CAREER FOCUS AREA: Just Don't Screw It Up

I gave my presentation to Jeff (the corporate director of environmental affairs for our company), my boss, the plant manager, and my corporate and plant mentors. When I was finished, the men in the meeting said that it was obvious I’d thought it through thoroughly and that I was going in the direction we needed to take. After it was over, my boss caught me in the hallway and said I’d done a really good job.

Later, Jeff (the corp. dir.) met with me in my office 1 on 1. He told me that one of the reasons for these visits is for him to talk to the developing environmental people within the company. He said that since I’m one of the only developing environmental folks in the company and most of the folks are retiring in the next 5-10 years that makes me a “very important person”. He asked me what my long term goals are and I shared my aspiration to be the global ES&H lead for our company in 20 years. He said it’s very possible!

I also had some face time with my newly chosen corp. mentor (Randy). I shared my aspirations with him and he said he’s pleased that I chose him as a coach and that he thinks I’m doing all the things I need to do. He told me that a lot of success for future environmental professionals includes “right place, right time”, which he said I have right now given the fact that most of the folks in the corporate environmental department are retiring in the next 5-10 years. He said he’d do anything he could to help me with my career.

He asked me what my boss had to say about my aspirations and development, and I told him that my boss has said that he wants me to plan on taking a trip to corporate in the first quarter of this year to “investigate career opportunities” (also known as a “howdy round”). Randy said I should read between the lines and “it looks like they’re doing everything they can to get you ready for corporate”. He said it seems like I have everything it takes but, “don’t screw it up.” I kept it to myself, but that’s the same advice my sister (the one with the brain aneurysm who my parents yanked out of college after 3 lackluster semesters) gave me when I finished moving into my dorm freshmen year: “Don’t f*ck this up!” she said, referring to my full, chemical engineering scholarship (funded by the company I currently work for). I thought her words were a bit harsh at the time, but having heard it again today in a much softer tone from a rich white man (and having f*cked up my scholarship due to my emotional challenges at the time), I think I’m finally ready.

I’m feeling really good about my career right now. There are a few things I know I need to do to wrap up my next move (which includes a critical relocation for Shorty’s elementary & secondary education), but I think I’m finally ready to focus on the professional/financial sector of my life since I’ve spent the last year and half getting the emotional sector under control.