3 Tips on Managing your Career
As I was out walking today I felt energised by the brighter light, the buds appearing on the trees and my first sighting of beautiful yellow daffodils.
And it got me thinking about how nature throws off its seasonal coat and gets ready to move onto the next season and shows us the power of possibility.
And if we use that analogy for our careers we can see that tending to our career can open up a world of possibility for us.
Why should we ‘tend’ to our careers?
Change and uncertainty are now a given in our careers. As a result, people are re-evaluating what they want from their work.
For many, the traditional career ladder has been replaced by non-linear (squiggly) career moves where progression goes beyond promotion and allows people to develop in different directions.
In the context of constant change, personal career management is now a must-have rather than a nice-to-have. But the reality is that career management rarely gets prioritised. We get so busy with the demands of the day-to-day that it takes precedence over a focus on our improvement.
This presents a long-term risk to our engagement and enjoyment at work, as putting ourselves last means our careers can stall and our skills start to stagnate.
Career challenges like reorganizations, layoffs, and a lack of personal fulfilment can feel like big bumps in the road, but instead of seeing them as obstacles, start to look for the opportunities.
“The sad news is that nobody owes you a career. Your career is literally your business. You own it as a sole proprietor. You have one employee – yourself. You are in competition with millions of similar businesses, millions of other employees all over the world. You need to accept ownership of your career, your skills, and the timing of your moves. It is your responsibility to protect this personal business of yours from harm to position it to benefit from changes in the environment. ”
3 Tips to Manage your Career
1.‘Own your power’ (from the amazing Carla Harris)
Carla Harris, is a Wall Street veteran who has been named one of the most powerful Black executives in America. She is passionate about advocating for ourselves and others and regularly mentors and sponsors colleagues.
‘Don’t hide your light under a bushel and remember you bring something to the table. Don’t abdicate your energy, your work ethic, your innovation or your creativity – be comfortable about what you bring to the table.’
In owning your power, it’s important to know the difference between arrogance and confidence. From Carla again:
‘Confidence is knowing things that you don’t know and that you are confident you can learn quickly. Arrogance is thinking that you know everything and that nobody can tell you anything.’
Owning your power is all about advocating for yourself, in a way that feels authentic for you.
2. Know and Invest in Yourself
I always say career planning is an inside job. By that I mean it starts with understanding yourself – what’s important to you (your values), what you know and are good at (skills and strengths) and what lights you up (your passions). Only then can we bring our authentic self to our careers.
Knowing yourself is a lifelong process and a journey. When we invest in broadening our skills and competencies we embrace on a journey of self-awareness that stands to us in keeping momentum going in our career.
By knowing and investing in yourself you are building your career brand. If you leave your brand to chance, you let others define your image, which can severely reduce your chances of getting the job, success or lifestyle that you want. Carefully shaping your brand, and defining how you present yourself in every type of situation, puts control back in your corner.
3. Have an Advocate
All of the important decisions about your career are made in a room where you're not present. Your compensation is decided in a room where you're not present, your promotions are decided in a room where you are not present, and new assignments are given out in a room where you are not present.
‘So, make sure somebody is in the room carrying your paper’ (again from Carla Harris!)
Build relationships beyond the people you work with day to day. Consider who else is around that table when decisions are being made about you. Do others besides your boss even know you to see or chat to?
I’ll finish on a quote from Adam Grant:
‘Big career decisions don't come with a map, but all you need is a compass. In an unpredictable world, you can’t make a master plan. You can only gauge whether you're on a meaningful path. The right next move is the one that brings you a step closer to living your core values.’
Think about your career as your personal brand – what others say about you when you’re not in the room. Once this is your mindset, you’ll always want to protect it, manage it and always represent the best of yourself.
Reach out if I can support you on your career journey.
