The 3 Career Management Skills You Need Right Now

To say that these are tumultuous times is an understatement. Since March of 2020, we’ve been sent home to work, locked down/opened up/locked down again, furloughed and recalled, let go, rehired and more. We’ve seen the Great Retirement of Boomers, the Great Resignation of many who’d considered quitting their jobs before the pandemic and the Great Realignment as organizations and employees both had to adjust and readjust.

Given this upheaval, how can you manage your career in seemingly unmanageable times? We recommend focusing on 3 key “Career-ability” skills: Ability, Agility and Amiability.

Ability: Never has it been more important to know and communicate your full value proposition. This includes clarifying how your functional and industry experience have given you transferable skills to meet the challenges an organization is facing today and anticipating tomorrow. One of our clients had solid IT project and program management experience. They were hired on their ability to demonstrate IT strategy skills–the something extra that would help the prospective employer build a new technology roadmap focused on supporting the revenue producing and cost savings areas of the company. ?

Agility: With so much churn in the job market, you need to be able to pivot right from the start of any employment conversation. A recent client got an interview for a job that seemed like a great fit. By way of prepping them, the recruiter said, “We’re actually looking to fill 4 jobs, including the one you applied for. But we’d like to speak with you about your suitability for all of them so we can align your skills and experience with our needs.” This is not uncommon; organizations with multiple openings are seeking talent v. just filling jobs, so make sure you know and can covey the value you bring beyond the specs of the role you applied for. Our client did that and ended up managing the individual who got the job they originally applied for.

Amiability: After so much time working remotely, it’s natural that your interpersonal skills might have gotten rusty. Whether your next role is still remote, a hybrid or in the office, make sure that you project your availability (within healthy limits), your approachability (especially if leading or part of a team) and your amicability. A recent client was promoted over other qualified candidates based on their reputation for being able to handle conflict and motivate others by gaining their buy-in. The incumbent had been a successful driver of results, but an abrasive style had worn down the team and retention had become an issue. Be effective and be nice.

New times call for new strategies, and changing circumstances require that we change, grow and adapt. If you want to build your ability profile, your agility skills and/or your amiability chops, coaching can help. Let’s talk.