It is my firm belief that to experience success in your career does not require you to be special or develop a magic formula; it just requires a personal commitment to operational excellence and continuous development.
I have been very fortunate in my career at Halliburton. I have been offered many and varied opportunities in the organization, some positions existing, but many new. A personal commitment to operational excellence—delivering high quality outcomes in whatever you undertake—defines success not only in job satisfaction but also in new opportunities. My experience has taught me not all opportunities will be high profile or glamorous, but each will offer a unique development opportunity, adding or strengthening skill set competencies, which in turn yields a more desired skill set, which results in broader, more challenging opportunities.
I would encourage everyone to evaluate a job opportunity not solely on the basis of promotion or compensation, but on the opportunity to build competencies. While promotion, title, and compensation will be factors, they may not be the critical factors. What is to be learned from the experience may be what has a more sustainable payback than the immediate promotion factors.
The current economy may have altered our near-term career plans. The opportunities and/or the timing may be significantly different than what we understood a year ago. But that change opens new doors for new opportunities. With a commitment to operational excellence and continuous development, career success is always an assured outcome.
