Small Wins Lead to Big Success
The phrase “Small wins lead to big success” reminds us to celebrate the small accomplishments in our lives. These small successes, when combined, can lead to significant achievements over time.
Throughout my career, I’ve had a variety of experiences and faced challenges that have shaped my path. I feel fortunate to have had a range of opportunities and to have overcome the obstacles I’ve encountered.
As I reflect on my career and the different phases I’ve gone through, it’s clear that it was the small successes along the way that helped shape my career.
Phase 1: Transition From Student Life
As a recent college graduate with an Engineering degree, I, like many of my peers, had a fresh perspective but limited knowledge of the industry. I was unsure of which career path to pursue.
One of my early mentors suggested that I learn Linux and Networking to kickstart my career. I took the necessary courses and was able to land entry-level interviews for Technical Support roles. (Read here about Tech Support Roles)
Phase 2: Knocking the Door
Within a period of one month, I applied for more than 20 interviews in the Networking and Technical Support field. Despite not being successful in some, and rejecting a few others, I received my lucky break in July 2012. I landed an opportunity with a promising startup in the Contact Center domain. I accepted the role as a Technical Support Trainee. This was my first small win !!
Phase 3: On the Job and the story after.
The Shock
During my first week on the job as a Level 1 Support Trainee, I was taken aback by the nature of my role. My responsibilities included answering phone calls, greeting customers, addressing their issues, logging them onto the ticketing portal, and passing the information to a Level 2 Engineer.
At the time, I felt that this routine was damaging my dream and self-esteem as an Engineer. However, I didn’t realize then that this was an important step in gaining a strong foundation before reaching for greater heights.
Finding my footing
After a year, I was promoted to a Level 2 Engineer. By this point, I had gained the necessary expertise in Product Support through my experiences on the ground level. I had a strong understanding of both processes and technology which gave me confidence in my abilities to contribute. Additionally, I developed the skills to troubleshoot issues thanks to my grasp of the technology. I was getting recognized in the team and started getting technical issues to work on. This was my next small win!!
New Role New Experience
By my second year, I was promoted to Project Engineer Role where I learned about implementations and had the opportunity to visit and interact face-to-face with customers. This was a strength of mine and I enjoyed traveling to customer locations, engaging with them, and successfully delivering projects.
I also had the opportunity to travel internationally for the first time, with a trip to Mauritius. This was a dream come true for me as I have always enjoyed traveling. In a short period of two years, I was able to travel to more than ten countries, which was both rewarding and exciting for me.
Each successful visit was one small win, I was getting recognized as a key player in the team.
Phase 4: Transition to Lead Roles
After that, I was given the opportunity to lead the organization’s cloud initiative and learn about cloud technology. For two years, until 2016, I served as a Technical Lead for Cloud, overseeing the deployment and delivery of our SAAS product. This was a significant achievement (a big win) for me as it provided me with exposure to cloud technology as well as experience in team management. I felt confident that this experience would enable me to transition to leadership roles successfully.
When an Organization grows with you , You also Grow with Org.
Ultimately, through the guidance of my managers and mentors, I found my way into the field of Project Management an area of my liking. I had the opportunity to manage over 50 projects, both large and small, and developed the core skills of Project Management.
Now the ground was set and sky was open – I was very much acceptable by the Industry.
As of now, with all the experience and knowledge I gained from my first employer and mentors, I am currently working as a Senior Program Manager at a well-respected multinational corporation. I never imagined that I would reach this point in my career when I first started.
To Summarize
Small Wins lead to big success…
Starting your career journey can be tough initially, if we can focus on the small wins, they all lead to big success over time, The Big Power of Small Wins
PS: Stay Social, Stay Grounded, Keep Learning and choose mentors wisely.
Thanks to Nikhil Ahluwalia for your great mentorship. I was fortunate to have you through my professional journey.
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Author
Deepak khokhar
Senior Program Manager
With over 12 years of extensive and valuable experience, I am a highly qualified professional in the technology field. I have worked on both domestic and international projects and have a proven track record as a key player in the deployment of applications for the Telecom and IT sectors. My areas of expertise include implementations, team management, voice and call center technology, enterprise communications, products, and services.