Career Refresh Digest #44
Welcome to the latest edition of the Career Refresh Digest.
Job security is on a lot of people's minds right now. This issue is about what to do with that, and why doing nothing isn't the safest option, even if it feels like the right thing to do.
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WORTH THINKING ABOUT
Winter is the time to tend to the soil
What I'm hearing from people right now is how worried they are about the job market and restructures, and there’s a general instinct to keep your head down and not rock the boat, even in a role that's making you genuinely unhappy. It's an understandable response but also, I think, the wrong use of this particular season.
The job market will change – it always does, and now is the time to do the preparation work so you can be ready to move when the opportunities come up.
Think of it as tending the soil in winter, in preparation for spring.
What that looks like in a career sense, is to do the deep work that results in hyper clarity on your criteria for satisfying work – what you need to thrive, what you want to be known for and what you have to offer.
That’s the work I do with clients and it’s what gives them confidence to navigate change and spot the right opportunities.
Because let’s face it, change is inevitable and even a so called permanent role isn’t necessarily permanent. So while the instinct is to hold still or not do anything until things feel safer or steady, it’s not the wisest strategy.
Being prepared and having certainty about your own criteria is what eases the anxiety. That's a better model for this kind of period than waiting it out.
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WORTH REFLECTING ON
What being ready does for you
I had a client who came to me feeling unhappy in her work but still intending to stick it out for a year or so. She wanted to do the work so she’d be well prepared when the time came. However, within months she was made redundant and said she’d have been completely thrown if she had not done the work with me to get clear on her career criteria. As it turned out, she was well positioned to spot another opportunity within weeks that ticked nearly all her ‘must haves’.
Being ready doesn't mean forcing a decision or making a move now. It means knowing, clearly, what a good outcome looks like for you, so that even if change is handed to you rather than chosen by you, you're not starting from zero.
If you want a structured way to get that clarity, working through your values, strengths and interests, that's exactly what the coaching programme is for. A free 15-minute call is a good place to start if you want to explore whether it's the right fit: book here.
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WORTH DOING
Be prepared for change
Next Friday (7 August) I'm joining a breakfast panel at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, talking career change.
I'll be joined by two Victoria alumni who will share their own experience of changing careers, and Victoria's senior career consultant Millie Douglas will lead the session.
It should be an interesting discussion and a great opportunity for anyone who's been considering a career change, reassessing their priorities, or wondering where to next.
If you're in Wellington, you can register here – registrations close on 5 August (or until filled to capacity).
If you can’t make it, keep an eye on LinkedIn or the next issue, I'll share some of what came up.
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That's it from me for this fortnight.
– Lucy