Often people have limitations set by others or sometimes even by themselves that stop them from progressing to that next level both in life and in their career. Self-belief is one of the key stepping stones to building confidence in yourself and your abilities. Imposter syndrome is something most people who enjoy varying levels of success have dealt with at some point or another in their careers. It is important to recognise that this can manifest in many forms, such as doubts about your skill level, not applying for that role even when you meet the requirements or generally not going for the things you want. Once you see that happening, you can start to take the necessary steps to overcome the negative self-talk. Start to engage with people who’ve achieved the type of career success you’re looking for. Surround yourself with positive people who encourage and believe in your success. Apply for that role! You never know what could happen

Throughout my career I’ve been on a learning journey regarding how I communicate. When I first started out, I was very shy and found it difficult to communicate confidently. I’d be nervous sending an email to someone I’d never met and spend hours over-analysing the content to make sure it was ‘perfect’ before sending it. As I sent more and more emails, met more people, and put myself out there for presentations, I grew in confidence but I still had a lot to learn. I’d often go into the specifics of everything and give people information overload because I was worried about missing something important. I got a lot of feedback around this and was regularly asked to “keep it high-level”. I really had to work at this, and I needed to get help from peers, mentors, managers and external research to understand what this meant, when it mattered and how to be effective at a higher level of detail. With years of practice, I am now much better at communicating and that’s helped me progress into a leadership position. This is just one example of me learning a skill which I thought was impossible. If I can do it, so can you!

Going above and beyond in your career can be a game changer. It’s not just about meeting expectations, it’s about exceeding them consistently. When moving to the Test Engineering team I had a lot to learn instantly and a few things that I could pick up once I got more confident in the role. To be more efficient I wanted to make sure I could do the more complex parts of the role so I taught myself how to do database searches and automation testing using Selenium in my own time. Going the extra mile not only showcases your dedication but also your commitment to the department and company. Going above and beyond can set you apart and open doors to new and exciting possibilities.