How to Build a Rewarding & Resilient Career

When is the right time to start thinking about career development? The time is always right!

What is Career Development?

Jobsite Indeed says the following – Career development is an organic, fluid process that works to expand your skills and strengths in line with your lifestyle, personal values and goals. It’s important to craft the plan that yields the desired result in creating the career you want. The aim is to have a job that is fulfilling to you professionally and personally.

Why is it important?

It’s important to prepare for the future. The skills that people needed in the past are still requirements, but frequently employers want professionals with expanded proficiencies. Skills sets are changing in today’s workforce and there is a need for people to develop their skills outside of their major fields. This trend even poses a challenge for those entering traditional careers like lawyers, doctors or journalists.

How to build a rewarding and resilient career

To start and stay with a rewarding job that fully utilises your skills and talents, it’s important to qualify first by today’s standards. This is where career development can help. Career development is important because it enables you to grow and explore new opportunities.

Get more information about what career development is and some great tips from the Indeed website

Developing Your Career

JGA’s Melanie Clark, a Careers Development Professional and Employability Tutor, suggests the following to anyone looking to develop their career –

LinkedIn - look at/follow any company you wish to work for. This can also be a good way to find out who’s who at the company and therefore direct any application to the right person. Also keep your profile active. Comment on others posts, write your own posts – though keep it professional.

Networking - never underestimate who you are talking to. Most jobs are still found via word of mouth and recommendation.

Paula Jago, author of Professional Intelligence – 21 Principles – suggests the following principles to remember when thinking about career development:

  • Understand how your Employer makes money
  • Be part of the solution not the problem
  • Read between the lines, and listen with all senses
  • Play the Long Game
  • Write concisely and never reply in anger, or via other platforms
  • Don’t get caught up in other people’s battles
  • Making no decision is worse than making the wrong one
  • If it’s a big conversation, have it face to face, and straight away
  • Never challenge or undermine anyone in front of others
  • Like everyone, but don’t expect to be liked by everyone
  • Learn to take a telling off
  • Manage your online reputation
  • Treat your role as a podium, not a destination
  • Always have a plan, even if you end up not following it
  • Unless you are expressly told ‘No’, assume it’s a ‘Yes’
  • Seek out/employ people who are better than you
  • Don’t put your boss in an awkward position over your personal life
  • Consultation is the shortcut to adoption
  • In chaos lies opportunity
  • Take every opportunity to present
  • Expectation Management is the secret of lifeRead

But how do you sell yourself to potential employers or to secure a promotion?

Here are some resources to help.

The Headhunters recruitment agency has some excellent advice on how to promote yourself and your skills in the workplace using Elevator Pitches.

The CIPD, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development have created a SWOT Analysis factsheet, which can help you map out your career development plans in a strategic way.

The National Careers Service recommend the STAR method to help you plan answers to interview questions and to show your skills and experience on a CV or application form. You can use it to structure the examples you give to questions, especially in interviews, and to highlight particular skills and qualities you have that the employer is looking for.

And finally, Carol Dweck shared her thoughts about the power of “Not Yet” in her TED talk – The power of believing that you can improve.

Further Information

For more resources and to book a careers advice session, see the ‘Developing your Career’ page.