A Tip for Your Career Growth

On my first week on the job with EMC in 1991, I asked my manager's manager, "How do I become successful at EMC?" (We had about 500 employees then.) He replied,

"If you see a chance to do something, ask if you can do it and chances are they will say 'Yes.'"

Not a week has gone by where I have not put to use that advice.

Why is it still so powerful today?

EMC has grown in my time from about $200 million in revenue to $13 plus billion ... that’s a compound annual growth rate of about 30%! We're always running at EMC. If someone steps in and volunteers to take something off a plate or get something done that seems to need doing, chances are we'll say “Yes.”

That custom spans work groups. I once had an administrative assistant in my HR role who volunteered to the Marketing group to help put on EMC's biggest event of the year -- "EMC World" (about 7,000 attendees).  The Global Marketing Events staff said "Yes."

Bingo!

• Improved resume.
• Improved sense of personal value.
• Enhanced contribution to EMC.
• Helped out fellow members of the "EMC Family."

Wins all around!

That's one sure fire way to grow a career and have fun while doing it! I've had about 50% of my career 'assignments' at EMC simply from asking for them. For me (and many, many others at EMC), that's pretty cool.