✨ Why You Must Seize Control of Your Growth Journey

3 years ago, I found myself at a crossroads.

I was enjoying the work and the learnings, but I couldn’t clearly articulate my impact—or even tell if I was heading in the right direction.

I was doing the work I was asked to do, going with the flow, not questioning anything.

After some reflection, I realized I did want to grow—both financially and technically—but my current actions wouldn’t get me there.

That’s when I saw I was making the same mistake most juniors make:

Fast forward a few months, I became the go-to dev for a product and started making real career progress.

In this post, I’ll share:

• Why it’s important to own your growth

• Why it’s so tempting to fall into the trap

• And what you can do about it

Let’s dive in 👇

What it means to own your career growth

When I say “own your career growth,” I mean:

• Being intentional about your work and whether it’s taking you where you want to go

• Advocating for yourself—sharing your goals and expectations

• Having a rough vision of where you want to be in 1, 3, 5, or even 10 years

Now, let’s look at why this matters.

Why it’s important to own your career growth

Reason #1: Only you know what you truly need

Even with the best manager in the world, only you know what drives you.

Is it more pay? More ownership? More technical challenge?

Everyone’s different. So your version of growth will look different than your colleague’s.

You have to own that. No one else will.

Reason #2: “If you don't have a plan, you become part of somebody else's plan.”

The more you say “yes,” the more you risk ending up on projects that don’t serve you long-term.

Unless you want to be a “yes” person—which is totally valid 🙂—have opinions about where you want to grow.

Because if you don’t have a plan, rest assured you’ll be helping execute someone else’s. And that might not be what you want.

Reason #3: Goals make the journey more satisfying

I thrive on setting goals and reaching them.

It gives me a sense of progress. A feeling that I’m getting better.

But that feeling disappears if all I do is jump from project to project with no cohesion.

And work becomes... meh 🤣.

Why you might not be owning your growth (yet)

Especially early on, it’s easy to fall into one of these traps:

Trap #1: You're just happy to be here

When I landed my first dev job, I was blown away—getting paid that much for work I mostly enjoyed? Wild.

I got comfortable. Too comfortable. I wasn’t pushing myself or questioning the work.

But eventually, I realized:

If your work feels disconnected, it’s hard to tell what you’re becoming great at—or what makes you unique.

Once the joy of simply “being in tech” disappears, start thinking about your next milestones.

Trap #2: You think learning = progress

If you want to explore and learn as much as possible, that’s 100% valid. That’s a plan in itself.

But don’t confuse learning with progress.

You can know everything in the world—but if you’re not applying it in ways that move the business or your career forward, that knowledge won’t help much.

To grow (especially in pay), you must build deep expertise in something.

T-shaped skills are a great model here.

Trap #3: You don’t know what’s possible

Good news—this one’s easy to fix.

You can:

• Talk to role models in your company. Ask how they got where they are. Or just watch them closely.

• Ask your manager about growth paths that align with your strengths.

• Start with life goals. Need to buy a house? Pay for kids’ school? Cool—reverse-engineer what you’ll need in skills, roles, and pay to get there.

How to start owning your growth

Here’s what worked for me when I decided to become a major actor in my career 😅:

Step #1: Set goals

Set SMART goals—specific, measurable, and realistic.

I had a simple written goal: Become the go-to dev for this product.

Fast forward to today, I am the dev lead for that product.

Having that goal gave me clarity and direction.

Step #2: Track your progress

Without tracking, goals are just dreams.

Make sure you’re doing something each day that moves you toward them.

Step #3: Share your goals

Let your manager and teammates know what you’re aiming for.

They can’t help you if they don’t know what you care about.

Once you share your goals, people will start forwarding you the right projects—and stop handing you stuff that doesn't align.

Step #4: Evaluate tasks through your goals

Now that you know where you’re headed, filter your tasks through that lens.

If something doesn’t move you closer, either:

• Delegate it

• Or knock it out quickly and move on

Step #5: Take initiative when the path isn’t clear

Sometimes, no task or project helps you grow in the way you want.

That’s okay.

But don’t stay stuck.

You can:

• Push for new projects or initiatives

• Switch to a better-fit team

• Or, if needed, change companies entirely

Step #6: Copy what works

Working with great colleagues? Lucky you.

Watch them. Steal Copy their playbook.

If someone’s doing what you want to be doing, study how they act, what they prioritize, and how they communicate.

Then try those things at your level.

It works.

Summary

If you landed a job in tech—congrats 🎉
You earned it.

But don’t get stuck in “grateful mode.”

Don’t use that as an excuse to take every task, say yes to everything, or never question the direction you're headed in.

Be intentional. Be strategic. Own where your day is taking you.

Because especially in a world with AI and layoffs, you don’t want to wake up one day and realize you weren’t building the right skills.

Remember: