Is your career progressing according to expectation?

Vets are by nature high performers, people driven to achieve and learn. And there are always ongoing opportunities within the industry to do additional certificates or move into new roles. Is there a right time to step up or a right time to learn more? Should you do it because it’s expected of you? Should you do it because it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often? How do you know and how do you weigh up your options? Today we look at some of the industry expectations that Vets carry with them, and the impact they can have on career decision making.

There’s a conversation we often have with Vets that never fails to surprise me. An opportunity may come up for a new role in a practice specialising in a particular field. While that field may be a strong interest of theirs and they have the required level of skills, the Vet will often think that they’re not eligible because they ‘only have 5 years’ experience’, for example. Similarly if a leadership role comes up there’s a perception that only Vets with 10 or more years are eligible.

 

Truthfully though, a leadership role can be taken on at any stage in your career. If you’re the type of person that likes to take on responsibility and and contribute to shaping the future of a practice, there’s no reason to discount yourself from the opportunity. Often a fresh approach and new insights can be exactly what a team needs from a leader and that doesn’t only come with years of experience.

These conversations surprise me because it’s a way of thinking that is holding Vets back from achieving their full potential. They turn down great opportunities despite their knowledge and expertise. There seems to be a mindset that you can only progress in your career when you’ve ticked the boxes according to industry expectations, regardless of your level of skill and interest. The sad reality is that Vets are missing out and the industry is missing out because of these misplaced expectations. People thinking that they could only move up at a certain point in their career, or that they should go in a particular direction because that’s the traditional route.

Right for you, right for the practice

 

The good news is that things are changing in the industry. Many practice owners are more open to new ideas and approaches because they are thinking in terms of what will make their practice most successful. They are looking for people who can excel and grow in their own field of interest and add value to the practice in a way that is different from themselves. There’s an acknowledgement that diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds contributes to the overall expertise of the practice, because it means that there are different perspectives to draw from. You don’t need to be 40 plus years old in order to take on a leadership role if you have the skills and ability to become a good leader now. There’s many a young leader that’s made an impact on the world.

I guess my point is that while there may be norms and expectations in the industry, these shouldn’t define or dictate your career progression. What you achieve in your career is up to you. If you see a role that you think you could do, or have a strong interest in, don’t let industry perceptions of whether you should be going for it at this point in your career, hold you back. It could be exactly the right opportunity for you, regardless of what others may think. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what matters.

“Do what you think you could do, forget about what others think you should do.”

 

See what roles we are currently hiring for here! Or you can contact us on 0113 512 9626