Drive and initiative are the spark to advance in your career
The first step is to start
Jumping into community building was tough. I went from a field where I felt like I knew what I was doing, to one that I had no idea where to start. Imposter syndrome hit more often than not, and I constantly questioned myself if I would ever be good enough to be able to do this work.
But one thing that I never questioned was my drive and initiative. Where I lacked in community building core skills, I made up for my eagerness to learn, try new things, and go for it.
My drive was my internal motivation to grow in the community space. I wanted to be considered a great community builder and help connect others in the process. The initiative that I took was that I felt empowered to take control of my journey. I didn’t want to wait for an opportunity, instead I created my own.
Now reflecting on these past years of my community building journey these two traits constantly have come up and are a major reason of why I have been able to grow in this space.
In this post, I dive into my own journey into breaking into the community management and share personal examples to show you how we can all tap into our drive and initiative.
Getting clear on the goals
When I first broke into community building space I had no real strategy for how I was going to advance. I was in the process of career switching from a website designer to a new freelance community manager. My goal was to get a full-time role, but I didn’t have a plan to get there.
It wasn’t until I sat down and got clear on the direction that I wanted to head into that I started to see some momentum and eventually achieve my goal of getting hired full-time. I made my find a full-time job search into a SMART goal and broke it down from there.
See below for an example of this:
Specific: Find a full-time community manager job.
Measureable: Getting interviews, progressing in hiring process, being hired.
Attainable: I’m already a freelance community manager and getting my certificate in community management.
Relevant: I love the community space and want to work in it for my career.
Time-bound: I’ll get hired by end of the year (this was in 2021).
Breaking down my big goal this way allowed me to stay focused on the task at hand, while also holding myself accountable too. It also motivated me and helped kickstart my drive even more because I was able to see more clearly what I needed to do in order to get hired and the timeline that I set for myself.
Tip: Lofty goals are fine, but when you’re able to break them down into small and actionable steps, you’re more likely going to achieve them.
Embrace the learning mindset
As a new community builder, I knew that I had a lot to learn (tbh I still do), so I tapped into my drive and initiative to dig deep to learn more about this industry.
Because I lacked in experience, I figured that getting certified in community management would help me on my search for full-time work and help me grow in this industry. I started researching programs and signed up for a live 8-week program at C School. Thankfully at the time this was when Noele Flowers was leading the community education program at C School and I got the opportunity to learn from the best!
Not only did this program help me with my community management skills, but I also got to meet a lot of other great community builders and learn from them. This was the first time I got to see how other communities of all sizes were being managed and it inspired me on whats possible in this space.
Embracing this learning mindset gave my initiative and drive a direction to focus on. I was determined to get hired and by gaining an education in community, I was giving myself more of a chance to reach this goal.
Tip: Drive + initiative + learning mindset is an amazing combination. Tap into these and you will push yourself to go far.
Taking ownership
At the end of the day, you’re in charge of your own journey. This can seem daunting at first, but really it’s empowering. You have the power to go after what you want, but you have to take ownership of getting there.
In 2021 the market looked a lot different than it did today. While there has always been layoffs, this was a time when hiring in the community space was near its peak. To be fair, the timing of this certainly helped, if I didn’t have the drive and initiative to take charge of my career, it wouldn’t have mattered.
A great example of this is I used to this time to connect and learn from other community managers as much as I could. I took the initiative to message 3-5 community managers each day to make a connection, find out more about their journey, and to see how we could support one another. Looking back, this was one of the best decisions that I have made in this space. Not only was I able to connect with hundreds of community managers over the years, but I also made some amazing friendships along the way.
Tip: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you, instead, actively seek them out. Identify areas for growth and development based on what your goals are and take the proactive steps to get there. You’re fully capable of getting to where you want to be!
Setbacks don’t have to stop you
We all face setbacks and this can be especially true when you’re breaking into a new industry. Competition is fierce and you’re often questioning and doubting yourself if you’ve made the right decision.
I’ve gotten more rejection emails than I can count, but I always kept the mindset that a no is one step closer to a yes. Plus, it’s a numbers game. The more calculated shots you take, the more opportunities you’ll have.
Whenever we face rejections and setbacks, it’s important to take the time to use it as a driver for growth. When we channel this energy into something positive, we can use it to help us instead of holding us back.
When I faced this, I often:
Used this time to create content about my journey in hopes of connecting with others.
Attended events and networking opportunities to take my mind off of things and meet other community builders.
Celebrated my milestones for how far I’ve come. I might not be where I wanted to yet, but I still made progress.
Kept applying and shooting my shot.
This wasn’t a forever thing, and I channeled my drive to move forward in reaching my goal no matter what.
Tip: Everyone faces rejection, even the people who you look up to. What sets people apart is their determination to still get to where they want to be no matter what. It’s okay to hear a no, but don’t let it stop you from chasing your dreams.
Risks = Reward
Switching careers is a risk. Breaking free from your comfort zone is a risk. Starting from scratch is a risk. But all of these risks are worth it because of the reward of achieving your goal.
I took a big risk leaving my own business to explore a career in community, but I’m so thankful that I did. It’s one of those reminders that trusting in the process and believing in yourself when you decide to make these changes will work out. You just have to keep going.
Initiative and drive don’t always come naturally to everyone, but I truly believe that these skills play a pivotal role in advancing in your career.
When you’re able to hone in on these qualities and put them into action, you’ll set yourself up for endless opportunities. The first step is just going for it.
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Thank you for reading,
Max
Really motivational post, Max! The taking ownership and setbacks sections resonated with me specifically :)