I am a Success, But I Am Worried About My Future

I spoke with a friend last week.? He has enjoyed a good career but as he approaches 50, he is increasingly concerned with sustainability.? Not the type we associate with the food chain or the climate.? No, this is much more serious.

He is thinking about his career and his ability to earn a living to support his family.

Before you make any assumptions regarding his credentials or the quality of his work, let me assure you that this guy has checked all the boxes — a graduate degree from a good business school, the highest certification in his industry, and more than 20 years of exemplary performance.? I know, I recruited him and have tracked his career for 10 years.

“I just learned that I am now officially within the range of when age discrimination begins. Putting that together with the ‘White collar Recession’ will make it harder for many of us to find a new job if anything should happen because there are fewer positions, and AI automation will shrink that number even more.

“The one thing I am not going to do is take my career for granted one day more.”

It is easy to do — to take our careers for granted.? We are so busy doing our jobs that we fail to think ahead, and then life gets in the way - family and civic responsibilities abound, and we then begin to rationalize; “everything is fine, don’t worry so much, the economy is good, you are good at what you do. Just keep doing what you are doing.”

For decades, that approach generally worked. But that was then, and this is now, and everything feels a bit different.?

Today, as I speak with clients who are looking to advance their careers or find a new position following a RIF or merger, I think of Marshall Goldsmith’s great book on leadership, “What Got You Here Won’t Get YouThere.”

The purpose of my friend’s call was to ask what he should do - see a counselor to quell his anxiety and get everything in perspective, or change his approach to how he thinks about his career.?

If the anxiety feels like a much deeper issue than just everyday worries, I advised him to do both.? Sticking your head in the sand regarding the structural changes that are occurring in the economy and how businesses will operate in the future is not an option.?

For context, when I began my career in healthcare in the 1970s, it was considered the “recession-proof” industry, one in which layoffs were few and far between. As that reputation flourished, the number of graduate programs in healthcare management exploded, propelling us to where we are today — like every other sector — with more executives than there are jobs.

When it comes to your career, things are different.? To ignore it or pretend that you will not be affected by the waves of change is akin to dismissing the impact of climate change on the rapid strengthening of Hurricane Helene over the warm waters of the Gulf, then ravaging a large swath of our country, leaving in its wake more than 210 dead, hundreds missing, and damage to property that is almost incomprehensible.

“It can’t happen to me.” ?

“It won’t be as bad as they as they say.”

“They are just covering their asses.”

“I have never had a problem finding a job. What could be so different today?”

The steps an executive can take to mitigate the very real risks to your career:

1. Develop a written career plan.? Executives who do this tend to achieve their professional and financial goals.
2. Develop a professional network of between 135 and 150 colleagues — the ideal number to cement deep, mutually beneficial relationships.? This network is dynamic and can be adjusted as your career advances or even changes. The most important part of networking today is that it must be aligned with your career plan.
3. Develop a robust professional brand. As more of the applicant sourcing and screening process is shifted to automated computer programs that will include avatars asking qualifying questions, you must have a brand that is established within your professional organizations and online. Not having an updated, active online presence will lead you to invisibility.

Finally, if you decide not to take this advice, for whatever reason, you should find satisfaction that you are helping someone else who does take it seriously and who refuses to take anything for granted. ?

With you on the sidelines, there will be one less competitor for the executive who is pursuing their dream job. ?

+PLUS: Why Do I Need an Advisor to Develop My Plan?

Why should I seek outside advice to create a plan for my career?? I have written many plans for businesses I have run.

To have someone at the table who will ask the hard questions, someone who will challenge your assumptions. Think of it this way, thousands of sales representatives could sell yellow snow to people in South Dakota, but when it comes to selling themselves in a job interview, they are frequently less than impressive.?

A career advisor can help you discover the surprises in your stories.

If you would like to know more, John is available for a no-obligation Zoom or telephone call.? He can answer your questions.? No sales pitch, just answers to your questions.

TALK TO JOHN

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