Advice from Misty Bailey, Finance Division

12 APR 2017

Misty Bailey is a managing director in our Tax Department in London and serves as in-house counsel and head of UK Tax Planning. She shares five pieces of advice that she would give her younger self:

1) Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. The opportunities that have provided me with the most professional growth have always been those that took me well outside my comfort zone. 

2) Be an expert, don’t be a wallflower. It’s important to be an expert and to be recognized as such. You may be the most knowledgeable person in a room on a topic, but that won’t be known if you don’t speak up and contribute.

3) Invest time in getting to know people. We constantly rely on the expertise of other people, either on our own teams or across the firm, to accomplish our day to day tasks. These interpersonal interactions are much more rewarding – and frankly it’s much easier to ask someone for help – if you invest time in getting to know people and focus on building relationships beyond your reporting lines. 

4) Frame your success in terms of your team’s achievements. The successful execution of a transaction or project is achieved by a team and not by any one person. While there is no harm in highlighting your contributions to your managers, it’s important to frame them in the context of the broader team’s goals and achievements. 

5) Avoid labeling your career path in promotions. Define your career by your personal growth and opportunities for development and not by the titles they may bring.