The only thing you can control in life is your career
Among all the COVID-19 madness, the one thing you can manage is your career choices.
In a lockdown, you look to take control, when you can’t elsewhere. Your job and where you work are perfect examples. No, it certainly doesn’t mean you should quit your job, and if you lost your job because of COVID, that’s a bummer. But coming up with a career plan and executing it is something you CAN do. Whether you seek a promotion or a total career change, now is the time.
Let’s cut to the chase. Here’s a 45-minute plan to work on when you have a moment. Pick one evening this week and follow these steps.
🚨 Pre-requisite: You must identify your niche of expertise. Without one, you risk putting a lot of effort without seeing tangible results. I believe my story about doing a personal branding hackathon will close the gap.
Step #1: Offer help to a professional Facebook group
20 min.
Choose a community you’re a member of and think about what you can do that will bring value to the group admin. Then send them a message with your idea.
Why?
Grow your network.
What did I do?
The community I chose organizes monthly webinars with startup founders for its members. I attended one and realized a few tweaks would make the webinars even better. So I sent the admin feedback about the webinar and offered to help the next speaker with their delivery. Nothing that takes too much time but enough to make a positive impact on the speakers, admins, and community. The admin was thrilled 🤝
#2 Do a swift job search on Glassdoor
15 min.
It doesn’t matter if you currently work. It never hurts to see what is trending in your industry. Search for positions in your field and think about what makes your heart beat a bit faster. Is it a certain title? A certain company? A certain vertical? Can you get there?
Why?
Battle FOBO (Fear of Better Options).
What did I do?
I searched ‘Instructional Designer’ on Glassdoor and checked what I was ‘missing out on’. I noticed that many companies called similar roles Curriculum Developers, so I added those keywords to my LinkedIn profile.
#3 Read an alternative article
10 min.
Google your field of expertise but add ‘alternative’ to it. Then, choose an article or blog post about a methodology you haven’t considered.
Why?
Bring something new to the table, wherever you go.
What did I do?
I googled ‘Alternative Instructional Design’ and came across this article, where I found a learning theory I had never heard of before called Gagne’s Nine Levels of Learning, which turned out to be just right for a job interview I had. The hiring manager also did not know about this theory. Jackpot.
Takeaway
The rationale behind this plan is to move the needle. It may inspire you or bring you new opportunities. To quote Anna Shay from Netflix’s Bling Empire — “Just remember it’s not a dress rehearsal. You have to live life to its fullest.”
Liked my work plan? Follow me on LinkedIn for more creative ideas 🔥
