Dreaming and managing your professional career
21 October 2011
Read by 1795 persons
Previously, companies designed a career plan for their employees, listened carefully to their concerns and tried to remedy them, and took initiatives to retain their employees. Today, the economic context has radically changed, and the company can only pursue its own evolution if it is sufficiently dynamic and flexible. Thus, the winning company is no longer the one with well-defined performance objectives, following a linear development plan; it is above all a company that has a vision of what it wants to achieve, but which navigates towards this objective by sight, which knows how to adapt according to events, make the right decisions at the right time with the right partners and constantly question its way of proceeding. Therefore, it will ask its employees to participate in this dynamic and to absorb it on a personal level.
Some companies understood this ahead of time, by introducing the concept of "career self-reliance" into their internal policy: in short, relying on oneself to define and manage one's career.
Managing is not controlling
To fully grasp the scope of the term "managing", and at the risk of destabilizing you, we must focus on two basic principles:
Managing does not mean controlling; in absolute terms, you control nothing alone.
Rather than talking about "objective", which risks limiting your scope of action, opt for the development of a long-term vision of yourself, a projection of yourself over time, based on what seems important to you (in relation to your values, your ambitions, your motivation). This concept offers the possibility of fulfilling oneself through different kinds of objectives, which can vary over time, without your long-term vision changing. Know, from the start, that the trajectory that will lead you towards your vision will not be in a straight line and that it is essential to seize opportunities that will seem, at first glance, to divert you from your path. When this happens, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
What should I understand about myself, about my vision, in view of what is happening to me?
Why is this happening to me?
What lesson can I learn from this?
What do I want to do with it?
Should I readjust my vision?
If so, how?
If not, how can I stay on course?
Over time and the vagaries of your career, do not hesitate to redefine what you are striving for. Take the opportunity to meet new people and deepen certain professional relationships or even imagine new synergies. You may be led to change direction several times in your life, but what was previously judged as a failure or a sign of instability is now considered a sign of flexibility and a sense of innovation: two key words to guarantee your employability, your fulfillment and that of the company for which you work.
Some essential advice
The old parameters of our economy defined success in terms of job security, social benefits, salary increases and advancement within the company. It must be acknowledged that all this is no longer relevant. Rather than regretting it, seize the opportunity and determine what professional success means to you.
BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN VALUE
It is not because you can no longer rely entirely on the company that you should no longer believe in anything. It is actually a unique opportunity to start believing in the skills and values you can bring.
To manage your career effectively, you must first know your strengths and identify the professional sectors where you can apply them.
It all starts, therefore, with a self-assessment, to discover your interests, motivations, values, aptitudes and knowledge. This essential step will teach you to identify the type of work that will be most enriching for you. Taking the time to get to know yourself, both professionally and personally, is an essential step in order to have a rewarding and satisfying career.
CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND NETWORKING
Never believe that you have arrived! As soon as a person or company starts to rest on its laurels, it is the beginning of a slow but inexorable fall into oblivion. Continuous training is a lifelong process.
After identifying the profession or sector that suits you, remain open to what could enrich your knowledge. The professional world is constantly and rapidly evolving, and what you know today may no longer be valid tomorrow. Consequently, always keep an eye on what is happening in your sector: read specialized journals or books in your field, participate in conferences or training courses, exchange with other professionals, develop new skills.
Thanks to the internet, you have direct access to millions of career-related resources; there are also many professional associations or other forms of networks that allow you to follow the evolution of your profession and develop new contacts (e.g.: www.rezonance.ch; www.linkedin.com, etc.). Similarly, when you work in a company, do not remain confined to your department: exchange with other professionals, with colleagues from other departments or from different countries.
In summary, stay in touch with the world around you, in the broadest sense of the term.
ADAPTABILITY IN THE WAY OF WORKING
Constant technological evolution, globalization, perpetual redefinition of economic parameters: all this requires you to be extremely attentive and flexible, in relation to the many changes that a company experiences. It is very difficult, even suicidal, to want to resist it.
You must expect to see your way of working modified regularly, whether at the technological level or with regard to the form of your work (part-time, telework, geographical mobility, shared offices, etc.). It is up to you to set the limits in relation to your vision, as you will have defined it.
However, certain key knowledge and skills are essential: this includes everything related to the use of IT, the learning of foreign languages and, the great common denominator, everything related to communication.
GENERALIST OR SPECIALIST
This is probably the most frequently asked question: "Should I remain a generalist or specialize in my sector?" There is no right or wrong answer.
The first questions to ask yourself are: "What do I really want?", "Beyond all the constraints/obligations of the moment, what would I like best?" Preferably, opt for a choice that satisfies you and not for the one that suits others best or that reassures you the most.
Being able to combine various specific skills is nowadays a valuable asset, for example in the case of an engineer combining technological mastery and sales force. For this reason, do not confine yourself to your function but always seek to extend it, either by specializing in a field or by creating synergies with other sectors.
If you are aiming for specialized work, frequenting a network of people specialized in your field will prevent you from feeling isolated in your activities and avoid ending up on the sidelines if changes or restructurings are necessary.
Managing your career is therefore quite an art. It requires constantly putting yourself at the center of your life, visualizing what you want to strive for, redefining yourself if necessary, and dealing with the world around you. While it is true that you are the only one responsible for your boat, you are far from the only one to control it.
You must learn to cope with the wind and currents, being able to both oppose them and take advantage of them. To reach your destination, you must remain attentive to the elements and people who present themselves to you: by deploying your skills and knowledge, you will take advantage of every opportunity to learn a little more about yourself and about what surrounds you.
So, have a good trip!
Success-and-career.ch
Posted online on October 21, 2011.
Some companies understood this ahead of time, by introducing the concept of "career self-reliance" into their internal policy: in short, relying on oneself to define and manage one's career.
Managing is not controlling
To fully grasp the scope of the term "managing", and at the risk of destabilizing you, we must focus on two basic principles:
Managing does not mean controlling; in absolute terms, you control nothing alone.
Rather than talking about "objective", which risks limiting your scope of action, opt for the development of a long-term vision of yourself, a projection of yourself over time, based on what seems important to you (in relation to your values, your ambitions, your motivation). This concept offers the possibility of fulfilling oneself through different kinds of objectives, which can vary over time, without your long-term vision changing. Know, from the start, that the trajectory that will lead you towards your vision will not be in a straight line and that it is essential to seize opportunities that will seem, at first glance, to divert you from your path. When this happens, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
What should I understand about myself, about my vision, in view of what is happening to me?
Why is this happening to me?
What lesson can I learn from this?
What do I want to do with it?
Should I readjust my vision?
If so, how?
If not, how can I stay on course?
Over time and the vagaries of your career, do not hesitate to redefine what you are striving for. Take the opportunity to meet new people and deepen certain professional relationships or even imagine new synergies. You may be led to change direction several times in your life, but what was previously judged as a failure or a sign of instability is now considered a sign of flexibility and a sense of innovation: two key words to guarantee your employability, your fulfillment and that of the company for which you work.
Some essential advice
The old parameters of our economy defined success in terms of job security, social benefits, salary increases and advancement within the company. It must be acknowledged that all this is no longer relevant. Rather than regretting it, seize the opportunity and determine what professional success means to you.
BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN VALUE
It is not because you can no longer rely entirely on the company that you should no longer believe in anything. It is actually a unique opportunity to start believing in the skills and values you can bring.
To manage your career effectively, you must first know your strengths and identify the professional sectors where you can apply them.
It all starts, therefore, with a self-assessment, to discover your interests, motivations, values, aptitudes and knowledge. This essential step will teach you to identify the type of work that will be most enriching for you. Taking the time to get to know yourself, both professionally and personally, is an essential step in order to have a rewarding and satisfying career.
CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND NETWORKING
Never believe that you have arrived! As soon as a person or company starts to rest on its laurels, it is the beginning of a slow but inexorable fall into oblivion. Continuous training is a lifelong process.
After identifying the profession or sector that suits you, remain open to what could enrich your knowledge. The professional world is constantly and rapidly evolving, and what you know today may no longer be valid tomorrow. Consequently, always keep an eye on what is happening in your sector: read specialized journals or books in your field, participate in conferences or training courses, exchange with other professionals, develop new skills.
Thanks to the internet, you have direct access to millions of career-related resources; there are also many professional associations or other forms of networks that allow you to follow the evolution of your profession and develop new contacts (e.g.: www.rezonance.ch; www.linkedin.com, etc.). Similarly, when you work in a company, do not remain confined to your department: exchange with other professionals, with colleagues from other departments or from different countries.
In summary, stay in touch with the world around you, in the broadest sense of the term.
ADAPTABILITY IN THE WAY OF WORKING
Constant technological evolution, globalization, perpetual redefinition of economic parameters: all this requires you to be extremely attentive and flexible, in relation to the many changes that a company experiences. It is very difficult, even suicidal, to want to resist it.
You must expect to see your way of working modified regularly, whether at the technological level or with regard to the form of your work (part-time, telework, geographical mobility, shared offices, etc.). It is up to you to set the limits in relation to your vision, as you will have defined it.
However, certain key knowledge and skills are essential: this includes everything related to the use of IT, the learning of foreign languages and, the great common denominator, everything related to communication.
GENERALIST OR SPECIALIST
This is probably the most frequently asked question: "Should I remain a generalist or specialize in my sector?" There is no right or wrong answer.
The first questions to ask yourself are: "What do I really want?", "Beyond all the constraints/obligations of the moment, what would I like best?" Preferably, opt for a choice that satisfies you and not for the one that suits others best or that reassures you the most.
Being able to combine various specific skills is nowadays a valuable asset, for example in the case of an engineer combining technological mastery and sales force. For this reason, do not confine yourself to your function but always seek to extend it, either by specializing in a field or by creating synergies with other sectors.
If you are aiming for specialized work, frequenting a network of people specialized in your field will prevent you from feeling isolated in your activities and avoid ending up on the sidelines if changes or restructurings are necessary.
Managing your career is therefore quite an art. It requires constantly putting yourself at the center of your life, visualizing what you want to strive for, redefining yourself if necessary, and dealing with the world around you. While it is true that you are the only one responsible for your boat, you are far from the only one to control it.
You must learn to cope with the wind and currents, being able to both oppose them and take advantage of them. To reach your destination, you must remain attentive to the elements and people who present themselves to you: by deploying your skills and knowledge, you will take advantage of every opportunity to learn a little more about yourself and about what surrounds you.
So, have a good trip!
Success-and-career.ch
Posted online on October 21, 2011.
