In a few days, I'll be celebrating my first anniversary at my new job. Marking this significant point on my journey, got me thinking about my experiences in the last year and other significant career milestones.

In this blog post, I will share some of my most memorable career milestones and the lessons I learned along the way. Also, check out my previous post titled "Celebrate your professional achievements" to learn five simple ways you can start celebrating your accomplishments.

Starting point
We are accustomed to celebrating some typical milestones such as birthdays and landmark anniversaries. In my experience, we do not spend enough time thinking about the crucial points in our careers.

MC's Story
Let me take you on a journey of some of my memorable career milestones:

My first paid part-time job
Although it was over 18 years ago, I can still remember the first twenty euros I made. The excitement of being able to do something I enjoyed, support someone, and get paid was immeasurable. This experience kicked off my career and taught me some many valuable lessons.

Lessons Learned

• Taking responsibility for a task and putting in the work can have financial benefits.

Getting my first Internship
Throughout my time at University, I wanted to go into the industry and take a job that let me see how I could use the skills I had learned. And in summer 2009, I had the great opportunity for my first internship at a Bank in Luxembourg. This was my first practical introduction to project management.

Lessons Learned

• Ask many questions and learn what you need to know to build the career you want.

Starting first full-time job
I can still remember when I interviewed for jobs after I finished my first degree. And after a few months, I received my first offer for my full-time job as a Project Manager in a Digital Agency. Thinking back, I did not know what I was getting into. I learned a lot of excellent skills in the years that followed.

Lessons Learned

• You have something great to offer, don't underestimate yourself.

Getting my first big promotion
Doing great work was a priority for me. After a few years of being a great contributor to the company, I got my first promotion. I now appreciate the fact that back then putting in great work was what got me a promotion. It definitely gets more complicated as you progress in your career.

Lessons Learned

• Work hard and learn new skills to get to the next level.

Moving to work in a new country
When we move to a new country, we typically focus more on settling in from a personal life perspective. I had a unique situation that I started working in the US only two days after I moved here. I remember the first day I walked into my new project assignment in a new country. It marked the start of the most substantial growth I have experienced in my career.

Lessons Learned

• Change and transitions in your career can bring many growth opportunities.

Working on projects with much responsibility
A few years ago, I was asked to lead a Global Project Management Office. Initially, I rejected the offer because I felt I was not ready, and I did not want to travel for work. Thankfully, they offered me the job about two months later, and I took it. This move in my career set me up for the more significant opportunities and took me to places I would never have been if I did not take the leap.

Lessons Learned

• You grow more when you take significant risks in your career.

Working at a new company
After working at my last company for almost eights years, I made the transition to a new company. Thinking back to my first day at the new job, I was very excited to be starting a new phase of my career journey. And now, it's been a year already, and I'm in my second role, I am looking forward to seeing where my journey goes next.

Lessons Learned

• Know where you want to go in your career and work towards it.

Final Thoughts

• Write your own career story - tell the story you want people to remember.
• Own your career development - don't depend on others.
• Celebrate your wins and accomplishments.

Call to Action

• What are some of the career milestones you are most proud of?
• How do you plan to celebrate your career milestones moving forward?

Great Resources

• 25 Career Milestones Worth Celebrating
• 12 Little Milestones You Should Be Celebrating at Work
• 4 Career Milestones You Think Will Make You Happy (and What Actually Will)
• 15 Career Milestones Everyone Should Reach by Age 30
• 3 Pivotal Career Milestones and What I Learned From Them

When I hear people talk about their groups of friends, their squad or tribe, it makes me smile. I enjoy hearing how they support one another through the ups and downs of life. On my journey, I have learned to value people and connections in my life. 
 
In this blog post, we will discuss how to make the best use of your squad. If you are not already doing these things you may want to start and if you don't have people that you can do this with, you can start looking to find these groups. Also, check out my previous post titled "Build your support community" to learn about the five types of support communities you need.
 
Why do you need a squad or tribe?

• As a human, you need personal connections.
• Navigating complexity with others is more fun.
• You achieve more with a  great group of people.
  

 
What can your tribe help you do?
To get the most value, you want your tribe to consist of people from different backgrounds. Its time to start having more meaningful conversations and smartly using your squad.
 
Find a safe space
Research shows that we need to have a phycological safe space to thrive. It is crucial to find a group of people that allow you to be vulnerable around them. We often feel that we always have to act strong and have it all together. We need to be able to let our guard down and open up to people who can help us.
 
Questions to consider

• Do you have a group of people who accept you for who you truly are?
• How do you get emotional support from your squad?

 
Stay motivated
Especially when your journey becomes complicated, and you are exhausted; having people who cheer you on is crucial. A squad that believes in and tells you, "you can do it" is very valuable.
 
Questions to consider

• Do you share times when you need motivation with your squad?
• Do you share your successes with your squad?

 
Learn something new
Learning from your tribe is essential. Surround yourself with people who are doing amazing things and can share new opportunities or ideas with you. One of the great ways to broaden your perspective is to partner with other people.
 
Questions to consider

• What can you learn from your squad?
• What exciting things are other people in your squad doing?

 
Get opportunities to help others
It is essential to give back and not only take from your tribe. Take the opportunities you get to help other people in your squad. Helping others is a great way to grow.
 
Questions to consider

• Are you helping others in your squad?
• What can you help someone in your squad do?

 
Partner to take over the world
Imagine all the things you can do when you partner with other great people. I am a firm believer of the saying, "there is strength in numbers." The fastest way to amplify your impact is to work with other people on the same projects.
 
Questions to consider

• Who are the people in your squad whom you can partner with?
• What can you partner with your tribe on?

 
Final Thoughts

• It is important to surround yourself with great people who can support you in your quest to being great.
• We have the amazing opportunity to go through life with great people.
• Appreciate the people you have in your life.

 
Call to Action

• Do you have people whom you connect with regularly? Find your squad.
• What are you going to start doing with your squad that you haven't been doing until now? Get the most value from your squad.

 
Great Resources

• The Power of Finding Your Tribe
• Networking - Creating Your Tribe
• Community is Everything: How to Build Your Tribe
• How to Build a Loyal, Powerful and Growing Tribe
• According to Science, Your Girl Squad Can Help You Release More Oxytocin
• What millennial women want (and the squad that helps them get it)
• How To Start Your Own Girl Squad

When I think back on my 18-year relocation journey, I am very grateful to all the great people I met along the way. My story would not be complete without these people. Reflecting on my journey, I have learned the art of building and re-building my personal and professional community.
 
Fun Fact: This week in 2001, I left Nigeria to embark on this journey. I had no idea where I will be in 18 years. Read more of my story in the "Her Relocation" blog posts.
 
In this blog post, I will share my experience with communities while I lived in Nigeria, Germany and the US, the five types of communities everyone should have on their relocation journey as well as strategies to help you build them.
 
MC's Story
In my first year in Germany, I lived in a small village with about 1000 people. Until then, I lived in Kaduna, Nigeria, which was a large city with over 6 million people. One of the biggest challenges I faced was that I missed my community. Growing up, I had family, friends who were an essential part of my day to day life. I had not thought about the impact of losing my community and having to build one from scratch. It took me about two long years to build my community in Germany. They became a very crucial part of my life in Germany. Even when I moved to different cities, I was able to find new people and stay connected with my great community.
 
Moving to the US and leaving my German community behind was challenging. At this time, I was in a phase in my life where I needed to focus more on building my professional community. As I was new to the country, I had to start by learning about the professional culture and then connecting with people in my field.
 
5 types of communities everyone needs
The communities and networks that helped me be successful on my relocation journey include the following:
 
Your "Taste of Home"
These are the people that help keep you connected to your home country or remind you of home. Personally, I connected with great people from other African countries in Germany. This group of people understood my experiences and were able to provide some comfort. A lot of my favorite memories were around us trying to find ingredients to make some African dishes we enjoyed. I met most of them in unconventional places like the bus or train station. 
 
Strategies to consider

• Attend social events
• Reach out to people you meet in unconventional places

 
Your  "Integrators"
Especially if you recently relocated, you will need people who help introduce you to your new home country. They are there to help you adjust to your new life and share knowledge of what it takes to succeed in your new country. I did a better job of ensuring I had more of these people in my community when I moved to the US. My integration into my local community was easier with the help of my "integrators."
 
Strategies to consider

• Check out events in your local cities and meet new people
• Ask people to introduce you to their communities

 
Your Professional Networks
In my experience, this is typically a community that we forget to build early when we move to a new city or country. Especially if you are in your early or mid-career, you need to prioritize building your professional community. It is a continuous process that you want to continue as you grow and transition in your career. Within my first months in the US, I joined the Project Management Institute local chapter. It helped me meet great professionals in my space and provide insights into the US professional culture.
 
Strategies to consider

• Attend professional networking events
• Join professional organizations.

 
Your Passion Groups
Remember that it is vital to continue to grow different aspects of your life. If you have hobbies or a passion project, you want to connect with people who share your interests. This group of people will help you find balance and not lose yourself. I started building these networks about two years into being in the US. My social and professional networks were set before I started looking for people that were working on similar dreams as mine. I decided to start Mastermind groups because I wanted to provide this community for others as well. 
 
Strategies to consider

• Join a book club or mastermind groups
• Attend workshops and events on the topics you are passionate about.

 
Your "Philanthropic" Community
To feel fulfilled in your life, you need to give back to your community as well. Identify the group of people whom you want to give back to. There are a lot of female students, the less privileged, job seekers, or professional women who can benefit from your knowledge and expertise. My community in the US has offered me many opportunities to give back. I enjoy speaking at universities, volunteering at events, and mentoring young women. It is essential for me to not only receive from my community but also give back.
 
Strategies to consider

• Volunteer for causes you care about
• Offer your support and mentor someone.

 
Final Thoughts

• We all need a combination of different types of communities to thrive in our new home cities or countries.
• The people that serve as our companions on our journey deserve to be celebrated.
• It is our duty to help others build their communities and thrive.

 
Call to Action

• What type of communities have helped you on your journey? Acknowledge them and show your appreciation.
• What type of communities do you still need to build? Take the first step and look for them.