Resource Edge   

Now here’s a personal question!  Do you leap out of bed on Monday mornings? Yes, No or Sometimes?

About 8 years ago I met a coach who explained that a frog will leap from a saucepan of hot water, but if the water is brought to a slow boil, the frog will remain in the saucepan until it is dead. It does not realise it is slowly dying, gradually being cooked.   That night I got home and re wrote my CV and a letter of resignation.  I realised I was a frog, sitting in a saucepan of warm water and I had to leap, whilst there was still time. 

Answering either “No” or “Sometimes” to the original question, could mean you are at risk of being in the warming water phase of your career!   Ever feel “stuck” working in the wrong job at the wrong company?  Surveys show that more than half of all workers do feel they are either in the wrong job or company. Most people never do anything more than complain about it. Often they fail to think about what they like to do? Dislike? How they work best? If we are motivated to work on complex projects where there are challenging, clear goals and instead we find ourselves doing routine work, the job sucks life out of us; we get used to the gradually warming waters in the saucepan and a sense of numbness.  So, how often do you do a self-assessment of your needs, values and work performance?  

We often forget to give our careers as much attention as we give to all the business projects we work on. Even though our lives seem to be in constant motion, very little of that motion actually moves us forward in our career.  So what are the things we can do to keep making real progress and seize career opportunities?

1. Build and keep a strong network of contacts inside and outside your company. Networking is a systematic approach to making contacts and building and maintaining professional relationships.  Many people tell me that they don’t have the time to do this. But most networking events are full of people who have busy schedules. They make a choice. Your network can help in many ways, such as sharing ideas, hearing best practices or identifying job opportunities.

If we only talk with the same people week after week, the advice and challenge we receive is limited. Networking can expand your knowledge base and resources.

2. Good performance and Keep Developing.  Do more than your job description requires and take part in workshops or monthly association meetings (often free) to keep abreast of new skills, developments or trends that affect your job or industry and ultimately your career. This new knowledge and insights may help you get that next promotion or be the reason why another organization offers you a better opportunity. Can you answer these 2 questions - What new skills have you developed in the last six months?  What have you done to expand the scope of your job duties?

3. Believing What You Think. I read that the average mind has about 60,000 thoughts a day and most of us believe about 99 percent of what we think. As Buddha said – “we are what we think”! This can get us into trouble. We cling to beliefs that may no longer serve us. Being told at the age of 13 that I couldn’t paint meant that it was another 25 years before I picked up a paintbrush. I recently exhibited a painting and finally shook off this belief! What a waste of time? What thoughts are holding you and your career back?

4. Self-promotion. You may be a star, but who knows about your talents and achievements?  A key part of managing your career is letting people know what you have done. You need to market your talents. So, how effectively does your CV tell your story? What would you say if you only had two minutes to convince a senior manager to select you for an important assignment?

You own your own career. Before you accept your next job offer ask yourself “what impact will this position have on my long term goals? Will it strengthen my marketability or weaken it?”

 Lastly, think about it: what would your life be like if you got well paid to do what you do best and really enjoyed?!

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