Meet Jenny Stewart, Associate Client Relationship Director at Willis Towers Watson.
What's the best piece of career advice ever given to you?
How do you define success?
To me it's a feeling of accomplishment, but also the drive to keep on going and having something to work towards. I don't ever want to reach the ceiling that I don't even have a chance to break. But success also means I tried, I failed and I kept on going until I reached my goal.
Do you have a quote, song or person that inspires you?
There are a few quotes that I really like, but what really inspired me recently was a book that I read by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith: "How Women Rise". It was such an eye opener, but also motivation. It talks about 12 habits that are holding women back in the workplace, but also many times overburden them in the personal life. "What got you here won't get you there", very simple, but also so true. If you want to continue to grow and succeed, sometime it means re-examining and re-inventing yourself.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. Believe in yourself, work hard, put in the time and effort and you will see the results.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
You are responsible for your career, nobody else, just you! If you want to achieve something, you need to work hard and continue to challenge yourself, nobody will do it for you. Just doing a "good job" won't cut it. And don't forget to claim your achievement! One of the biggest mistakes women make is expecting others to notice their hard work. You have to say it loud and clear - what you've achieved and where you want to go.
In moments of self-doubt, how do you build yourself back up?
I remind myself where I came from. I was born in Ukraine (still Soviet Union at that time) in the working class family, which meant very limited financial resources. My family moved to Slovakia when I was 14, and I came to United States when I was only 20 and put myself through college. Everything that I achieved in my life career wise, was purely through my hard work and determination. So I when I have a moment of self-doubt I look at how far I've come already and I know I can keep on going.
My dad told me when I was a little girl: "You can achieve anything you want if you put your mind to it and work really hard. Don't rely on anybody, but yourself, and you will make it!" It really stuck with me, and I do remind myself of it once in awhile, that yes, dad was right after all.
Comentarios