Out with the old work ideals, in with the new

Although the season seems to be experiencing weather delays in many parts of the country, the calendar tells us that spring is indeed here. Which means … spring cleaning! And when it comes to careers, we’ve rarely had such an excellent opportunity to do just that.

In last week’s column I presented a partial list of transformations careers have been undergoing: higher wages; reduced employer demand for college degrees; increased availability of remote work; and the acceptance or even courting of candidates who used to be rejected due to their disabilities, criminal records, or age.

For workers, employers, and any other stakeholders in the American employment scenario, the rate of change can be challenging. Constant adjustment to “new norms” is dizzying, and creates the risk of becoming focused on the change itself, rather than the outcome.

On the other hand, a smart person once told me that the best way to find opportunity in this world is to stay close to change. What he meant was that we have the wrong idea if we try to resist change in the hope of keeping what we already have. A better plan is to become part of the change, using it as a way to find the opportunities that can lead us forward to something we want in our lives.

The key? Knowing what we want, so we can recognize the opportunities in real time. It’s too late to look back when the opportunity has already passed – which happens more quickly when the pace of change has accelerated.

Last week I presented five career options that people often set aside as being unattainable: obtaining one’s dream job, starting a business, working remotely, training up, and working part-time, especially at a professional level.

Even five years ago, these options could be difficult to pursue. But would it be different today, given the changes we’ve been experiencing? To find out, follow these steps.

1. Start fresh mentally. Spring cleaning involves throwing things away. Start with your discomfort asking for a raise, concern about creating a gap if you leave your job, shame over your education status, and the habit of thinking that you can’t have a job or career that works for you.

2. Determine what you want. Make a list of what you’d like your work life to look like, then rank the top five in importance to you.

3. Believe you can have what you want. Use the word “how” to solve the puzzle – “How can I get a job leading others when I don’t have that experience?” Or, “How can I work as a digital nomad, living in different places while I hold the same job?” This phrasing leads you to look for answers.

4. Let go of assumptions. Are you too old? Not educated enough? Maybe yes, maybe no, but the answer won’t come to you through assuming. Understand that assumptions are just shortcuts for choosing not to pursue a goal. Your new mantra? Find out. Prove the assumption right or prove it wrong, but find out for sure or you’ll be stalled in a dead-end of your own making.

5. Weigh the risks .If you go after something better, what happens if you don’t get it? The question isn’t meant to hold you back (because you can’t know if you’ll succeed until you try) but to help you prepare for possible failure. Failing, by the way, is not as bad as people imagine, and it usually provides something to build on for next time. The trick is to understand what you’re risking so you can manage the situation if it happens.

6. Make a plan and get started. Perhaps all you want for now is a pay raise. Decide how to ask and do it. Maybe you want to support yourself on part-time hours. Run the numbers and make the plan. Or perhaps you’re ready for your own business. Find an advisor and figure out what kind of business will suit your goals and talents.

When it comes to careers, change and opportunity are close companions. Now’s the time to make the most of the changes we’re experiencing, to ensure you can leverage the opportunity around the next corner. Happy Spring cleaning.