After an inspiring 50-year career at Caterpillar, Sharon’s journey offers important lessons for anyone looking to grow and succeed in the workplace. From stepping outside of her comfort zone to embracing lifelong learning, here are five key takeaways from her remarkable career:
1. Be Willing to Step out of Your Comfort Zone
Sharon’s career took a pivotal turn when she accepted a challenging assignment that involved learning programming languages to ensure accurate data migration. While it was a big leap at the time, this experience sparked her interest in programming and allowed her to have more successful conversations with her IT team in her future roles.
2. Seek Mentorship and Guidance
“It can take a bit of time to understand the big engine (no pun intended) of Caterpillar and how it works, but you will not regret the time invested,” says Sharon. “Look for some well-respected mentors to guide you along the way. It doesn’t have to be formal, so don’t be afraid to reach out to ask for guidance.”
3. Curiosity Drives Success
Sharon believes that intellectual curiosity is the key to success. “Try to understand how and why something comes to you. Then, how it will be used by the next person you pass it to. You will do your best job and provide the best information if you understand this path,” she says. “Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are no dumb questions, only lost opportunities to learn when you do not ask.”
4. Learning Never Stops
Sharon’s career is a perfect example of how continuous learning shapes long-term success. Whether it was earning an associate’s degree in Management of Information Systems after she was curious to learn more about programming, or shifting her studies to marketing, Sharon constantly sought out opportunities to expand her knowledge. Through formal education, workshops, or on the job experiences, Sharon says there is always room to grow.
5. Take Ownership of Your Development
Growth doesn’t always happen by chance – it’s a conscious effort. Sharon encourages us all to actively seek opportunities to develop. The more we invest in ourselves, the more we’ll be able to contribute and advance our careers.
Sharon’s 50 years with Caterpillar are filled with lessons that apply to any career path. By embracing challenges, staying curious, seeking guidance, adapting to change and taking ownership of your growth, we can all pave our own paths to success.
