‘If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere’, Frank A Clark

This week I facilitated an online conversation with the head of a financial services firm. 130+ participants were interested to hear how we can drive our careers through crisis. We focused the discussion on remaining with our current company, since the figures show that the job market will be even more competitive, post this pandemic, than it was before. 

A few ideas which go further than polishing your CV, rewriting your LinkedIn profile, and developing an elevator pitch are:

1. Do the groundwork. Just like you would sand a table, before varnishing it, get to know yourself. Do a SWOT analysis to understand what strengths you have and if they serve you well, and how your weaknesses may be hindering your progress. How is your behaviour (a negative or positive mindset) affecting your chances of an internal promotion?
2. What do you intend to change? What are you willing to compromise, or not, when it comes to working from home or going back to the office; travelling on public transport; and managing the boundaries of work and life, when you continue to work from home (to stay healthy). Consider what you are doing at work that you may be able to change; what processes could you reconfigure; how could you or your department become more efficient? How can you build out your network (online virtual coffee) to become better known in the company?
3. What impact can you have? How can you collaborate (online) with colleagues to become better at what you do? How can you and your colleagues collate, innovative ideas and present them to management? How can you become better at storytelling?

Staying positive, innovative, resilient and agile will get you through any crisis. These traits will also keep you focused so that you can determine what you can do to support your company whilst driving your career forward.