In the past careers for professionals were very different.
Get your qualification, gain experience, work hard and you would have a good chance of success.
These days things are different.
There’s a lot of consolidation within industries. Look at accounting firms. When I started it was the Big 8. Now it’s the big 4. It’s a similar story in retail, banking and telecoms.
There’s a lot more people with qualifications so while you still need them they are not necessarily the differentiator they once were.
The roles themselves are changing. Many functional roles were traditionally back office. Now partnering within professions is becoming the new norm. Technology is becoming a game changer.
There’s no job for life. Just look at the number of organisations who once existed but have completely disappeared. It’s not unique to one industry or sector.
The implications for you as a professional
It’s about taking personal responsibility for your career. It’s no longer about expecting your employer to look after your career for you. You have to be in the driving seat.
It’s about working out what you want from your career. Once you do it will influence and drive your decision making.
It’s about becoming T shaped. Excellent in your professional field and being just as comfortable at leading, managing, change, strategy and performance.
It’s about being clear about what makes you different. You will have unique ability, skills, experience and attributes. It’s about discovering those things that make you unique.
It’s about understanding your transferrable skills and experience rather than thinking that what you have will only apply in one sector.
It’s about being flexible and adaptable rather than becoming set in your ways.
It’s about continually upskilling yourself so that you keep your value and contribution high. Things move quickly and you definitely don’t want to be left behind.
The bottom line: It’s your career. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you want to be successful or just drift along.