Bossing It – How to level up professionally

Ready to make 2026 your best year yet? Whether you’re aiming to sharpen your skills, climb the career ladder, or master the art of networking, now’s the time to take charge. We asked some of our incredible alumni to share their best tips on how to level up professionally.

Diksha Dwivedi (MA 2014)

With a passion for storytelling and a knack for building impactful brands, Diksha has dedicated her career to helping leaders craft compelling personal narratives. As the founder of people-powered journalism site AkkarBakkar.com and branding agency YOSO Media, she has driven innovative content strategies and powerful storytelling techniques, reaching millions globally. Her professional journey spans various roles, from writing features at Yahoo! to heading brand marketing at Invideo.io.

Diksha has also authored several books including Letters from Kargil and Nimbu Saab and is a Chair of the Cardiff University India Alumni Association, co-leading our New Delhi Chapter. Diksha’s ultimate mission is to empower founders and entrepreneurs to articulate their stories, connect with their audiences, and build enduring personal brands.

Stay consistent

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt on my entrepreneurial journey, it’s this. It all compounds! Every single thing you do at your work– every single day. It might feel boring at first, no instant wins, no applause, no viral moments. But that boredom is the price of mastery. Showing up daily to sharpen one skill, improving by just 1%, feels insignificant in the moment. Yet over time, those small efforts stack, multiply, and quietly separate you from the crowd. While others chase quick hacks and shortcuts, you’re building depth, credibility, and confidence. That’s the real unfair advantage. Success rarely comes from dramatic leaps, it comes from consistent reps when no one is watching.

Emmeline Brooks (MSc 2018)

Emmeline completed her MSc in International Planning and Development at Cardiff University. She is now a Chartered Town Planner, and a Principal Planning Policy Officer at the West of England Combined Authority, based in Bristol. In this role, she is supporting the development of a Spatial Development Strategy for the West of England, which will guide the future growth of the region. Prior to this, Emmeline spent 8 years working in the private sector as a planning consultant at Arup.

Learn from your peers

One of the most positive impacts on my career to date has been my voluntary role with my professional body, The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). I have chaired the RTPI ‘Young Planners’ in Wales – a group established to support early career professionals. This offered me the opportunity to network and learn from my peers, many of whom were working in different organisations and on different aspects of town planning to me. This gave me a strong awareness and understanding of the breadth of my profession. It also offered me different opportunities and challenges early in my career, in a fun and supportive environment – ultimately making me a more understanding and effective town planner.

River Huang (MA 2013)

River, a former Cardiff University international student from China, co-founded PingPong Digital in the UK in 2013. The award-winning digital agency helps global brands and institutions engage with Chinese audiences through tailored campaigns across platforms such as WeChat, RED, Douyin, and Weibo. PingPong Digital now supports clients including major UK universities, luxury real estate developers, and global consumer brands. The company currently has over 25 UK-based staff and more than 40 globally, supporting its growing portfolio and content production needs.

Stay curious

For me, “levelling up” has always come from staying curious and being willing to learn something new, even when it’s outside my comfort zone. Working across different markets and platforms changes fast, so I’ve made a habit of continuously up-skilling – whether that’s exploring new technologies, understanding a new market trend, or simply improving how I work day-to-day. Small, consistent improvements compound over time. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or a big promotion to grow; start with one practical skill and build from there. That mindset has made the biggest difference in my career so far.

Bianca de Souza (LLB 2019)

Bianca is a Solicitor and Local Compliance Officer at Daimler Truck UK, where she advises on commercial, regulatory, and data protection matters while leading initiatives at the intersection of law, technology, and strategy. Named the Law Society’s In-House Counsel of the Year (2025), Bianca is known for her modern approach to legal practice, blending legal intelligence with commercial awareness, emotional intelligence, and technological fluency.

She began her career in-house at a fast-paced tech company before moving into the automotive sector, where she negotiates high value agreements, develops AI-driven legal tools, and designs systems to make legal functions more scalable and efficient. Bianca holds a Master of Science in Law and Business Management, where she specialised in the impact of emerging technologies on the legal profession.

A TEDx speaker on leaving your comfort zone, Bianca is passionate about mentoring the next generation of lawyers and helping them build careers rooted in clarity, confidence, and intentional growth.

Don’t wait until you feel “ready”

Levelling up professionally starts with radical ownership – of your growth, your pace, and your standards. No one hands you the next stage; you build it through consistency, courage, and the willingness to operate outside your comfort zone. The biggest shift in my career came when I stopped waiting to feel “ready” and started choosing opportunities that stretched me. Every challenge became a skill, every setback became data, and every small win, built self-trust. That mindset is what carried me from Cardiff to becoming In-House Legal Counsel of the Year. Elevation isn’t an accident – it’s a daily decision.

Ready to connect with fellow Cardiff alumni? Join our LinkedIn group and get networking.