onerous, and rejection can be processed to a stinging defeat, given the substantial effort invested. Having experienced that myself, I now recognize that most comments on a grant rejection are intended to highlight areas for future improvements rather than be taken as personal attacks. The next time that same grant is submitted, it becomes an opportunity to showcase the improvements you made that warrant recognition. The continuous learning journey should be embraced as a growth opportunity, fostering both personal and professional development.
#5 Build Relationships That Matter: Finding a career mentor is very important, and establishing these meaningful relationships takes time. I found it beneficial to approach individuals whom I admired professionally, who had a track record of strong communication skills, and who responded kindly to my “unsolicited” email request for a brief conversation for career advice. More importantly, do not use a mentor solely as a crisis manager. Instead, strive to develop a robust and trusted mentorship relationship through consistent and meaningful interactions over time.
Share both your triumphs and challenges, whether it’s completing a task that didn’t go as planned or exceeding expectations. Taking the time to debrief with a trusted mentor or colleague helps you transform your insights into growth opportunities. Moreover, it ensures that mentorship is not a one-way relationship. You also have valuable perspectives to offer, so look out for opportunities to add value to your mentor. I have been pleasantly surprised at how often my insights were welcome despite being early in my career. Most mentors appreciate it when you look out for them!
If you're interested in further exploring early career advice and engaging with a growing community, I encourage you to visit, comment, or consider joining The Notch Academy. You can find more information and access valuable resources at www.thenotchacademy.com. It's a great way to connect with like-minded individuals and succeed on your #earlycareer journey!