Fast forward to 2025. The number of changes over the last 35 years in the professional world and the wider society have been impressive. One clearly required a brilliantly cut crystal ball in those late eighties to have predicted this. New types of businesses and jobs have emerged, others have disappeared. What people learned 35 years ago (the ‘diploma’) is often no longer relevant due to the nature and the speed of change. At the same time, we are all expected to work longer and contribute ‘till end of career’ in a healthy way with skills and competencies that are business-relevant/value-for-money ‘at every moment in time.’ So how did we prepare for this? Is there a best-in-class masterplan to follow? And how does this masterplan consider that the change we are part of will keep on accelerating, fuelled by a technological evolution that has since long outgrown the comprehension of a single human brain.
There is in my honest opinion no overall masterplan, no silver bullet to get prepared for such a ‘brave new world.’ I am convinced that we will all need to ‘live and work’ according to a combination of elements to ‘stay in the career-game’ for the long run. This set of elements, one might also call them personal principles, will differ from one person to another. But whatever they are, it will be important to remain consistent as these elements will serve as a true lighthouse giving direction.
Consistency is by no means in contradiction with adaptability. Because in order to ‘stick to the plan’ one will need to regularly adjust over the course of time, to cope with changing circumstances at every given moment in time. So, what are/have been my lighthouse principles during my career ?
‘One Health – One Family – Many Jobs’ :
Neglecting physical and mental health or neglecting family (life & constraints) in favour of a career is for me one of the biggest mistakes one can make. When things go wrong with health or family, there is rarely a second chance. However as far as career and jobs are concerned, there are always plenty of opportunities even when the odds may seem against at a certain moment in time. Careers and jobs are like balls that keep on bouncing back, but this bouncing back is by far not a given for health or family. Of course, a career, a job gives meaning to life, and one should always give it the best effort and dedication one has. But one should also not overestimate the loyalty of employers versus their staff and know that things can change very rapidly even for those who believe they have the best working cards. There are plenty of such examples and it has always struck me that people did not (want to) see it coming.
A career isn’t one race—it’s a collection of marathons over time :
As it stands right now nearly all of us will be in the working game for the long run, and most likely future careers will be more like a series of marathons instead of one lengthy effort. In any case a wise management of energy will be key meaning that a regular refuel needs to be on the agenda. This refuel can take the form of ‘learning something new’ because ‘the skills and knowledge that got us here’ are less and less likely to ‘get us there.’ As our careers will become longer and longer this regular act of renewal becomes an unavoidable and crucial element to stay relevant over time. The return on these new learnings might take a while until suddenly that one skill acquired a while ago makes the difference: sometimes the steps you take only make sense when looking back. Also here putting all eggs in the basket of an employer is not wise as it might limit development dreams, limit the ability to stretch oneself and limit future opportunities. The moment of refuel can also take the form of a break or can be included in the normal working regime. Performing all the time at 100% of capacity is after all not recommended as one cannot be stretched all the time and one needs to have the reserve energy for the peak moments. Those peak moments can be the result of a sudden combination of professional and private events so be prepared at all times.
On the other hand it is a good practice to deliberately plan on a regular base some ‘out of the comfort zone/moment of truth’ performances just to remain sharp and tap into unexplored capabilities. And yes, it might inject some stress in the inner system, but it helps to grow and gain in self-confidence. No growth without some form of discomfort.
And finally, a principal factor that is key for the long run is discipline. Of course, there is the well- known theory of self-determination (ABC) and its impact on motivation. Reality is that not every start of the working day is appealing and then the motto has to be: get up, dress up, and show up. Motivation gets us started; discipline keeps us going.
A career might be a chain of familiar marathons or it might be a dynamic path offering plenty of new experiences – follow your heart but take your brain with you :
When I reached the age of 40 I wondered whether I was on the right career track. I had studied civil engineering, added a postgraduate in business administration shortly afterwards and had always considered this as a “good” entry ticket to the professional world. And it actually was as I had the opportunity to work in an international setting on some great technological stuff such as the early “GSM” and the early “internet” gear. However, I felt that passion (-) and the competencies (+) were not in the right balance, so I was looking for a change. After some coaching sessions I decided to head into the direction of Human Resources endorsed by the organization, as the general feeling was that the basic ingredients were present to make it a success (thanks for that !!). It ‘only’ required spicing with additional knowledge, skills, and experience. No surprise it was not a walk in the park as initially, despite all the efforts to make a giant leap in a limited timeframe, I was regularly faced with the confrontational question ‘what do you bring to the picnic as the new kid on the Human Resources block ?’. Of course, such questions only stimulate to work harder and ‘prove them wrong.’ Which I did, and I truly enjoyed working in HR for the last 20+ years with occasional additional steps into ICT. So, I am the living proof that it can take a while before you find the ‘job you love so you never have to work a day in your life.’ And it is worth the effort to keep on looking, taking the time, and listening to the inner self. You do not want to ‘climb the career ladder’ to discover at a too late stage ‘it is leaning against the wrong wall.’
‘Performance, image and exposure’
As a closing statement I would like to add that there have always been three dots on my radar that accompanied me throughout my career. First of all, there is performance. Without sustained performance over the years, and understanding what it takes, one lacks the foundational self-confidence for future endeavours. On top of performance then comes one´s image and exposure. They both influence each other and there is a balance to be found ; what do you share publicly, and which flaws does one hide to maintain a polished exterior. Yet, showing some authenticity often strengthens trust and relatability. Ending with this paradox I wish for everybody a ‘lighthouse’ for a long and happy career.
