Is there ever a time in your career when career strategy is no longer a concern? In this clip, I’ll explain why career strategy should always be a consideration.
No matter what your career goals are, career strategy should always be a part of your thought process, even if you think you will never have to conduct another job search. Because things don’t always go as planned.
Career strategy matters when you think it might be time to get a new job
One way to be constructively mindful of career strategy is to recognize the signs of dissatisfaction before they reach a fever pitch.
Being proactive in dealing with a job that has become unfulfilling could mean taking some steps to change the work landscape.
It doesn’t always mean you need to start looking for another job (or worse, endure the discomfort).
For instance, when you start to get inklings that it may be time to move on, first assess why that is. If it’s just because you’re bored or not feeling excited or inspired about the work you do, don’t wait until you can’t take it anymore. Instead, take the wise risk months before getting to that place and talk to your boss or teammates. See if there is a way to negotiate or rearrange things so you can do something that inspires you, that you enjoy, and/or that gives you an opportunity to learn a new skill. This is much better than staying silent until you reach a point where you have no choice but to crawl out the door, possibly burning bridges on the way out.
Career strategy matters when you think you’re ready to leave and never look back.
If you find that you have already reached the point of no return, remember it’s never a good idea to give your notice (or make any big decision) from an emotional place. The career wise way to make big decisions is from a place of clarity and centeredness.
This is why when people call me after the situation has gotten dire and they’re ready to walk out, I tell them to take off their shoes so they don’t walk into the boss’s office and do something they will later regret.
If you make the decision to leave an unsatisfactory job from an emotional place, it’s going to go downhill from there.
Career strategy matters even if you think you’ll never need another job.
Another key way to be mindful of career strategy is through networking.
I advise all my clients to never stop meeting new people, no matter how happy they are in their current position.
This is because I’ve seen too many people make the mistake of waiting until they are exhausted, burned out, and desperate to find a new job to start reaching out to their network to look for a new position.
Many people have bad feelings around networking because they think of it as going to dreaded networking events.
However, I believe you can network anywhere. You can strike up a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store, or the person next to you in an art class.
Networking is really just about meeting new people and making friends, and you can do that anywhere.
Having a strong network makes looking for a new job a lot easier if you happen to find yourself in an unexpected and unfortunate situation!
I hope you find these tips useful, and I hope you are now convinced that career strategy is ALWAYS important!
Is your work situation frustrating you? Do you hate your job, but have no idea what to do instead? Attempting to navigate those waters without support is not fun (yes, I do know, but that’s another story). I’m excited to announce that I’ve created The Job I Love Toolkit, with all the resources you’ll need to finally clarify how to get paid to do you.TM To be the first to hear more details, join the VIP Wait List.
And if you know a friend or neighbor who could use hearing the advice in this article or needs The Job I Love Toolkit, please forward this to them.