January 1, 2020 signaled the start of a new year and a new decade. Hard to believe where the last decade has gone by. Time to leave old regrets, setbacks, and disappointments, and missed goals behind. It's a clean slate and an opportunity to capture new opportunities and set new goals with with more empowering strategies that work. It's time to see YOURSELF in a whole new light -- not the old, former YOU, but the NEW YOU that can unleash boundless potential for greater success.
The question to ask yourself is not "how do I want others to be different?", but RATHER: "How do I want to be different?" It begins with just taking one step, the first step.
By affirming this, you can exercise your freedom of CHOICE and ACCOUNTABILITY to drive TRANSFORMATION.
If you have caught yourself thinking about CHANGE (which most people do at the beginning of a new year), whether it be in their personal or professional lives, you are not alone. It's time to set that resolution to stay positive and committed to self-improvement.
So, what does your career roadmap look like for 2020 and beyond?
Ironically, most people don't really think about this until they really have to -- meaning unless they are enforced to make a change with their life or career. And career obviously impacts life and vice versa.
If you want to tackle this year 2020 with greater success, it starts with firstly understanding your focus and the distinct value you bring to the table, including your unique experience and skillsets. Clarify and refine your vision and mission, then carve out a plan with some solid strategies. Test the plan out, record and measure the results to understand what is working for you and alternatively, how can it be changed to work even better?
>> What will you choose to do differently this year?
>> How will you choose to think differently this year about yourself and your career?
>> What is your "why" for doing what you are doing, and has this changed at all?
DEVELOPING MARKETABLE SKILLS
An important part of your plan needs to involve developing your marketable skills in this changing world of work.
The paradigm has changed, but consider whether your mindset has shifted to accommodate this paradigm.
Are you fully prepared to embrace your role within the changing world of work along with the innovations, changes, and challenges it brings?
In order to stay competitive and employable in an ever-changing labour market, it's important to think about not only the skills that are relevant now, but that could be relevant in the next year, few years, and in the future.
The World Economic Forum suggests that only five years from now, 35% of the skills perceived as essential today will change. Therefore, staying updated with the changing labour market trends and developments, including navigating shifting technologies, is no longer an option, but a necessity. Automation is becoming another growing concern that is impacting career growth and ultimately changing how we work and how we think about work. Focus on continuous learning and development to keep growing while building a stronger community and workforce.
According to a recent Forbes article, the core skills that will be in demand are:
1. Complex Problem Solving
2. Critical Thinking
3. Leadership
4. Creativity
5. People Management
6. Coordinating with Others
7. Emotional Intelligence
8. Judgment and Decision-Making
9. Negotiation
10. Cognitive Flexibility
Skills such as leadership, people management, and complex problem solving will continue to be in high demand in all fields. However, data literacy, technological proficiency, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and cognitive flexibility have and will become increasingly important criteria in hiring for employers and recruiters.
Lately, themes of driving innovation and decision-making have been playing an integral role through expert data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Coordinating with others requires the ability to get along with diverse people and cultures in the workforce and to effectively communicate with different generations. Understanding your own core values as well as others' core values, and what you can learn by working with them will be imperative to working harmoniously with people on a global scale.
Another Forbes' article by Marr highlights essential skills to develop or hone that include adaptability and flexibility, collaboration, and self-management -- the ability to deal with stress or change. If you embrace change as a positive and empowering force rather than a constraining one on your life, then you will increase your success and opportunities for growth and meaning.
Tackle your New Year with growth, empowerment, and meaning with my 5D's of Career Roadmap Planning:
DECONSTRUCT. Reflect & Assess
DEFINE. Articulate Your Vision & Mission
DEPLOY. Carve Out Your Plan.
DRIVE YOUR PURPOSE. Consistently Foster Your Vision & Mission. DOCUMENT. Observe & Record Your Progress.
If you need career support, contact Creative Horizons Communications and empower your New Year with a sound career action plan. Happy New Year!
Think creatively and visualize a new career horizon!
Creative Horizons Communications is a one-stop, award-winning holistic career services firm based in Halton, Ontario. Serving jobseekers of all fields and levels across the globe, we specialize in helping people confidently navigate challenging career transitions using a holistic, intuitive, and innovative approach.