Early in Your Career? Start Here
WRITTEN BY: Lottie Culf, Business Insights Analyst Graduate at MSD and 29k Club Founding Member 🖤
Early in her career, curious by nature, and thoughtful in how she reflects and applies what she learns. In this blog, she shares what it’s really like to grow with clarity, confidence and community inside the 29k Club.
Hi, I’m Lottie. Earlier this year (2025) I graduated from the University of Bath with a First in Biomedical Sciences, and over the past few years I’ve become really interested in patients, pharmaceuticals, health policy and people-centric problem solving.
Through this blog, I’m hoping to share the learnings and insights I’m picking up from the 29k club community - especially from the perspective of someone who is still at the start of their career, navigating next steps and discovering the value of having the right people around you!
Starting out in your career can (and, for me, still does!) feel overwhelming. You’re trying to prove yourself, often in a huge organisation, while everything around you feels unfamiliar. There are acronyms you’ve never heard before, SOPs you didn’t know existed, and countless meetings where you sit in silence wondering what’s going on.
Being part of the 29k Club has genuinely shaped how I approach this stage of my career. Through mentoring sessions, masterclasses and honest 1:1 conversations, I’ve been encouraged to think bigger about my work and my impact. The advice below is grounded in what I’ve learned within the community (as well as my own experience), and it’s what I’d share with any student or graduate looking to make the most of their early talent scheme or entry-level role.
Understand the bigger picture
As someone early in your career, it is easy to fall into the trap of completing the tasks your manager gives you and moving straight onto the next one, without taking the time to think more deeply about why your work matters.
One of the best pieces of wisdom I’ve picked up since being in the 29k Club is to always understand the purpose behind your work. It’s so easy to focus on completing the task in front of you – but try to zoom out. How does this piece of work feed into your team’s objectives? How does that link to the wider strategy of the organisation? What’s happening in the industry that makes this important now?
In a recent 29k Club masterclass by Jess Fine, a senior executive within my organisation, she spoke about great leaders being the ones that connect the dots - and the importance of asking ‘why’ at every stage. Through this 29k Club connection, I was then able to schedule a follow-up conversation with her, where she told me that even early in your career, you can start practising this through seeking out varied opportunities and understanding how different areas of the business fit together.
When you understand the bigger picture, you can position opportunities that will benefit you as valuable for the business too - and that’s how you get buy-in. I experienced this during my placement, when we received additional funding for a patient information project I was leading on by linking it to the objectives of the wider team, which allowed us to reach more people. It was a good reminder that understanding context can directly strengthen the impact of your work, alongside building commercial awareness.
Book in those coffee chats!
When you start out in your career, everyone always tells you to build your network. It’s good advice, but no one really explains how to do it in a way that feels natural. It’s easy to get in your head and worry that you’re coming across as awkward or forced.
What really helped me was remembering that one of the biggest advantages of being a student or graduate is that people expect you to a) know very little and b) be curious. They also tend to be more generous with their time when you’re early in your career and genuinely keen to learn.
A simple message to people in your team, or a team you work with closely, is a great place to start – but don’t be afraid to expand your circle wider!
An example message might look like this:
‘Hi, my name is ________. I’m a student/graduate/new starter in the _______ team and would love to learn more about your role and what your team is working on. Would you be happy for me to put in some time for a chat?’
These conversations can be in person or over a call (and you don’t actually have to drink coffee!). Ask about their career journey, their current role, their team’s priorities. And if something genuinely interests you - follow up! I found my co-lead for a project through one of these coffee chats, and she remains a great mentor and friend to this day.
The 29k club has reminded me that it’s important to be respectful of people’s time, especially when reaching out to more senior people. Be clear from the outset about why you’re getting in touch, what you’re hoping to learn, and how much time you’re asking for (30 minutes is generally reasonable). It’s good practice to prepare a few thoughtful questions in advance and follow up with a short thank-you afterwards. As a bonus, checking back in later to share how you’ve implemented their advice helps build a more authentic and less transactional relationship. People want to know that their advice has genuinely helped you!
Do excellent work (and ask for help)
In my experience, students and graduates are sometimes underestimated. While that can be frustrating, it’s also a huge opportunity to stand out.
A few things that really help:
Early in your career you often have capacity, fresh perspective, new skills and lots of enthusiasm. Use this to your advantage!
Never neglect the day job – deliver work that is high quality, on time and clear.
Make a habit of asking for feedback once you’ve delivered something. It shows you care about improving.
And most importantly, if you don’t understand something – ask. That’s a sign of maturity, not weakness, and it saves time and frustration further down the line.
Set (and track) SMART goals
It’s easy to start your role with broad ambitions like: “I want to be more confident,” “I want to improve my presentation skills,” or “I want to build my network.”
These are important goals, but without structure, they may begin to slip down the priorities list. Instead, try setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-Bound) goals. For example:
Ask a question or make a comment in three meetings this week (confidence)
Deliver two presentations by the end of the year (presentation skills)
Have one coffee chat with someone in a completely different team next month (network)
Your time in this role will likely fly by, so the sooner you do this, the better! Setting these goals and sharing them with your manager shows proactivity and gives you something concrete to measure your progress against. A 29k masterclass by John Bolodeoku really stuck with me - confidence is built through repeated small actions that strengthen belief in yourself over time. SMART goals have been a big part of building that confidence for me.
Track your contributions
Trust me when I say that memories of work completed six months ago, or even last week, fade surprisingly quickly if you don’t keep track of them! My graduate mentor told me early on in my placement to keep a record of my work from day one. Start a document where you track everything you’ve worked on – big or small.
For each piece of work, note the project, your contribution, and (most importantly) what changed as a result. This may not always be revenue – it can include time savings, a smoother process, improved satisfaction or positive feedback from stakeholders. Wherever possible, try to quantify both the overall outcome and your individual impact.
In a recent 29k Club conversation, someone summed it up as “Kill them with results.” Being able to clearly articulate your impact helps with year-end reviews and future applications. Importantly, it helps boost your confidence, as you start to see undeniable evidence of your contribution and value!
Early careers aren’t built by knowing everything. They’re built by asking better questions.
Final thoughts
If I were to summarise all the advice I’ve given and received, it would be this:
When you’re starting out, be curious and proactive.
Progress comes from understanding context, building relationships, delivering high- quality work, and being intentional about your development. I’ve learned that small, consistent actions really do add up - and when you’re supported by a community like the 29k Club that encourages you to reflect, ask questions and think bigger, those actions make navigating the early stages of your career far more manageable.
If you’re unsure what to take from this, start small. Try reaching out to someone in a new team, asking for feedback on a piece of work you’ve completed recently, or turning a vague goal that you have in mind into something more concrete. But don’t forget to enjoy the learning curve, because sooner than you think, you’ll be the one people are reaching out to for coffee chats!
I’m Yam – Founder of The Black Sherpa
Founder | Strategist | Speaker | Host of The Black Sherpa Podcast
I founded The Black Sherpa to create a world where talent rises on merit and no one’s potential is held back by bias or barriers.
Through bold strategy, storytelling, and our flagship community, The 29k Club - I help professionals grow with confidence and support leaders to build cultures that truly live their values.
Let’s connect and build a future where inclusion powers performance, and leadership reflects the world we serve.