When trouble or opportunity strikes in our career, many of us simply allow ourselves to be carried along with the prevailing current, thereby working in roles that we didn’t necessarily choose or anticipate we would end up in.
We might even apply a lack of planning to all our career choices, happy to carry on as we are until something changes—perhaps when we see a different role that catches our interest, our industry or employer suffers a decline, or our jobs are taken by robots.
No matter which industry you’re in, you need to be thinking about up-skilling and broadening your talents so that you are always employed, employable and valued.
The employment market is changing, and whether these changes will present challenges or opportunities for you depends largely on how prepared you are for change, and how strategic you are about going after what you want.
No matter whether you’re in a stable or vulnerable market or a job you love or hate, you should always have "an eye on" and be considering the future.
To succeed in a career, you need to plan. As the old saying goes, "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."
Why not read our detailed guide on Planning Your Career too, which you can download here.
Here are the 3 stages we recommend here at Lucy Walker Recruitment for all our registered and prospective Candidates.
1. The Assessment Stage: Where are you now?
Look at the role you’re currently performing. Ask yourself:
- What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
- How much do you enjoy it?
- Which aspects do you love and which do you dread?
- Can you imagine doing it for your whole career?
- Which parts would you like to build on?
- Does it bring you enough money to fulfil your personal goals?
- Is there growth potential within the sector, role, or organisation?
When it comes to answering these questions, honesty is the best policy. ‘It’s OK’ is NOT an answer that will add value to your dilemma. The truth will win out and is required to set you on the path to a job you really enjoy.
2. The Deciding Stage: What or where do you want to be?
The first step may lead you to realise a need for a significant career change, to understanding that the role you’re in doesn’t excite you anymore, or that your company provides no growth opportunities. Now it’s time to figure out what career path is right for you.
Look at what you like doing in your current role, as well as other skills and hobbies. Is there a realistic career opportunity that will allow you to focus on those? What transferrable skills has your work history given you?
Think hard and creatively about this, as so often we undersell valuable skills and abilities that are increasingly desirable to employers for their organisation.
Consider marketplace trends of growing and declining industries, and make informed choices based on in-demand skills, and how you can learn to do such skills.
In the film 'Hidden Figures', based on a true story, Dorothy Vaughn discovered her role was to be replaced by an IBM computer! However, somebody needed to run and programme it. Therefore, she set about learning Fortran, a computer language. Suddenly she became indispensable; a case of taking her future into her own hands don’t you think?
Here is a suggestion. Find a recruitment company who specialise in the type of roles you’re interested in, and compare your current skills with what you’ll need.
Then take action and set goals….
3. The Goal-Setting Stage: How are you going to get there?
Hopefully, you’ve decided what your dream or realistic next step job is.
Now you need to commit to the process of step-by-step planning. The most effective goal-setting is done with a pen and paper, and big goals are broken down into smaller bite-sized pieces, as well as the major milestones of, 6 months to 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years.
Consider what you’ll need to do to reach your goals. If you need to learn the ins and outs of certain project management software to become a high-flying PA or study employee relations to work in an HR function, you’ll need to commit to a learning program. If you want to get a promotion to the Logistics Manager role by Christmas, you should schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss your aspirations.
It’s wise to consider backup plans, as there may be factors at play that are out of your control, such as redundancies or a sudden downturn in the market.
For this reason, you should always aim to build a broad and adaptable skillset, rather than one which is extremely job-specific.
Consider how you’ll build your personal brand to guarantee your success- will you use social media heavily, or perhaps rely on networking events?
The UK job market will continue to undergo massive changes in coming years, but even if the economy booms and there are jobs aplenty in your field, would you be content to stay in the job you’re in now, forever?
If the answer is no, then it’s time that you sat down and did some careful career planning.
Can we help?
Here at Lucy Walker Recruitment we have been helping firms with their talent acquisition, and job seekers to find their ideal roles for over 30 years. We have placed thousands of candidates and filled thousands of roles for our clients; if you want to find out how we can help you call us on 0113 367 2880 or email us here.
