Data intelligence is a relatively nascent and rapidly evolving space. The upside to leading an emerging category is that opportunities to innovate abound.
The other side of that coin is that those who want to be part of this movement must constantly learn new skills and take on new challenges. Some may consider this a downside, but Collibrians are ambitious.
United by our drive to help our customers do more with their data, Collibrians are encouraged to raise their hands when they are interested in developing a new skill that will help address a business need. This concept — Collibrians taking on new and interesting challenges to meet business needs — is at the core of our professional development philosophy.
Career growth at Collibra
We believe professional development should be strengths-based, personal, and Collibrian-owned.
We recently hosted a professional development panel with four Collibrians who have used this approach to advance their careers at Collibra — Alex Tsinman, Strategic Account Manager; Rakhi Wani, Manager, Software Engineering; JP Patterson, Lead Talent Acquisition Partner; and Dominika Kmieć, Manager, Test Engineering. Career development expert Tom Floyd of Flouracity moderated the panel and shared his own career story with tips for uncovering strengths and planning a path toward achieving career goals.
We summarized some key takeaways from the panel, along with more detail about the pillars of Collibra’s professional development philosophy in this blog series. Read on to learn about our strengths based approach, and check out our blogs on how to make career development strengths-based and personal.
What does Collibrian-owned mean?
Collibrians own their careers with the support of their managers and enablement of the organization. In other words:
Collibrians are responsible for understanding their strengths, areas for growth, and goals. They are also in charge of making a plan for achieving their goals and communicating their plan with their manager.
Managers at Collibra are expected to support their teams by providing feedback and encouragement, helping identify growth opportunities, and connecting their team members with others who can help them along their journey.
Collibra provides resources and processes to enable career growth. Examples include planning tools, job profiles with clear current and future opportunities, and coaching for managers as they support their team members’ growth.
What does Collibrian-owned professional development look like?
Dominka shared an example of how she approached a recent career move. “I explored it by myself, and I shared my progress with my manager as I took courses, learned from more experienced people, and took other actions.”
JP added that now is a great time to explore new skills. “2023 is an interesting time. It’s a time and space where you have access to a lot of information. For example, we have LinkedIn Learning. You don’t have to be in a function to try something.”
Communication with managers and others within the organization is a big part of owning your development. This is one of the best ways to find development opportunities.
For those who are sure of their next step, Dominika gave this advice, “Communicate that you want to try something. Work with your team to figure out how you can participate more in the responsibilities that aren’t in your area. If you feel like you need more support or guidance, that is ok. But you need to communicate it. Say, ‘I don’t know what to do next. I need help.’”
Rakhi provided a good example of how her mindset has shifted toward supporting her team, now that she is in a management role. “The biggest thing I want to learn is how to step into the role of manager and think beyond myself. It’s not just about me anymore. It’s what are the business objectives, and what does the team need?”
She offered this advice for others who want to take ownership of their career growth, “Invest in learning, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in your field by attending conferences, taking courses, and reading industry publications. Don’t be afraid to ask your manager about attending a conference or training. Remember: If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”
While training and mentorship are important for growth, most learning happens on the job. Rakhi added, “Be proactive. Take on new challenges and responsibilities that align with your career goals. Look for opportunities to learn and grow within your current job or consider taking on a side project.”
“Be proactive. Take on new challenges and responsibilities that align with your career goals.” — Rakhi Wani
Collibra’s internal processes are designed to support Collibrians with initiative who want to develop their skills to meet a business need.
Dominika shared of her journey, “I wasn’t expecting my manager to figure everything out for me. What I needed was support. This is something we really get in Collibra. Throughout my journey, I’ve felt like I had people standing next to me supporting me.”
We do this by equipping managers with tools, training, and accountability mechanisms. We also provide Collibrians resources like LinkedIn Learning and numerous other tools to explore new skills and plan out how they will achieve their personal definition of career success.
The goal is to get the right people in the right roles at the right time to spur growth for Collibrians and our business.
