You Are Not Entitled to a Successful Career

I know what I am about to say will sound like fluffy hype and nonsense, but it's true. I have no intention to offend anyone or make light of anything, but to speak the truth as I have experienced it. This wasn’t easy to write. I stopped myself several times to write something else. It’s going to sound a little harsh. I make no apologies for doing this. If reading this makes you mad, just remember I am writing to the younger version of me.

The hardcore truth is that career development has changed. Traditional career development models have become a thing of the past. The career escalator as they say “has become permanently jammed.” Traditional career development models are officially dead. And I think the COVID-19 crisis hit “the final nail in the coffin.” I hope you have had time to cry and grief, it’s time to move on. The traditional, old school career growth our parents and previous generations of professionals enjoyed is gone.

I know if your career has hit a plateau, we quickly blame ourselves. We blame our skills, work experience or lack thereof. I know it sounds noble to place blame on yourself, but the simple truth is that the world is changing. The career marketplace is changing. There is noise and crowds everywhere you look. You need a different value proposition. Your skills and qualifications are being challenged as never before. Resources are tight. Competition for opportunity has become fierce. Everybody wants an edge.

You could be the best, smartest, and most capable professional in your industry. And in all likelihood, your career could still end up stuck in a growth plateau. Even if you do manage to get out of the plateau, you're not guaranteed that your career won't hit another plateau in the future. The employer-employee pact has fully disintegrated. Today's employers do not offer lifetime commitment to their employees. Neither should you.

To survive in this new career marketplace is going to take more guts, courage and tenacity than anything you've ever done before. If you thought just getting a job was hard before, getting a better one will be harder. But it doesn't have to be a negative experience.

I know this sounds a little harsh, but I think you need to hear it. No matter how cool you are or your resume is, you're not entitled to a successful career. No one owes you anything. You'll have to earn it. You'll have to develop true competitive advantage in the marketplace. You’ll have to think about more than just how your resume or skills fit into your employers' needs, but the whole experience of working with you.

Your dream employers are busier than ever. They're doing more with fewer resources. They don't have time to waste with employees that are not prepared to provide them with true value.

There are very few employers out there sitting on a pile of cash. Everyone is cutting back. To get hired, get that cash, and grow your career, you have to offer them something more. You have to show them hiring you and working with you will help them achieve dramatically greater results. You have to show them you’re the strategic advantage they’re looking for.

That is the new reality we’re all living in. We all buy something when we perceive that it gives us more value than we currently have. I know perception is not reality, but right now that’s all you have.

Honestly, I believe this isn't a bad thing for you as a professional. This isn't disaster for you. This isn't negative. This isn't to say that career growth opportunities don't exist anymore or that they can't be created. It more likely means that there are great opportunities than ever before. I want to help you activate them.

You have to change your mindset and tactics first. You've to go beyond your resume, career plan, skills, or qualifications. You have to think about the true value you bring to the marketplace.

Is it your communication skills?

Is it teamwork?

Is it encouraging and supporting others?

Is it your ability to persuade?

Define your values and establish them. Make them known. Getting unstuck in your career is about learning more, doing more, being more, and growing more. You have to breathe more into your life and into the lives of those around you.

I have learned the hard way that true competitive advantage is knowing who you really are and standing up for your own truth even against the opinions of others. Finding that out is the only guarantee you have if you do the work. You have to create true value for yourself and trade it for employers or people who care. Your mindset is the innovation. Your ability to learn and grow is what keeps you ahead of the competition.

You need the courage to let go and bypass old ways of doing things for new ways that work much better. You need to stop trying to protect what you have created in the past and explore new territory. There is realizations and richness in exploring new things.

Like Beverly Sills once said, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." You just have to do the work. There isn't a straight or faster method to get to where you want to go. It is a learning and growth process. It is harder and takes more work. It is a journey not a destination. It requires you to dig a little deeper. It is difficult. It is time-consuming. It is uncomfortable. But it’s what gives you the edge.

This is about becoming a willing student. It’s about transformation. You need a new mindset. You need to constantly test new strategies to find out what works and what doesn't. You need to learn how to win. You need the willingness to exploit new opportunities. You need to take risk. You need to learn to adapt to relentless change.

You have to learn to give more not less than what you are capable of. You have to learn to do things with precision not blindly. You have to be both efficient and effective. Learning and growing is the only guarantee and winning strategy you have control over. You need to be tactful. You need to be strategic. You are not guaranteed anything, but you have been offered new rules for success. Ignore them at your own peril.

If you are ready for more in your life and want help building the joyful, passionate, and profitable business you deserve, book a free consultation call with me. I’ll help you get clear on who you really are as an entrepreneur, be more confident about your unique brand voice, and empower you to expand the quality of your presence and influence in the global marketplace. You’ll know how it feels to build your business differently and pursue the right goals. You’ll stop wasting your time on people who don’t value you or people you can’t make a difference to.