When Chris Capossela joined Microsoft in 1991, one of the first things he noticed was how much faster his colleagues were advancing.
At first, he denied information about their promotion – he was the marketing director anyway, while his workmates were engineers and product designers, and Their teams work at different levels. Plus, he said to himself, who are not Feeling insecure in their 20s, at the start of their career?
He switched jobs within a year, becoming product manager on Microsoft’s desktop database product group, but the move didn’t ease his discomfort and impersonation syndrome began to creep in. core.
“I’ve observed my roommates, who also work in Microsoft, get better-paying jobs and get promoted faster than I do, and it makes me wonder, ‘God, am I doing this? did something wrong?'”, he said. CNBC Make It.
Still, he decided to pursue the Microsoft jobs he was passionate about, even if they didn’t come with a bigger salary or a more senior title.
Thirty-one years and many job transitions later, Capossela, 53, is now chief marketing officer at Microsoft — and he wouldn’t have made it to the C-Suite, he said, without learning how to first fight back. imposter syndrome and let passion, not competitiveness or other people’s expectations, guide his career.
Why comparing in the workplace is a ‘toxic’ habit
One of the most important lessons Capossela has learned during her career at Microsoft is that there is no clear path to success.
“You will move at a different speed than the person to your left and right, but if you spend all your time looking left and right and comparing yourself to your group of colleagues, you will miss He said: an organic, wonderful, enriching and learning career. “It’s toxic and dangerous to do that.”
Career moves can be as valuable as a vertical promotion, he adds. “I was never a 5-year or 10-year planner…when I first started working at Microsoft, I just did my own thing and took on interesting jobs for which I was qualified,” he said. “But in the long run, moving sideways and taking positions on different teams can really work because it gives you a broader perspective of your industry or company, which will make you a more valuable employee.”
You also don’t have to switch jobs to reap the benefits of a career transition later: show an interest in what other teams in your organization do, learn other job responsibilities each other and be open to opportunities that go beyond the confines of what you Capossela notes: role descriptions (in numbers that you can manage) are all great ways to challenge yourself yourself and position yourself for the next step in your career.
‘You’ll do your best work when you’re most passionate about it’
Capossela says the most successful people don’t fixate on how long it will take them to hit a certain title or hit six figures.
“Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, ‘If I’m not in management in 10 years, I’m a failure’ or another milestone,” he warns. “I don’t see that people with long careers they’re satisfied with think that way… instead, they focus on how they can add value to their team today and how they can. learn and grow in my current role.”
There’s no secret to moving up the corporate career ladder, but Capossela emphasizes that you’ll be more confident and successful at work if you align your professional pursuits with your passion.
“You’ll do your best work when you’re most passionate about it, and don’t spend all your energy questioning whether it’s going to benefit your career trajectory in the long term and what other people do.” doing or not,” he said.
“My number one piece of advice is always do the work you’re most passionate about, because that’s where you’ll be at your best, and when others see you at your best, it’s more likely.” leads to other great opportunities.”
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