As the economy continues to shift, traditional employment (long-term,
full-time) is becoming obsolete. We live in a shared economy. Contract
work is on the rise and instead of viewing ourselves as employees who
work "for" companies, we now must approach our careers as businesses-on-one who want to partner "with" employers instead.
Job security no longer exists (and that's not a bad thing)
One of the most important ah-a! moments we can have today is to accept that employment stability no longer exists. Every
job is temporary. The sooner we embrace and adapt to this mindset, the
better. Unfortunately, many professionals are still working with outdated assumptions.
Things like, "My goal is to get a good job with benefits that I can
stay at for a long time." Or, "A college degree will ensure I get better
job opportunities." And even, "If I work hard, keep my head down at
work, and just put in the time, they will see my effort and I will be
rewarded." If you believe any of those right now, you're setting
yourself up for a let-down. Today, there are no guarantees when it comes
to career advancement.
4 career mentalities you can't afford to have
A recent survey by LinkedIn of over 10,000 job changers
shows that more than 53 percent of them made the change for better
career opportunities. While money was important (it ranked second), the
need to move to a job that could give them the chance to increase their
skills was their primary reason for making the switch. These successful
job changers focused on making sure their businesses-of-one stayed
employable by keeping their career moving forward. Unfortunately, not
every professional will succeed as these job changers did. Why? They
have one of four career mentalities that hold them back.
1. Overthinker. The person who thinks about every career option as a scary risk,
finding flaws and roadblocks to each one. Such people spend hours,
days, weeks, and even years pondering what they should do next.
Meanwhile, time marches on in their dead-end jobs. They don't build any
new skills. Eventually, they find themselves part of a "corporate
restructuring"--they get a month's severance and get thrusted into an
unexpected job search.
2. One-track-minder. The person who knows exactly what he or
she wants to do and has no desire to consider any alternate options.
Convinced they've got the perfect master plan, they work like crazy,
often to the point of exhaustion. Over time, their intensity works
against them. Co-workers and managers see them as too rigid and
controlling, which often gets them passed over for promotions--and, in
some cases, let go for failing to be a good team player.
3. All-talker. The person who loves to talk about his or her
career, but never really takes action. Such people are full of ideas and
sound very convincing that they'll be a huge success. They seem to have
it all figured out. However, as time passes, you notice they aren't
moving along in their careers. They always have an excuse,
and it's usually someone else's fault they aren't where they should be.
Eventually, they lose credibility and find people actively try to avoid
career conversations with them.4. Open-roadster. The person who feels fate will guide him or
her on the career journey. If they just keep an open mind and let the
opportunities present themselves, they believe they'll find the careers
they were meant to have. Over time, they drift from career to career,
never really establishing any particular skill or specialty.
They claim they're enjoying the process, but as the years pass, they
find themselves with diminishing options and not a lot of money saved
for retirement.
Looking back on your career, can you identify with any of these
mentalities? If so, it might also explain why you aren't where you want
to be professionally.If you're thinking, "That's not me," consider this.
Studies by CAREEREALISM
show that 88 percent of professionals feel unsatisfied with their
career success. While you may not have a severe case of any of the
mentalities above, even possessing one of them to a small extent can
hurt your ability to move forward.
Ask yourself, "Am I guilty of a career-limiting mentality?" The
sooner you recognize what's holding you back, the sooner you can make
changes and take action to eliminate it.