From Associate Director to VP - No Extra Credentials Added

Read time: 3 minutes

Welcome to the first edition of Behind The Wins!

Today’s story comes from me!

How Things Were Back Then

I already had many letters behind my name and was the Associate Director of Finance, a great title that came without direct reports and with responsibilities I thought would challenge me. It was during COVID, so my chances of volunteering in other significant projects were limited, no matter how often I asked.

Plus, most people I saw being promoted had either taken assignments overseas or had strong relationships with people “at the top.” Since those options weren't available to me, I knew I was stuck in a box.

The Turning Point

With ample time on my hands, I watched numerous Ted Talks. One day, I came across one by Bozoma Saint John, the Chief Marketing Officer of Netflix at the time. Inspired by seeing another woman of African descent, like me, at such a level and with immense confidence, I decided to research her further.

She had just released a personal branding course, which I purchased impulsively and began applying her insights right away and delve more into what personal branding was.

The Results

I conducted a much-needed self-assessment to gain a clearer picture of what success looked like for me, not someone else's life or path, but my own.

So, I took an inventory of:

• My professional and volunteer experience to date.

• What people said they liked most about working with me.

• What limiting beliefs were preventing me from showing up confidently.

• My strengths, natural abilities, values, and goals.

• The things I enjoyed doing most and those I wanted to do in the future.

It helped me identify my unique value proposition, and how to align it with the roles I knew I could handle.

From there, I revamped my LinkedIn profile, paid an agency to craft my executive resume, and began networking and commenting on LinkedIn.

[I was not ready to make my own posts then.]

That was in August 2021.

The following month, an executive recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn.

By November 2021, I had signed an offer for the role of VP of Finance and Accounting at another company.

The Lessons

1. Ensuring your career growth is like running a business.

   You often have to invest your own money before other investors show up.

2. Sometimes you don't need another certification or degree.

   You just need to better understand and articulate your value.

3. Don’t underestimate the power of LinkedIn.

   You do not need a large following nor viral posts to reap its benefits.

The Current Chapter

• I landed my second VP role in 2023 at a NFP Lending Institution.

• I’ve also created a private mentoring community called Strategic Achievers, where I support other finance and accounting professionals on their success journeys.

• And, I’m still working on my personal brand and hanging out on LinkedIn 😊

Thank you for reading!

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Cheers,

Wassia