Significant Career Lesson From a Senior Financial Analyst at Dexcom

There are really two, or even three, things I'd like to share, but I'll try to keep them brief. The first is to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

It's easy to immediately go to your manager for help. It's important, however, to at least try to figure out what you're struggling with or how to fix a mistake before asking for assistance. This also applies to putting yourself out there, like offering to present or reaching out to colleagues to learn about their roles.

I found this approach very helpful when I first started at Thermo Fisher. It was easy to email random people in finance to understand their work and see if it was something I was interested in. So, that's lesson number one.

Lesson number two, which might be a hot take, is to know your worth. It's easy to settle into your current role, especially if you're still relatively new.

If you don't like your position, be very open with your manager about exploring other opportunities. You're early in your career, aiming to gain experience and understand your preferences. Honestly, don't be afraid to job hop.

This is more common now with people our age, though it can be intimidating. It circles back to the first lesson: be comfortable being uncomfortable.

You are worth opportunities like being an analyst three or a senior analyst if you've been working for a couple of years. If you aren't offered a promotion, you can start looking elsewhere. We're all in corporate finance, and everyone learns at a different pace. But once you've reached a point where you want change, don't be afraid to speak up.