How Resilient is Your Career?
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Just how resilient is your career? Is it strong enough to withstand the economic downturn? In this month's HomeTeam NSmen magazine, Cheryl Liew-Chng, CEO of LifeWorkz, shares some really useful tips on building career resilience.
Over the next week or so, you will be receiving these tips via email. Read them, apply them to your career - and forward this to a friend who needs it!
Welcome to this series on Building Career Resilience!
In turbulent times like these, many are tightening their belts and bracing themselves for a rough ride. Job-wise, the same is true. With retrenchments and job cuts looming in the horizon, job security is no longer a given.
Michael, a middle-management executive, told me recently, "I am worried that I may not survive the economic downturn without losing my job. I wonder if I will be the next to get retrenched."
In light of these macro shifts, building career resilience is now more important than ever. But what is career resilience, and how do you build it or increase it?
First, a definition: Career resilience is the ability to thrive in difficult situations and times, and to achieve career development and work fulfilment despite the challenges at hand.
So how can you build career resilience? Over the next week or so, I would like to share 4 key tips with you. Each one is practical and immediately applicable, and I know that they will be useful to you.
Let's get started...
Tip #1: Reframe your career
When someone asks, "So what do you do?", how do you answer?
If you are like most people, you tell them your job title - 'HR director' or 'department head'.
That's probably the quickest answer to give, but do beware of letting your job title define your career. It's important to make the distinction in your mind.
I will say that again: Don't let your job title define your career.
Why? Because that's the surest way to get deadlocked in your career and limit your pathways to success.
For example, you may be a department manager in a manufacturing environment - but that job title, that very precise definition, can begin to limit your horizons and your possibilities.
Use a different lens
It is time to look at your career through a different lens! Reframe what you do as a scope of work, rather than a job title.
It may be a small distinction, really, but I have seen too many professionals make this mistake. They allow their job title to narrow their career options, stifle their growth, and ultimately short-circuit their career.
When you reframe your career, you are, in essence, making your knowledge and skills portable and 'exportable', so that you are not restricted to a particular scope of work or industry.
When I began reframing my career some years ago, I began to see that my job involved creating new initiatives, planning, implementing, organising, communicating --- all of which are portable skills, and applicable to other work environments. Today, I use my skills in a totally different environment, with great success.
Reframing your career can open up a plethora of possibilities for you. Beginning today, reframe your career by looking at your various job responsibilities and identifying the specific skills you use to get the job done. That's the first step towards leveraging on these 'portable' skills.
TIP #1: Re-frame your career to give yourself the ability to recreate your success within another work context!
More tips coming your way!
I will have more tips for you in a couple of days.
If you've found today's tip useful, or if you have some thoughts or questions to share, please email me at Cheryl_Liew@MyLifeWorkz.com
Till the next time,
Cheryl
p.s. You are most welcome to pass this on and share these tips with your friends and loved ones. Everyone of us could do with a little help in such times!
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.:About Cheryl Liew-Chng
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 Cheryl Liew-Chng will be speaking at a breakfast briefing on Feb 25 on Talent Management in Turbulent Times, unveiling the latest research findings relating to talent management. Click here to register
Cheryl is an established authority on Work-Life integration, Gender (women@work), and Generations (the multi-generational management approach) in the Asia-Pacific region. She speaks frequently on HR matters at both national events and prestigious international platforms, including The Conference Board and the Alliance for Work-Life Progress in the USA.
Cheryl is the author of Talents Onboard and co-author of Working Together - two landmark publications on work-life integration. She has also trained the 100+ Work-Life Ambassadors in the Singapore Civil Service. She holds a Master degree in Human Resource Development and is an alumna of INSEAD.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Building Career Resilience
(free preview)
Date: 18 Feb (Wed)
Time: 7.30pm-8.30pm
Location: Shenton Way area
Just what you need in turbulent times --- a workshop that actually helps you build resilience into your career! The only programme of its kind that will empower you to take concrete action steps, and act pre-emptively to secure your future.
Email us to register
Talent Management
in Turbulent Times
Date: 25 Feb (Wed)
Time: 8.30-10.00am
Venue: Raffles Place area
Cheryl will unveil the latest research findings relating to talent management in these turbulent times. A breakfast briefing with unique value propositions for senior management, managers and HR professionals!
Email us to register
Career Essentials for Women
Date: 7 Mar (Sat)
Time: 9am-5pm
The one and only programme in Singapore that offers career planning and management from a unique woman's viewpoint. In conjunction with International Women's Day, take a day off to invest in your career and take charge of your professional destiny!
Email us to register
Managing the
Multi-Generations
Date: 24 & 25 Mar
(Tue and Wed)
Time: 9am-5pm
The most comprehensive training of its kind in Asia! Master the unique multi-generational management approach, which does not pander to any one generation, but engages with all generations to achieve cross-generational contributions and maximized business performance!
Email us to register
Book Your Seat Now
Simply email Admin@MyLifeWorkz.com with your name, designation, company, mailing address, email and mobile.
Please make cheque payable to LifeWorkz Pte Ltd and mail to: 16 Collyer Quay #10-00 Hitachi Tower Singapore 049318.
Organizer reserves the right to change the date, time and venue of the workshop at its discretion.
ABOUT LIFEWORKZ
Our Repertoire
Training
Consulting
Research
Our Specialty Areas
Work-Life
Gender (Women@Work)
Generations
Our Unique Proposition
Real-world, Asian-based research that is borne out by data and conversations with thousands of managers and workers in Asia.
Contact Us
Contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation discussion on your talent management needs!
Call +65 6622 0863
Email Admin@MyLifeWorkz.com
Visit us at www.MyLifeWorkz.com
LifeWorkz Pte Ltd.
16 Collyer Quay #10-00
Hitachi Tower
Singapore 049318
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