Top Ten Ways to Job-Proof Your Career!
It's an economically turbulent time. While it's always important to look at one's career goals and strategies for achievement, the pressure of living in a recessionary environment increases our anxiety about our job status. Consider refining and upgrading the following in order to "job-proof" your career - a wise step given these economically turbulent times.
1. Vision
Know what you want and
where you're heading! This not only supports one's growth and
development; it also enlarges one's perspective. Knowing your
vision will help keep you focused and on a forward momentum!
Vision provides the motivation and the inspiration to stay clearly
focused on one's goals.
2. Proficiency
Skill, passion and an
astute understanding of one's role contribute to proficiency.
We all enjoy working with professionals who orient themselves
around quality and excellence; we enjoy the feeling of confidence
that they inspire in us. These are the people with whom we want
to work and likewise, the people we must be in order to attract
the customers we want!
So identify YOUR proficiencies and where there's room for growth. Consider also how you might leverage and build upon your strengths in order to create even greater success!
3. Is It Always the People
One Knows?
How many of you know
someone who's technically inferior to you, but who always gets
the job based on who they know and how they relate to others?
It might not seem fair, but those with great social skills and
ability to connect well with others DO have an advantage. They
have ears and voices in places that extend beyond their personal
experience. They inspire confidence in others -- and in return,
others trust them. Working with someone you enjoy makes the interaction
or activity a profoundly more positive experience. We ALL enjoy
working with people with whom we get along.
Think about how you might build upon the network of people you know, as well as how you might upgrade your relationships and social skills. Building community will help you build your career - so consider how you might build upon and improve yours.
4. Communicate Your Vision
Communicating your vision
to others is key for career development. Communicate with passion
and specificity! Communicating your vision will exponentially
expand the possibilities available. Involving others in your
life and therefore in your success creates manifold opportunities
for success!
Don't be silent! Be passionate about your vision and others will be enrolled in your project as well -- without you having to sell a thing! Passion generates excitement and others will be attracted to your project by sheer virtue of your vision speaking to them. Let your vision resonate in others - communicate to the world!
5. Contribution
We all enjoy the opportunity
of contributing to another's success, particularly if we like
and respect the person. Consider who contributes to your life
- express acknowledgement and appreciation to them. More importantly,
consider how you can increase the level and quality of contribution
that YOU offer others -- generosity is often reciprocal and builds
upon itself! Look for ways to positively contribute to people;
be generous with others!
6. Know your value
Knowing your value is
integral to success in any environment. When one knows one's
value, one is confident and has a level of self-awareness that's
instructional. When one knows one's standards and boundaries,
others are less likely to violate them. Pay attention to yourself,
to what "makes you tick," and know your value!
7. Be prepared and be agile.
Life doesn't always happen
smoothly - it's difficult to predict the future when we know
that life's biggest opportunities sometimes emerge at the most
inopportune times. Yet, what feels like an obstacle can turn
out to be a fabulous opportunity!
We don't always have the luxury of time when deciding our futures. Be prepared to take immediate action when opportunities arise. Create space in order to be better prepared to act quickly, when the need arises.
8. What? A Plan?
We spend more time planning
our vacations than we do our career. Whatever the economic climate,
it's important to create a plan that supports our vision. Be
realistic yet stretch yourself. Not being realistic is setting
your self up for failure, yet not stretching yourself is limiting.
Have your plan be realistic, inspiring and challenging - stretch
yourself!
9. Lifelong Learning
Keeping your skills and
knowledge not just current but cutting edge will undoubtedly
give you a competitive edge. A passion for continual life-long
learning is key and provides unparalleled benefits for growth
and opportunity! Look for ways to continually develop your self!
10. Create Possibility!
Even if the country's
in a recessionary environment, it doesn't mean that you should
turn inward, become hopeless and risk the challenge of not living
your dream. Don't let recessionary fears inhibit you from taking
bold actions! Fear comes from the past and limits us, whereas
opportunity is created in the moment. Stay focused on the present
and create opportunity through every day living! A coach can
help with this!
Jan Gordon, LCSW is an Executive and Personal Coach who finds great joy in helping her clients achieve outstanding results! Ms. Gordon provides coaching to individuals and teams who are dedicated to enhancing their personal power and sense of fulfilment. Her coaching embraces the concept that challenge provides opportunity. Visit her website at: www.qualitycoaching.com. Jan can reached at jan@qualitycoaching.com
Copyright © 2001 by
Jan Gordon. All Rights Reserved. This content may be forwarded only in full, with copyright/bio/contact/creation information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Jan Gordon is required.
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