WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER ADVICE FOR 2021?

 

RESILIENCE: KEEP GOING STRONGER THAN EVER

'Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts’

Winston  Churchill

Firstly, I would like to thank you, the readers of this blog for your support in 2020. Thank you for sticking around and continuing to read the blog despite the recent lack of fresh content. The blog is now back, stronger than ever and with the same ambition: to help and motivate Accompanying Partners in their job search.

2020 was undeniably a year where many had to put into practice and build on their resilience, whether it was in a professional or personal context. 2020 was a tough year in every sense. The labour market was volatile and the principal concern was to protect our health and the health of others.

Happily, 2021 has begun and with it a fresh dose of motivation and the perspective of global health and economies bouncing back to normal, in the coming months.

This year rather than writing down a list of New Year’s resolutions which are rarely seen through, why not build on the hard and soft skills that will help in your professional accomplishments?

To start with, the soft skill of resilience. We are not born with a defined resilience gene. It can be acquired by overcoming difficult situations in our lives, where we are knocked back by an event or failure. Resilience is our capacity to continue to advance and to come out of these situations at least as strong or stronger than ever. We will all experience a setback in our professional or personal life, resilience is our capacity to move forward and to be happy and/or successful in the face of past difficulties.

‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’

Winston Churchill

This is so true, never give up. With resilience, you will find your path out of a difficult situation with renewed strength, the motivation to keep going and the determination to pursue new opportunities. Take the example of a marathon runner, despite maybe feeling pain and exhaustion during the run, they keep a strong mental resolve to continue to the finish line.

The year 2020 brought new opportunities and fundamental changes to our work environment, principally propelling the use of remote work and continued digital transformation. These changes are a source of opportunity in your job search. Just look at the gig economy which is primarily made up of short-term contracts and freelance workers. According to the ADP Research Institute, the share of gig workers at US businesses swelled 15% since 2010.

This is great news for those among you who are looking to work from home on projects which fulfil your professional plan.

Take this unique opportunity to put a positive spin on what was once perceived by many as having a negative aspect or being unattainable, such as short-term contracts or starting your own business. Embrace change and the challenges it brings. Overcoming challenges can give us an immeasurable sense of achievement and the motivation to see our projects to fruition.

With a fresh perspective, the following are some suggestions to help build your mental resilience:   

Take action and keep going

Accept change

Look towards the future

Develop a positive outlook

Be kind to your mind and body

Amid setbacks, remain positive and bounce back

Find a support network to help you with your career search 

Remember that even the strongest of people in life have experienced setbacks. Some admit that these setbacks lead them to greater things later. Take inspiration from the following quote:

‘Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.’

                                                                  Nelson Mandela

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Resilient 2021.

Copyright © 2021  www.thirdcultureprofessionals.com. Certain rights reserved.

Photo de Анна Рыжкова provenant de Pexels