Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
A. Einstein

A Strange New World (P. Kane) is here and yes it goes beyond the pandemic: 

• 4th industrial revolution – 2015
• Pandemic woes – 2019
• The Great Resignation – 2021
• Age of Uncertainty - 2022 

 
The 4th industrial revolution put many in a mad panic worried that their jobs will be taken over by the robots. These anxious thoughts remain for many.
 
The pandemic of 2019 quickly changed your life in 2020. Who knew? 

• Schools closed; grade-12 students missed out on the whole grad experience
• Universities locked down; students did not know whether to stay on campus or rush home
• Economies shattered; employees sent home for good
• Hospitals challenged; frontline workers stretched to the limit

The pandemic is clearly not over and the pandemic effects of social distancing and wearing a mask are unmistakably visible everywhere you go. 
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The Great Resignation started in the summer of 2021 and it is still ongoing. Many who did not choose to resign are challenging it, calling it the great termination. Regardless of what you decide to call it, it is being seen by many as an opportunity for a mindset shift, causing them to question their own desires and priorities. 

​UNCERTAINTY is the word going through everyone’s mind today. I find myself using the phrase ‘wait and see’ a lot more often than I used to in the past.

Yet, despite of all the above, you find yourself looking for a job. 
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What can you do? In the words of the famous Einstein...You just have to “keep moving”.

​In this age of uncertainty self-care is very important. Whatever transitional situation you are in, your focus should be on your mental health. These are tough times and you must strive to remain positive.
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If you are not sure how to stay motivated, read my blog, “Stressed? Go on! Start with the first big inhale”. Readers tell me it helps.

​Moving forward is the most common and paramount advice. As long as you are moving, no matter how slow, you will not fall into the “I am feeling stuck” mode. Think of it as staying productively busy!
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This mental state of being constructively engaged in your job search will help you reach your goal of finding a job.

Here are some suggestions for you to reflect on and be productively active in search of employment:

• What would your ideal job look like?
• What does your ideal employer do for a living?
• Which company’s mission matches your calling?
• How do you define your future role?
• Where do you find yourself so productively occupied that time seems to fly?
• When you look at your resume, do you like what you see?

These questions are meant to increase your personal awareness.
 
Can you think of other questions that are relevant to your particular situation?

​Write them down and explore the answers.

​Your responses clarify the type of job you are seeking. They lead you to customize your resume and produce creative cover letters that describe who you truly are. They provide the key to your interview preparation.
 
More importantly, they build self-awareness so that you can move confidently knowing who you are and what you are pursuing.
 
NOW is the time to move. Do not wait too long! Your opportunity is waiting for you. 

​All you have to do is reach out and grab it promptly.

UNCERTAINTY is the word in what some are calling a ‘strange new world’. Many are saying that an ability to shift directions will continue to be important to both job seekers and employers.

My friend, Karena de Souza, always the optimist, tells us that we are in a ‘discovery zone’. This means that you have to continually adjust to new and perhaps unfamiliar findings, encounters and situations.

​Job seekers have new expectations in the workplace mentioning hybrid work and flexible working hours. Hiring managers and employers are scrambling to find the balance that allows them to attract qualified candidates and become the company on every job seeker’s list. In short, the old understanding of ‘workplace’ is being reinvented.

With reinvention comes change and challenges. It’s time to develop a mindset that allows you to embrace both.

I love challenges and I encourage you to start loving them as well.

WARNNG: I fail A LOT and you will too if you follow my advice.

REMEMBER: Challenges put you out of your comfort zone, allow you to adapt in this strange new world and ensure you continue in a quest for lifelong success.
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• Which jobs will be eliminated?
• What are the skills that future jobs will require?
• Will the robots take over or will new jobs be created?
• How will changes in technology affect current position requirements?
• When will the new jobs be created?
• Will you be ready?
• How do you prepare for a job market that is unpredictable?

Add to the list the endless changes and variants of COVID19.

Looking at all of the above is enough to get you in a mad panic trying to prepare for a future career or to find the next job.

First and foremost, you have to accept that the world has entered a new phase. It’s a phase that combines three changes including the fourth industrial revolution, the pandemic blues and you guessed it, the great resignation. Yet guess what? You have learned to deal with it by unconsciously adapting.

Many are predicting doom and gloom but with the right attitude, these predictions can be reversed. You have your whole life ahead of you and you cannot (and really should not) live it hiding in your own bubble.
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Working (for yourself or someone else) has many benefits including having the cash flow to buy whatever you want for yourself and others. Working gives you a reason to wake up every day and look ahead. You may add your own reasons here for working…

It is very important to keep in mind that not only the world has entered a new complicated phase but that you too have already adapted to the changes that this new phase has introduced.
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Whether you are just entering the workforce or transitioning to a new career, now is the time to alter your preconceived ideas of work. Many of you already have – think of how we are talking about hybrid or remote work as standard work days.

Your current skills may still get you a job or help you start a new career and this is great!

However, if you feel that there are no jobs out there that match your skills, then it is time for a new approach. It is time to pick up the adaptability skills you developed during the pandemic.

Remember the contradictory fluctuations?

• Lockdowns, semi-lockdown, no lockdowns
• Masks don’t protect, masks protect you, masks protect you and me
• You can meet with family but not friends and the various conditions that half of us were not sure how to handle…

​Regardless, the benefit of these fluctuations has taught you some new skills. If you take the time to reflect, you will find that the number one skill you developed is your ability to adapt. And now is the time to keep practicing this new skill and hardwire adaptability into your routine.

The hardwired and reframed approach will guarantee an easy adjustment to the new world of work.

It may entail looking at your current skills from a new perspective. For example, if you have a been a leader in an IT company for many years, you have developed leadership skills that can be taken to another field. Or if you love playing tennis and have experience leading summer tennis camps, you can easily use your summer camp organizational skills in other summer camps in-person or online.
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Another reframed approach may require you to embrace learning new skills by anticipating requirements for new job opportunities. For example, if you are switching between companies within the same field you will need to familiarize yourself with the new company’s mission, values and way of doing things. Or if you just completed your university degree with no working experience, you can search your dream job postings for skills you may not have and take courses/micro-credentials to develop them.

Remember (and I have detailed this in previous blog posts) that there is unanimous agreement on the value of soft skills. Think of hardwired adaptability as one of the key soft skills required for the jobs of the future.

Your ability to reframe, change your career course or adjust to new expectations will guarantee that you will be able to change your approach and easily coast in discovering the ‘strange new world’ we have inconspicuously entered.

Are you ready? Yes YOU are!

Great, it is time to get started! Still uncertain??

Ask questions in the comment section or DM me.

It really is TIME to get on the hardwired adaptability train.

Even the most encouraging coach on the planet can’t make you finish the race.
You’re going to have to find it in yourself to chase it down all on your own, a quote by Rachel Hollis

​I love this quote and I agree with it 👍

However, this leads many readers to question,

• What does a Career Professional really do?
• If Rachel is saying that I have to figure it on my own, then why do I need the services of a Career Professional?
• With all the free career resources available online, from free assessments to YouTube self-help videos, podcasts and so on, why would I seek the help of a Certified Career Development Professional?
• What can a Career Professional accomplish in 1, 2, or even 3 sessions?
• If I decide to work with a Career Professional, the titles are very confusing from Career Coach to Career Strategist and many others, how will I know how to choose the Professional who will best support me in my job search?

If you have any of these thoughts or questions going through your mind, you are not alone. The Career Development field is still young. Anyone working in the field understands this and is willing to meet with you to provide you with answers to these and other questions. 
In fact, on the many occasions when I declare my profession as a Career Literacy Coach, I am often asked: So, what do you really do? 
My response is usually: Are you unsure of the next steps in your education/career journey? If the answer is yes, then I respond: You should be working with a Career Professional. I work with you to reflect and figure out these steps.

Just to facilitate these thoughts, here are some of the reasons that Career Professionals do exist:

• Help you envision your future 
• Support you to reach your goals (for example, to finish the race)
• Be there for you when you are feeling stuck
• Provide a listening ear to figure out the reflection necessary to figure out the next steps 

The list goes on…please add more if you are a Career Professional!

Regardless of what stage you are at in life, whether you are a young adult or a mature person, reflecting and acting on your future should be a priority. A Career Professional provides a listening ear that facilitates the reflection part and empowers the action part. 
Clients who benefit from this type of support come from different backgrounds. You are

• A student looking for volunteer opportunities to identify your interests;
• A young adult who needs help defining your path; 
• A mature person going through career transition. 

A Career Professional is your cheerleader and greatest supporter who helps you envision your future. 

While you are looking to narrow down your choices, your needs are unique to you. We, as Career Professionals understand that one size does not fit all.
A Career Professional’s role is to actively listen and provide questions that guide you to successfully create your career story. 
The process starts with an initial consultation which most Career Professionals offer for free or a nominal fee. 
The purpose of this consultation is twofold. It is an opportunity for you (the Client) to meet and decide if the Career Professional’s expertise, experience and style of coaching match the approach you are seeking. The same goes for the Career Professional who will decide whether or not they can provide you with the service you are seeking. 

What happens next will depend on the number and type of sessions that you and your Career Professional decide are right for you. Services are promoted either as one session/multiple sessions or as specific coaching packages that include one or more services. 
A single session helps you clarify a specific concern. A 3, 6 or 12-month package provides you with in-depth services where the Career Professional becomes your guide and accountability partner. The two of you schedule meetings, agree on type of impromptu communications and together use this time to envision the professional development that leads you to career success. 

Career coaching is a collaborative effort where the Career Professional guides the Client, and the Client commits to put in the effort. With this commitment comes success!
Are you ready to reflect on your career? 
Yes, it’s your future and your journey and yes you have to put in all the hard work 😓 but sometimes you need an accountability partner to check on you and say, “how is it going?” or “is there anything I can do to help?”. Career Professionals do just that 💪