Transitions are rarely smooth. Whether you’re stepping out of a college classroom, a military uniform, or a season of family caregiving—every career pivot requires adjustment, self-awareness, and time.
If you’re about a year into your first post-grad role, this might resonate.
Previously, I posed two simple but powerful questions:
Do I have the opportunity to use my strengths every day at work?
Was I excited to go to work last week?
But what if your answers are “no”? Should you leave?
Here’s the truth: the first bite at the apple isn’t always sweet. The objective is to eventually align your work with your natural strengths and find moments of joy and purpose. That alignment rarely happens immediately—and often, talented individuals walk away too soon because the job is hard, unfamiliar, or doesn’t match their ideal.
Instead of running, lean in.
Use your first role to absorb everything—skills, language, insight, self-awareness. Stick around long enough to contribute meaningfully and give your employer a return on their investment in you. Growth takes time, and so does clarity.
Leaving prematurely can create a weakness in your character, a pattern—an instinct to quit when things get tough instead of developing the muscle to persevere
How long is “long enough”? My view: two years. Long enough to build competence, let your true self emerge, and gather the insight needed to take the right next step.
If you’re already job hunting six months into your role, pause. Reframe. Recommit.
Don’t miss the development you set out to achieve.
#EmergingTalent #CareerGrowth #SoftSkills #FirstJob #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalClarity #ForwardAndUpward
