Why now is a good time to think about your career future

This is why. You need to start taking control of managing your own career. The world is changing rapidly. It’s becoming increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

The days of having a job for life are long gone. There is little job certainty and security in the 2020’s.

Right now you might be wishing you had a good job. But what does that mean to you?

Any job, as long as it pays the bills
A more meaningful and fulfilling job
A crossroad in your career and life. You know you need to make some changes, but not what or how to change
Wanting to make your purpose-driven impact, and a positive difference in the world

The Gallup State of the Global Workforce Report found that only 32% of working-age adults worldwide had a “good job”. This was defined as “any full-time work for an employer”.

Do you really want to settle for a “good job”, just to survive? Why not aim for a great job, which will allow you to perform at your peak and thrive?

You cannot leave it up to others to manage your career development. Or to determine your career direction and where you end up in life.

The future of work is changing.

How long we stay in one workplace is getting shorter
There’s a rise in contracting, freelancing, casual and part-time work
Portfolio careers are on the increase
Organisations are repurposing employees through secondments and project work
We’re navigating the sudden shift to working from home
The skills employers are looking for are changing
The skills needed to be successful in the workplace are changing

Your past education and technical training are not enough to get ahead in your career in the future.

This may not be enough to keep you competitive and able to cope with new workplace demands. You need to keep learning, growing and evolving.

You can no longer rely on relationship continuity at work.

You may have proven yourself at work. And developed the trust and confidence of your current manager or sponsor. This may not ensure a career progression path in your organisation in the future.
There are too many uncertainties. Will the same people still be there? Will you still be there? Will the organisation still be there?

If you want to create a career and life in which you can thrive, and not just survive, do this.

Take personal responsibility to:

Develop a high level of self-awareness. Understand your strengths, weaknesses and potential pitfalls. Be aware of how others might perceive you.

Get clear on who you are, what you’re capable of and your vision of the future you want to create

Have a strong sense of your personal brand. Know and be able to convey your unique value and contribution.

Be clear on the mission or purpose that is propelling or pulling you forward.

You can no longer rely on having the “right” role in the “right” organisation. It won't guarantee your career success and security.

Be adaptable and prepared to reinvent yourself.

Markets are getting more competitive and volatile. Your job is not guaranteed, your role or title is not what defines you. You’re capable of so much more.

It is up to you to develop your career vision and to plan how to achieve it.

It is up to you to manage your personal and professional growth and development. You can plan and navigate your way to the future you want. Or you can leave it to external circumstances.

You need to become the CEO of your own professional brand. Don't tie your self-identity to your position, role, title and organisation. Tie it to your personal brand. This is what you can control.

You are a business of one.

Consider yourself as the chief entrepreneur, visionary, planner and strategist of your own business. Put in as much focus on managing your career as you put into planning major projects at work.

Take control of managing and guiding your career.

Don’t leave it up to someone else, or to chance.

You can’t rely on organisations to invest in your ongoing training and development
It’s harder to break out of doing the same old type of work if you’re after a change and brand new challenges.
Empower and market yourself. Recruitment typically works by hiring people who tick the same boxes. It's safer to hire someone who has already done the same things. And riskier to try someone new or untested.
Prepare to be a life-long learner. You need to keep your learning and development ongoing and up to date
Be prepared for a redundancy, and be ready to hit the ground running. Because redundancies will be a regular part of life in the 2020’s.
Develop your social capital. Create and nurture strong, authentic networks. Develop strong, broad networks, well beyond your organisation. Build strong, authentic relationships and keep them warm.
Support your network. Be generous with your time and expertise. Give first, so that when you need to call on people later down the track, they’ll be happy to help.
Be willing to adapt, change, upskill and reinvent yourself. Because the work you’re doing and how you’re doing it is changing. And you need to evolve also.
Organisations could move your type of work from ‘in-house” to outsourced.
Think about how you could you become the business specialist that they engage. Through other consultancies or setting up your own business?
Have your resume updated and ready to go. Make sure you can market yourself and respond quickly as opportunities arise