Ask two people doing the same type of work on how they got to where they are and you’re likely to get two very different answers. The two answers fall into two broad categories, the first being a straight-line linear career path and the second being a zig zag. Increasingly, most people fall into the zig zag path and when asked about their career, they invariably say, “It’s a long story”. On the other hand, someone with a linear path can usually summarize their entire career in 2 minutes because not has changed since graduation.

I reflected on my own zig zag career path prior to being interviewed by Mark Franklin, host of the Career Buzz radio show and practice leader of CareerCycles.  Mark has an uncanny ability to have guests get introspective on how they really arrived at their current career success. While I still have a long way to go, I’ve had my share of bumps and bruises along the way.  I wanted to share  6 career lessons that helped me navigate my own journey.  The entire radio interview segment is here (32 minutes into the show).  Not surprisingly, they fit nicely into some of Dan Pink’s career mantras from his bestseller, The  Adventures of Johnny Bunko.

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Recently, I asked Victor Nichols, an Associate Consultant at Manawa Networks why he feels so passionate about his volunteer work in Toronto which began in 2008. On May 15, 2011, Victor participated in a rain or shine fundraising event called Amanda’s Lemonade Stand and Josh’s Cookie Counter. 100% of the proceeds went to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Save a Child’s Heart Foundation Canada and the SickKids Labatt Family Heart Centre.  

Amanda Belzowski, who is almost 14 years old, is a nationally recognized child philanthropist and entrepreneur. She has raised more than $150,000 to fix kids’ hearts for more than a decade.  At this year’s event, Amanda’s brother, Joshua, who is 5 years old, took over Amanda’s Lemonade Stand as Ananda’s looks onwards to more ambitious philanthropic projects.

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Persistence is an attitude that we strongly embrace here at Manawa Networks. I have often been asked by customers and friends where I get my determined attitude to “do whatever it takes to get the job done right”. 

For me, it goes back to my father teaching me early on about the value of hard work and money. As early as ten years old, I remember him saying, “Matthew, there’s always work to be done”.  I started working with him in his painting business when I was eleven, answering customer service calls, taking messages and going with him on jobs when I was off from school.

I recall one Christmas when my parents bought me a Nintendo with all the bells and whistles. To teach me the value of money and hard work, they said I had to pay half the cost, which meant I needed to earn $150 over the Christmas break. I ended up helping my dad paint a factory during the holiday shutdown.  Since I didn’t know how to paint, I was assigned two jobs: setup and cleanup. 

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I feel strongly about this topic because too many people who work in professional services focus on being good enough instead of being great.  Over the years, I have had the good fortune of attending courses like Dale Carnegie and have been mentored by people with ordinary professions who have extraordinary results on those around them.  In recent years, I’ve been privileged to have the opportunity to mentor many our own Associates at Manawa Networks. Over the next several posts, I want to share some golden nuggets and concepts that I’ve learned over the years that represent the kind of people and culture in our firm.

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