Last week I celebrated my 10-year anniversary of leaving corporate America and starting my own business. And I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on my journey from there to here, and what made it possible.
When I started working corporately over 20 years ago now, I didn’t really know what a career was – let alone a career path. I advanced my way up the job title ladder and gained valuable experience along the way. But things were happening to me instead of me having a vision of where I wanted to go and how I was going to get there.
My wake up call came when I landed the best corporate job of my career. I found myself supporting the best boss I’d ever had which was great, but the company was going through a bankruptcy and the work environment was one of the most toxic I’d ever experienced. About nine months into that position, I realized my executive wasn’t going to be there much longer. If he left, I knew that I could not stay there. But I had no idea what to do next. That was when the light switch flipped for me.
I needed a plan.
So I started mapping out opportunities, as well as the credentials, money, experience, and other resources I’d need to achieve them. I stopped being reactive and decided to be proactive. Before I knew it, my job had transformed into a career.
Nine months after that major shift in thinking, I was able to leave my corporate job, start my own business, and launch Julie Perrine International. It has been a professional journey unlike anything I could have ever imagined, but there are few things I’d change. And I credit my continued success as an entrepreneur to always having a plan to guide me. This doesn’t mean I don’t get thrown curve balls every once in awhile – I definitely do. But the principles in this week’s feature article, and the tips we’re sharing on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages, are things that worked when I was in the corporate world. And they’re still working for me today.
Career preparedness is not a straight path for anyone. However, what you learn along the way is what makes you uniquely you and valuable to the executives you support. Take time to evaluate why you chose the administrative profession. Map out where you see yourself going from here. Then put a plan in place to implement it. We’re here to help!
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie Perrine
P.S. Still working towards getting your inbox to zero? Join us along with Dr. Monica Seeley for Clean Inbox next week, January 26 – 30. Click here to learn more!
