Recently, a young professional asked about my career practices and decisions on my way to leadership roles. That question seems to come often lately, so I decided to write them down and share them. I am not a career expert, but I hope my career journey will motivate and inspire you to be the best at whatever you choose to do. I believe that we shape our careers with the choices we make and the practices we adopt.

1. Work in many domains. My career has taken me from performing experimental work at Los Alamos National Laboratory to working in Washing to D.C. as a technical advisor to Wall Street as a Chief Data Scientist. In each of these transitions, I asked myself how much new knowledge would I gain if I take this opportunity because it is essential to separate opportunities from temptations when evaluating changing domains. Opportunities will help you grow as an individual and as a professional, and by growing, you can make more impactful contributions to any organization. Opportunities feed your internal drive to be a lifelong learner. They force you to examine your life and career goals because we all want to live a life of contribution. Contributions are how you find meaning in what you do and how you live a successful life. The most defining moments in my career have come when I have added a new domain of expertise to my tool belt. For me, life is more exciting when you are learning and being challenged.

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