OH! Magazine - Australian Version March 2018 | Page 21

( Workin’ It )
HOW TO SUPERCHARGE
YOUR CAREER
Michelle Gibbings shares her tips to reinventing your career.
he world is changing. As is how
we work. To stay in the game, not
even ahead of the game, it’s important
to get comfortable with career change
and career reinvention. So here are five
tips to help you reinvent your career.
T
Get planning
Actively plan your career by setting aside
time to reflect on the goals you want to
achieve, the progress you’ve made to-
date, and to identify your next steps.
This includes elevating your awareness
of what is happening around you, in
terms of how your role, profession,
industry and sector is changing. The
majority of the workforce will be
impacted by automation and artificial
intelligence, and you want to be ready
for this. Also look at developments in
other industries that may impact. This
helps to widen your view about what’s
possible for your next career steps.
Get valued
Be clear on the value you offer
organisations. Everyone brings certain
skills and ways of operating to the work
they do. It’s essential to be able to
clearly articulate that value and how you
can help an organisation, business or
client achieve their objectives. And
then to consistently deliver value with
the work you do.
Get connected
Build a profile where you are known for
something and are respected, and have
a network of people willing to back you
and advocate for you. That means you
need to spend time thinking more about
what you can do for others than what
they can do for you. The more you
proactively help others, the more they
will want to help you.
•
•
Consider:
• How can I help a colleague or
connection build their network? Is
there someone in my network that I
can connect them with?
• Have I got new knowledge or an
insight that I could easily share with
someone who would find it helpful?
• Can I help a colleague or friend with
their career?
Get learning
Don’t wait for the organisation you work
for to develop you. Successful people
know that learning is crucial to future
career success and are constantly
seeking out new ideas and ways to
stretch themselves. This includes taking
the time to understand themselves and
to develop their emotional intelligence,
which in many areas is more important
than technical skills.
Consider:
• Buy a book on a topic that you have
always wanted to know about, and
is different to your day job
• If you sit in an office all day, attend
a course that requires you to use
your hands to create something
(i.e., woodwork, craft or design)
• Go to a lecture on a subject that will
broaden your field of view
• Subscribe to online news so that
you can get up to date information
and knowledge from around the
world
• Get a coach who can help you
uncover your career goals and
motivations
Invest in learning more about
yourself, your emotional intelligence
and emotional triggers
Be eager to take on feedback from
people,
including
sponsors,
mentors, colleagues and peers as
it’s important to understand how
people see us and how that differs
from how we see ourselves.
Get active
How you feel both mentally and
physically
impacts
your
focus,
productivity, decision making capacity
and how you connect and engage with
your work colleagues. As well, today’s
work environment is stressful and it’s
important to be able to regulate
behaviour and manage stress.
Consider:
• Are you getting enough sleep?
• Are you eating well and exercising?
• Are you finding time to reflect?
• Are you setting aside time each day
for ‘me’?
• Are you finding ways to recharge
and maintain your energy levels?
Your career is an important part of your
life, but it is only a part of it. This means
it’s important to plan and manage your
career in the context of your ‘whole of
life’ goals. It was the legendary actress,
Mae West, who said ‘You only live once,
but if you do it right, once is enough’.
Michelle Gibbings is a change leadership
and career expert and founder of Change
Meridian, and the author of Step Up:
How to Build Your Influence at Work and
Career Leap: How to Reinvent and
Liberate your Career.
OH! MAGAZINE ( MARCH 2018 )
21