A Christmas (Career) Carol...

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of my favourite books. Written in 1843 and completed in just a matter of weeks it is much more than an entertaining story, it was a cry for social change and inspired the rebirth of Christmas in Britain.

Having read the 1843 parliamentary report on child labour, Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol to strike 'a sledgehammer blow' on behalf of poor children. More powerful than a letter, what better way to convey his message than in story form, which would have potentially more influence and far greater reach.

Having recently visited the Charles Dickens Museum in London (somewhat of an annual tradition) and read A Christmas Carol again, I'm reminded what a great author Dickens was and what a powerful story A Christmas Carol really is.

Dickens was brought up in poverty and spent time as child in the workhouse. This experience in part provided motivation for many of his works, including A Christmas Carol. Indeed, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from darkness to an uplifting and fulfilling life mirrors Dickens' own. He was a champion of the poor and a force for change in an often harsh and cruel Victorian Britain.

Until the publication of A Christmas Carol, the tradition of Christmas in Britain had to some extent been forgotten. The story, which became hugely popular and remains so today served to define what a Christmas is and should be. More than the traditional festive treats, as Dickens reminds us, it's a time for people to think of others 'as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys'. Advice more important than ever in the present day.

So, what does A Christmas Carol have to do with careers and the challenges presented by the job market? Well in truth, the answer is not a lot, but on closer inspection (and with a degree of interpretation) there are a number of lessons that can be gleaned from the chapters (or 'staves' as they're called) from Dickens' inspiring work. In quite literally the 'spirit' of three of the story's visiting ghosts, I've divided these lessons into the past, present and future:

The Past (Stave Two)

We're all a product of our past, but this doesn't have to determine our future. Scrooge's unwelcoming and isolated disposition at the start of the story was much to do with the experience of his past. Sent away and disconnected from his family at an early age, he sought solace in his own company and rejected the outside world. But as we learn from the rest of the story, through enforced self-reflection in the past, present and the future he finds the catalyst for change, and a new and better life. This change comes from within, but he had to seek out a reason for this change, which is what the spirits helped him with.

In career progression and in the job market it's easy to be limited by what has already come to pass. But if what you're currently doing fails to fulfil, you feel stuck in a rut or have a desire to do something different, the only thing stopping you is you. Many of my coaching clients when they first approach me had never really considered what it is they really want to do and instead have reacted to opportunities presented to them, instead of proactively seeking out their next step. 

There is a big difference between applying for a job on a job board because it happens to be advertised and proactively approaching an organisation in the 'hidden' market whether they're advertising or not, because it's the one you want to work for.

The Present (Stave Three)

Stepping out of our comfort zones is where the magic happens in life. In the story, change only comes about as a result of Scrooge's new way of thinking, which he backs up by massive action. It wasn't enough to think differently, he has to act differently too, which required a considerable step out of the place he felt most comfortable. I describe your comfort zone as the people you know, the places you go and the things you're used to doing. On all counts Scrooge broke the mould of his self-created fetters to reengage with society and behave in a completely different manner, to the initial shock of many he'd spurned for years.

As Einstein is attributed to have said and one of my favourite quotes: 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.'

This step out of his comfort zone started in the moment. The present moment is all we have at our fingertips to make changes in our lives – the past is done, and the future is not yet within our control.

Understanding how the job market really works and knowing what you really want to do are a powerful combination that many people miss. With this knowledge comes confidence and the ability to take different action to others, which leads to very different results. A high proportion of career opportunities always exist in the hidden market, but if you don't know the hidden market exists and how to access it, it can be very difficult to find the career opportunity you really want (even if you know what it is).

If you have an ambition to take advance your career or take it in a different direction, now is always the time to do it. Now is all any of us have.

This is one of the reasons I'm against the idea of New Year's resolutions. Change should not be delayed until 1 January each year, change if backed up by desire and motivation should always happen now.

The Future (Stave Four)

We all have change within us, which we can implement at any time. In A Christmas Carol the timing of change is of course Christmas, but in reality change can happen at any time. If you want something enough and believe that this is possible, you have the power to make it happen.

Beliefs are critical, because they inform thoughts and ultimately actions. Positive thinking doesn't work, because its effect is only temporary, the real catalyst for long-lasting change is a shift in beliefs. Build a house on poor foundations and when the wind blows it will fall down. Build it on solid foundations and it will resist the harshest storm and stand the test of time.

In the job market if you believe the job market is a place lacking in opportunity, you'll think this way and any action you take will soon be curtailed by the normal experience of rejection. Instead, if you believe in the existence of the hidden market and that this is the best place to find your next position (the position you want), you're thinking will endure and your actions will continue no matter what bumps in the road you face along the way. 

In my experience many people fail to make the change they are more than capable of making because they simply stop too soon. If you're determined and disciplined it's only a matter of time. If you continue to knock on the door of success, and refuse to stop, eventually the door will open.

While changing your future career path is in part a result of better understanding the job market and how to play the game, it's primarily the realisation that change is not an external phenomenon, it comes from within.

As Mahatma Gandhi said: 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.'

The End of It (Stave Five)

Following the intervention of the spirits, in being the change he now wished to see, Scrooge changed his future and the future of those around him. Evidenced, as Dickens reminds us in the penultimate page of his book, '...To Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.'

While you can't change the job market, you can learn to understand it better. But the catalyst for real change resides within you and the decision to make change not tomorrow, next week or on 1 January each year, but right now in this very moment. 

Wishing you a very happy Christmas and a prosperous 2019, and as Tiny Tim observed: 'God bless Us, Every One!'

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