Careers are an increasingly important factor in the quality of people's lives, and yet for many, their career progress is not close to what they had expected. Life can throw curve balls at any of us, at any time, and often being out of our control, these curve balls sometimes feel like they're disempowering our career progress. However for many, it's not the curve balls disempowering their career progress, but rather, their own thoughts and behaviours.
There are two certain ways to disempower yourself when it comes to your career progress: 'blaming others for your situation', and 'expecting others to give you the career you want'. Seriously...don't do either of those things...empower yourself & own the change you desire.
...empower yourself & own the change you desire.
If you feel that your career is not progressing the way you had expected, don't expend too much energy delving into the deep dark orifice of 'why' it's not going the way you want. Spend your energy on working out 'what' you're going to do about getting your career on the path you want. Here are some tips that may help you work out 'what' you can do, to get your career moving again:
Clarify your career goals, and be accountable for the changes required to drive it in the direction you desire.
Spend energy on working out 'what' actions you can take to change the situation. Ask yourself: What do I need to change to improve my career outcomes? e.g. my behaviours, my actions, my attitude, my professional development, my resume, my interview skills etc.
Turn the 'what' actions you can take, into a plan with milestones, and measures to guide your progress, and identify gaps requiring self-correction.
Implement your plan by taking action.
Monitor your progress and celebrate your achievements along the way.
Revise your action plan as required and keep moving forward.
If you're not sure what actions to put in your plan, there is a great deal of information available, as a start here are links to some of my career articles with ideas on how to improve your career prospects.
Never be the one disempowering your career progress by waiting for others to get it on track. Empower yourself by working out what actions you need to take to achieve the career that supports the life you desire. Then get on with implementing your plan, monitoring your progress, and tweaking as you go! Whatever you do, don't overthink it, just enjoy being one of the self-empowered! Wishing you only happiness and success!
About the Author:Jo-Anne Niemann.
Jo-Anne is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Change Builders Consulting, she specialises in performance and career coaching; customised learning and development; and organisational development.
