Alexandra Skibitskaya

I learned early that progress doesn’t come from doing everything. It comes from doing the right next thing. Throughout my career, especially when I transitioned from law into energy, I didn’t have a perfect roadmap. What I had was the ability to step back, assess where I actually stood, and ask: What is the one right move that can change everything? Just one. Find the one problem that unlocks everything else. Solve that, and momentum follows. That mindset stayed with me. I move forward, step by step. Over time, those steps compound into a strategy.

Be intentional about who you spend time with - your network shapes your trajectory. The people who move forward fastest are not just working hard - they’re building relationships with intention. When I started repositioning my career, I became very deliberate about who I spoke to. Not just “networking,” but understanding: who is already doing the work I want to do? What do they care about? And where do I genuinely have something to offer? Don’t just ask what you need, understand what you can offer. That’s where real relationships start.

Clarity is a competitive advantage. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you should understand what you’re building, why you’re building it, and where you want it to lead. Define the kind of work, people, and environment you want early. It saves years. Think strategically about your career. Many of us are curious and capable of doing different things, but focus matters. Too many directions create noise. Pick a direction and stay with it. Pivot later if you have to.

I see a gap between urgency and accessibility. We talk a lot about climate targets, electrification, and grid constraints, but for an emerging professional, it’s not always easy to find a clear entry point. The expectation is often to already have experience in a space that is still evolving.

I’ve seen this firsthand - sometimes you have to do the work for cheap before you’re given the paid role.

But that’s also where the opportunity is. The industry needs people who can connect the dots between engineering, policy, and business. Those who can operate across these layers will shape how this transition actually happens.

Rest is not separate from success. There was a time when I was pushing constantly, thinking that more effort automatically meant better results. 

More effort doesn’t always mean more. 

Over time, I realized that without mental clarity and physical energy, the quality of decisions drops. You are losing.

Now I treat rest, health, and focus as part of the work—not separate from it.