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Change has been a constant reality in the world (and our work lives) for years, but since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for a second time in January, there’s been an amplified barrage of threat and disruptive change afoot. Change is one thing but with erratic behaviour and messages coming out daily, the situation has been rife with unprecedented uncertainty, confusion and chaos. Governments, business and so many of us are on alert.
In this backdrop, I’m hearing from clients who are nervous about their career well-being. What can they do to stay safe? What if they lose their job? The chorus of concerns gets louder as the weeks go by.
Here are a few starting thoughts to help navigate these times:
Don’t panic. But do prepare. Any career coach will advise that it is always a good idea to stay on your career-ready toes even when all is well. This is even more important when there is turmoil and uncertainty that may affect you. Rather than waiting, there are things you can start to do right now.
For starters, begin with the basics.
Ensure your resume and LinkedIn profile are up to date. It’s always important to ensure your profile is fresh and current – not just in your job history, but also with your strengths, accomplishments and the value you bring. Update now and don’t wait until it’s a scramble.
Take stock of your skills, abilities and accomplishments. Knowing your skills, strengths and accomplishments is not only for your resume and interviews. It is imperative that you know your own value. This process will reconnect you to all that you’ve done and what you are capable of as you look ahead. It’s a confidence booster which is helpful in these uncertain times, especially if you need to pivot to new terrain.
Don’t forget transferable strengths. Chances are there will be a lot of pivoting ahead. Do not limit your skills only to your current role and context. Make sure to highlight transferable skills so that you can be seen able to flex and pivot to other opportunities. For instance, negotiating with suppliers; managing projects; and developing relationships – all these abilities can be transferable to other roles and sectors.
Remember through stories
I’ve coached many people who got stumped when asked to describe their strengths and accomplishments. We tend to be so focused on getting stuff done, we pay less attention to who we are. If this feels difficult for you, try to remember through your stories. There are various ways to do this.
One that I work with is a variation of a common exercise often referred to as CAR. I call my version CARS.
In my version, CARS stands for: Circumstance, Action, Results. So what does this mean?
The idea is to reflect on prompts (a few examples below) to boost your own awareness. Then decide what to bring into your resume, profiles and interviews.
CARS
Circumstance: Identify a situation or circumstance. It could be a challenge, opportunity, tasks – large or small. For example, I had to find a way to improve a process and reduce costs under a tight deadline and get support from a variety of stakeholders.
Action: What did you do? Reflect on all the activities, behaviours you did. Start with action verbs (for example, consulted with __; Generated options __; Executed __).
Results: What happened because of what you did? Consider both concrete results but also the less tangible yet equally important outcomes such as deepening relationships.
So what does this mean? “So what this means is –___.” Convey what this reflects about you and your abilities. Why does this example matter? What does this little story highlight about you and what you can bring to a role? Connect to this and you’ll be better at telling your story to others.
Mindset matters
While there are many more things one can do to be career-ready (networking or practising interviewing skills), I want to touch on equally important facets such as mindset and how you might show up in your current role during times of uncertainty and disruption.
Adopt a flexible mindset
This is no time to be ardently defending the way things used to be done. Rather, this is a time to show you can flex, pivot and adapt to changes – as often as you need. Survival of the fittest is always about adaptation. In today’s context, companies are grappling with how to respond to the current climate. You may find things shifting frequently. Roll with it as best you can and do not be the vocal naysayer that complains about all the changes.
Be the person that portrays an attitude of “I’m ready to be of service and can pivot to what is needed.”
Be a person who is good to work with
You do need skills, but character should not be overlooked. If you find yourself in a situation where your employer must make cuts but will keep some people, what can you do to increase your chances that you will get to stay?
While skills, abilities and roles will play into the equation, what about when your skills are the same as others? If you are someone who tends to be perceived as difficult to work with, you may not have as many chips in your favour in comparison to others who may seen as consistently good to work with.
Check in with yourself and ask, are you seen as a collaborator? A good person to work with? Make sure you are. It won’t guarantee your job but it sure can’t hurt.
Looking ahead, we will all need to strengthen our tolerance of uncertainty and adapt to change for at least the next while. Give yourself some peace of mind by doing what you can do right now as a start.
Eileen Chadnick, PCC, of Big Cheese Coaching, is an ICF credentialed, two-time ICF (International Coaching Federation) Prism award winner, who works with leaders (emerging to experienced), and organizations, on navigating, leading and flourishing in times of flux, opportunity and challenge. She is the author of Ease: Manage Overwhelm in Times of Crazy Busy.