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What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is 1) always invest in yourself and your future, and 2) sometimes you need a little faith to carry you through.
As young women begin their careers, what is one thing they can do to lay the groundwork for financial success?
Financial success is much more likely when you get in the habit of saving from an early age and be proactive with your personal finances (not passive).
What is the biggest challenge for women entering a male-dominated industry?
I think many women who enter a male-dominated industry feel a need to conform to the "male way" of doing things instead of simply doing then the best way we feel we can.
If a female college student asked you for advice on how to start a finance career, what would you tell her?
Be ready to work long hours early in your career, and look for an environment that promotes professional development.
What has been one of the biggest challenges of your career so far?
My biggest challenge has been learning the need to (and how to!) advocate for my own career advancement. I can’t simply rest on my laurels and wait for advancement to happen.
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a new college graduate or in an earlier stage of your career?
I would have liked to have known the value of having a mentor early in my career and the importance of being able to sell one's ideas to those around you.
Carla Cantreva-Baessler, VP & Sr. Investment Analyst
Relationships matter. Building a strong rapport with your manager, peers, and clients is critical for success. Execute at the highest levels in your existing role and create a track record of impact on the business.
It can be challenging to find a mentor/sponsor and ally who is willing to provide candid feedback on performance, assist you in navigating the organization for success, and be your champion when opportunities for growth develop.
Karen Heath-Wade, SVP, Global Head of Client Strategy and Service
Pick an area and become an expert in it. Sometimes it may be obvious what the area should be, and sometimes you might have to seek out a specialty. It almost certainly will involve extra work—doing more than required to solve a specific issue, thinking beyond the immediate. But it will pay off in the end, both by making you more valuable to your employer, and by the sense of empowerment you get from being the go-to person on that matter.
Live within your means. Don’t get sucked in by what others are wearing, or vacations they are taking, or houses they are buying—live within YOUR means. If you do that at the beginning, and hold off on the “splurges,” you will achieve financial independence sooner, and that is its own reward. And THEN you can splurge!
Janet Nash, SVP Deputy General Counsel
Plan your career five years out. Where would you like to be? Work backwards to identify what experiences you need to get there. Otherwise, you risk drifting and simply hoping you will get there. Find mentors and build trusted relationships; for me, some are over 20 years and still in place today.
Life and people will, unfortunately, at times discriminate against you—sometimes overtly and sometimes not. But you will experience this. Develop skills early to handle and push through.
Jamie Patel, SVP & Chief Technology Officer
Simple advice I received from my mom and dad: “Find a good company with good benefits, work hard, be patient and success will come.”
Both of my parents were children of the Great Depression and exemplified hard work. My dad worked for Santa Fe Railroad for 32 years, while my mom stayed at home to raise 12 children. They were well aware of the value of working for an established company that can provide a career path and take care of their employees.
The key is to be patient. Success does not happen overnight. If ever I was frustrated with the progression of my career, my parents would remind me, “You don’t realize how lucky you are to work for a company like American Century. There are people all over the city that would trade places with you in a minute. Just continue to work hard and people will notice.”
And 29 years later, as always, my parents were right.
So. Many. Things! Never give up; nothing lasts forever. Be your own advocate because no one has a stronger voice than you. Always try to find balance between work and life. Respect everyone. But the bottom line is this: BE FEARLESS!
Christy Poe, VP Regional Retirement Consultant
Some of the issues I may have faced in yester years are improving quite a bit, so please use only ones that resonate with you.
Here are some additional thoughts to keep in mind that I wrestled with:
Vidya Rajappa, VP, Sr. PM & Head of MAS Portfolio Management
When you join our company, you become part of a team.
The opinions expressed are those of American Century Investments (or the portfolio manager) and are no guarantee of the future performance of any American Century Investments' portfolio. This material has been prepared for educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, investment, accounting, legal or tax advice.