The NASPP Blog

Last week I touched upon my early days in equity compensation, when many of the acronyms and jargon threw me for a loop. Reminiscing about some of the early days of my career got me thinking about the new additions we have to this industry on a regular basis. I love going to NASPP Chapter meetings and meeting people who are brand new to this profession. After all, we all share some kind of strange unspoken bond. Nearly all of us landed here by chance, luck of the draw, or some other random coincidence. In today’s blog, I’m speaking to those new people – offering up 5 things that I wish someone had told me when I first landed in this industry.

1. Go to as many industry events as you can. There are two reasons for this one. First, this helps you gather information quickly – learning about many of the concepts that touch your world. New practices emerge, regulations change. The best way to keep on top of these changes is to get out and hear what the other experts in the industry are saying. Note that “industry event” can be a webcast, chapter meeting, conference, and so on. Second, you need to build a network of people that you can turn to when you have questions or require input. A great way to meet people is at chapter meetings and conferences. Don’t let the excuse of “I’m too busy” prevent you from getting out there.
2. Pursue as many education opportunities as possible. There is a lot to learn – regulations, tax code, practices, and so on. Especially in the early days, this can be a case of “you don’t know what you don’t know.” You may think you’ve learned a lot, only to realize there are topics that haven’t even been discovered yet. Take advantage of fundamentals courses offered (yes, the NASPP  offers fundamentals courses every year – this year we’re doing two – Stock Plan Fundamentals and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Essentials).
3. Get your CEP! The Certified Equity Professional Institute at Santa Clara University offers you the opportunity to become certified in your equity compensation knowledge.
4. Find a mentor. Many seasoned equity compensation professionals are happy to share their knowledge and serve as a resource to others. Look for someone who is knowledgeable and approachable and ask them if they would mind if you contacted them with questions from time to time. Not only will you have a go-to person for your questions, but you’ll likely develop a great long term relationship. My early mentor actually hired me at one point! You just never know where those relationships will take you.
5. Offer to speak. Yes, you heard me correctly. I hear this all the time – “but I haven’t been in this industry for a lot of years” or “I’m not sure what I could speak about.” Make it a goal to get to the point where you can share your knowledge or experience on a particular topic. You probably already have plenty to speak about – you just don’t know it. Did you recently tackle a project and have great success? Are you a great writer and you turned out some amazing employee communications? You don’t have to be an expert in every single area of equity compensation in order to speak. What you do need to have is an experience or know-how that will be helpful to others. Taking on a speaking opportunity will also push you to dig even deeper into your topic, leaving you with more information as well.

To those who are newer to this field, there are many of us who have been in your shoes. It may feel like you are sometimes lost in a sea of information and concepts, but as you learn more you will come to realize what the rest of us have – this is a pretty awesome industry to put your stake in the ground. There’s never a dull moment – regulations change, new practices and people come onto the horizon. You know what they say – “variety is the spice of life”, and we certainly don’t lack in variety. So if you’re new to the industry and wondering where to start, try the 5 steps above and you should be well on your way to making your own mark in this wild field called equity compensation.

-Jennifer