Ways to Stay Engaged in Your Current Role

Most people in tech believe career growth is all about getting better at your craft. And don’t get me wrong- skills do matter. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: It’s not just about how good you are. It’s about who knows how good you are. Some of the most talented engineers I’ve worked with stayed stuck in the same role for years, not because they weren’t skilled, but because no one outside their immediate circle knew the impact they were making. Meanwhile, others who actively shared their work, spoke at events, collaborated publicly, or mentored others; they became the names that came up in rooms they weren’t even in yet. That’s what visibility does. For me, building visibility has looked like: 🤝 Sharing what I’m learning- not just what I already know. Posting takeaways from AI research papers, experiments with new tools, and real-world lessons from building systems. 📱Posting behind-the-scenes of projects, including the messy drafts. Sharing wins is easy. Sharing your process builds trust. 🎤 Speaking at meetups, podcasts, and panels Every small talk leads to bigger rooms. It’s all about building reps, and getting more people hear your thoughts. 📚Turning complex technical ideas into simple frameworks. Think: diagrams, cheat sheets, carousels. If people can learn from you easily, they’ll remember you. 🌎 Collaborating publicly and giving credit. Tag teammates, mention mentors, share lessons learned together. Visibility is not a solo game. 👩🏫 Mentoring early-career professionals. Teaching makes your knowledge visible, and it pays forward the support you once needed. 📝 Documenting your journey authentically. Not just “look at this big launch,” but “here’s what I learned this week,” or “here’s where I’m stuck and what I’m trying next.” 👥 Being active in the community- both online and offline. Whether it’s commenting on posts, joining Slack groups, or attending AI meetups, showing up consistently makes a difference. It’s not about becoming a “thought leader.” It’s about becoming someone people remember when opportunities come up. Because at the end of the day: Skill × Visibility = Career Growth If you’re already learning, building, and solving problems, start showing it ❤️ That’s how you grow beyond your current role.

❓ What helps you stay grounded in your role ❓ “Veronika, you’re always five steps ahead. You need to slow down so the rest of the team can catch up'. This is the feedback I received from a team member a while ago. While I have no intentions of slowing down, I’ve been thinking about how I can be more effective in helping the team keep pace. My solution has been to dedicate part of my time to 'making the sausage'—working on tickets and delivering data. This approach helps me: 💡 Stay connected with users and learn more about the business and their specific needs 💡 Recognize the complexities of real-world use cases 💡 Understand the challenges of keeping solutions simple 💡 Appreciate the difficulty of modifying someone else’s code 💡 Realize that balancing speed with quality requires substantial effort 💡 See the real cost of tech debt 💡 Develop a greater appreciation for what my team has built What strategies or practices help you stay grounded while continuing to innovate? #data #teameffort

You don't have to burn it all down. If you're unhappy in your work: burned out, bored, disconnected, that DOES NOT mean you have to leave your company. I get it. When you've been stuck for a while, you wonder if the only path to clarity is a sabbatical or a resignation letter. Taking time off, or quitting might be the right next step for you. But it isn't the only option. There are a lot of good reasons to stay: – You have financial needs, a family, a mortgage. – You care about your team or your mission. – You’re not ready to blow it all up and that’s okay. The good news: You can begin the realignment process without leaving your role. Inner transitions don’t always require outer ones. Sometimes, the most meaningful shifts happen while staying right where you are, just relating to your work in a new way. Here are 7 simple ways to begin that process: 1/ Create micro downshifts. No-meeting days. End meetings 5 minutes early. Block time for deep, focused work. Even small shifts in how you structure your day can change how you feel inside it. 2/ Build a morning reflection practice. Set aside 10–15 minutes a day to journal. Write honestly about what feels energizing and what feels heavy. You can’t realign if you don’t know what’s off. 3/ Find support. Work with a coach, therapist, or peer group who can hold space and help you see your blind spots. It’s really hard to do this alone. Trust me, I’ve tried. 4/ Make a “no” list. Write down everything you’re currently saying yes to out of obligation. What can you release? Every “no” creates space for something more aligned. 5/ Treat your current role as a lab. Practice new ways of showing up: less reactive, more embodied, more honest. Let your work become a mirror, not just a grind. 6/ Reconnect with your body. Burnout and misalignment often show up physically before they become clear mentally. Tension, pressure, tightness? Those are signals worth listening to. 7/ Start a grounding practice. Meditation. Walks in nature. Breathwork. You don’t need an hour a day. Even five minutes of presence can shift how you show up to your work. -- You don’t need to burn it all down to begin again. Small shifts can add up to a big transformation. And if the day comes when it is time to leave, you’ll know you’re doing it from a place of clarity, not escape.