Change Able – Resilience in Practice

by | Dec 19, 2022 | Career Advice, Resilience

Your ability to change is a crucial tenant of career development success.  As we work in various roles, our peers, the company, and the world around us continue to evolve. We don’t have much control over anything other than our behavior, thoughts, and reactions.  As the high-tech companies around us continue to downsize, our ability to adapt, change and show resilience will continue to be critical to our career development success.  Claire Newton from New Zealand put together one of my favorite examples of a Circle of Control, Influence, and Concern exercise based on Stephen Covey’s model.  She provides a poster and directions so you can complete the exercise individually or with a group.  

Self-Discovery is something we focus on as we begin our careers.  We think about what we like and don’t like, what we studied in school, and we begin working.  As the paychecks come in and we start to develop expertise and are recognized for the results we’re delivering, we forget to continue to explore and are oftentimes too busy with work and life to stop and reflect.  Whether you’re at an inflection point you’ve chosen (by retiring, quitting, or deciding to change companies or roles) or your job has been eliminated, or your company has made the decision to downsize, and your group or project was impacted, right now is a great time to do self-discovery work.

Start with the Circle of Control and focus on what you can control.  Work to let go of those things you cannot change (the economy, what’s happening in the government, the price of gas, the fact your job was eliminated) and move your thinking and actions to align with those things you can control. Spend time learning more about yourself, focusing on the type of role you want next, researching companies, and reaching out to your network for introductions and support.  Think about yourself as the solution to someone’s problem.  Who has a problem you can solve with ease, excellence, and enjoyment?  What types of problems do you enjoy solving?  What type of work makes your heart sing?  Focus your resume, your efforts, and your networking on the problems you love to solve.  Shy away from trying to be the solver of all problems – a jack of all trades.  Instead, pick some very specific targets and go after the work that you are best suited to do.  Look at your resume and remove the things you don’t enjoy doing – don’t advertise them.  Get more specific and clear on how you are the best person for the problems needing solutions.   

I believe in you.  Your uniqueness.  Your ability to solve hard problems.  Your tenacity in finding work that fulfills you and solves a business need.  Focus on what you can control and adapt to be come more change able.

 

Trees and Resilience
Today is February 1, 2023.  I retired from my High Tech Corporate job yesterday after 31.5 years.  It is a large corporation, and I grew up there.  I had a few other jobs before I started in 1991; however, they were co-op (intern) positions or gigs.  Leaving my first...
What’s Your Approach to Career Development?

What’s Your Approach to Career Development? Preventative maintenance or emergency room visit? When I teach and present Career Development topics, attendees ask, “How much time should I spend on career planning and development?” Here’s how I answer this question.

The Value of a Functional Resume
Some years back, I was coaching at a resume workshop when I overheard a fellow coach discussing a different way of presenting accomplishments. I love learning from others and took some time to listen to what she was advising at her table since her advice differed from...
Career Development: Advice to Yourself
I saw the question "If you could go back and tell yourself one thing that would help you with your career, what would that be?" posed on one of my LinkedIn Groups and found it thought-provoking and believed if I posed it to my co-workers, the answers given would be...
Tips & Tricks for Changing Jobs
Graceful Transitions You’ve been scanning jobs online, checking in with your growing network and interviewing for new positions. Finally – it happens. You are offered a new role, you accept and it’s time to transition. Now what? I get this question pretty...
What Would You Do For Free?

“What would you do for free?” Back in early 2012, I met with a mentee who first came to me through a referral from a friend in HR. When I first met “Jane”, she was waiting for me in a conference room.

What Inclusion Means to Me
Inclusion - What it Means to Me Eleven years ago, Feb 6 fell on a Friday. That’s the day of the accident that left me permanently disabled. Every day I get up and hobble to the bathroom making sure to put my foot all the way down so I don’t trip or fall. Sometimes if...
The Value of a Functional Resume
Some years back, I was coaching at a resume workshop when I overheard a fellow coach talking about a different way of presenting accomplishments. I love to learn from others and took some time to listen to what she was advising at her table since her advice was...
Eliminate these Words
Words Are Powerful – Until they’re not – eliminate these words from your speech and writing As a Career Advisor, my job is to listen, not only to what is said, but what is not said. I interpret body language, I delve into areas that are uncomfortable, and I point out...
Transferable Skills
Let’s Talk About Transferable Skills How do you figure out which ones you have? When you look at requisitions and read the list of requirements, you will see a list of experience and skills the hiring manager believes are required to do the role they’ve...