If there is one area that has separated Career Counseling Connecticut from other counselors, it has been our focus on the evolving nature of work.
Most career counselors – like most anyone over 40 – are stuck in paradigms ingrained from the 1990s/2000s.
Historically, such a short time frame to the present would not cause problems. The world did not change that much or that fast.
Now… even those cultured in the early 2010s might be missing critical shifts in how the world of work currently operates.
Here are a few paradigm shifts
- The Wild West: Movement from linear to non-linear career progression
“G” was an engineer. She worked for a top consulting entity. She is now a coach related to procrastination and perfectionism. She is doing incredibly well
I should note that she is not quite 30 years old.
I have to explain to others – we are from the same geographic area – that she has created her career.
The older folks who know her pass judgment. Why would she go off track? Stay in the lines.
To be clear, she could have done so and plenty of people do. It’s not that people need to progress in a non-linear manner. But now it’s a viable option.
“How” she made the switch and, in particular, “why” she has developed an amazing career are big topics. But, she has done so. So can you.
2. Build Yourself: Self-directed education/training is a game changer FAR MORE than ever
Those who built their careers in their non-work hours likely always had an advantage. But… most people simply learned their job within a company and then were promoted in due course (or not) and learned the next job. Most did not strategically plan what to learn/how to learn/how to improve. Most did not immerse themselves in books/videos/online classes/career coaches to get ahead.
The ambitious of Gen-Z are doing so. And, it’s paying off. “Getting coached” changed my entire career trajectory. Lilly had come to Career Counseling Connecticut with very little understanding of how company politics worked; what skills would be useful for her to develop; and how she would self-educate. She has now “double-jumped” her peer group.
I have heard from others who were coached by specialists in their field that they, too, had similar results.
Historically, “executive coaches” worked as expected with seasoned executives. Most clients were 40-55.
Twenty and thirtysomething rarely hired coaches.
This is a new phenomenon. And a game changer.
3. Happy work matters more than ever: Knowledge workers plus 24/7 technology connection makes work linked to non-work life more than ever
Do you know any knowledge workers who do not check their e-mails (or work texts) all weekend? I don’t.
For anyone under 40, this will sound really strange. But knowledge workers were not much differently situated than physical workers pre-Internet regarding their free time. When office workers left the office on Friday or at the end of any day, that was it… work was done until they came back to the office
Indeed, you could watch The Office. Comic styling aside, you can presume that no one did Dundler Mifflin work during their free time. And, I don’t just mean Kevin!
Now… many people will check their work during their free hours. If the person hates their work, then their happiness in their free time is profoundly affected.
Again, this is a relatively new phenomenon.
You need happy work to have a happy life.