We’re almost two months into 2023 and many of us have set goals for ourselves at the start of the year - be it personal or professional goals. That’s great! So how much progress have you made towards them? What are your next steps? Can you complete them by the end of the year?
There are many goal-setting techniques out there. At I&I, we like enhancing them with a little bit of an Agile mindset. Going beyond traditional CV review we use various agile methodologies to build sound strategies and operate effectively.
The agile mindset is a thought process based on continuous learning and exploring while staying flexible in the pursuit to achieve results.
Here are some elements we like to use when working on career development:
There is no failure, only feedback. Look at what you would perceive a failure as a learning opportunity.
Do more with less. Use creativity to grow with what you have available.
Look outside of the box. Explore different perspectives and diversity of thought.
Make the process sustainable. Career development is not a sprint, we are in it for a long run. Develop strong growth habits.
Accept change and adapt quickly. Continuous innovation.
Be transparent. Firstly to yourself about what you want. What’s important to you? Once aligned you will be able to communicate strongly during the recruitment process.
Have fun.
How to do it in practice:
Step 1 - Define your status quo
Take the time to evaluate your current situation. What are your resources? What skills do you have? What is your network like? Consider your personality and what you know to be true about yourself.
Step 2 - Decide on what you’re looking for
Based on your experience, what is important in a career to you? Consider your ideal work environment, company culture, and salary expectations. You can also break down your career goals into the following categories:
Must haves: key things in your career that are non-negotiable
Should haves: important but not necessary
Could haves: nice but small impact if not there
Will not have: what should not be part of your career
Step 3 - Research the market and adopt an agile approach
Stay informed about opportunities in the space you are interested in, as they constantly change. Continuously learn about what's out there and what matches your strengths and goals, then strategise how you can act and improve.
Step 4 - Go out there and activate your profile
Once you know what's out there on the market and what you want to start working towards, you can start building your external persona and present yourself in the best light possible. You can present it using different tools such as your CV, portfolio, LinkedIn, website, and even the references you get from people. Test your message and go out and talk to people and organisations.
Step 5 - Keep experimenting!
Focus on experimentation and testing to remove the fear of failure. After each success and failure, assess what you have learned. Based on your experimentation, identify more specific career choices and specify your profile to get the job you want. By the time you find your dream job, you'll have the network and confidence to make it happen.
Applying Agile to achieve your professional goals
As we’ve mentioned at the beginning of this post, we’ve applied the Agile mindset in our day to day life. Over time, we’ve also realised how Agile methodologies can help us in our personal and professional journey.
In fact, at I&I we’ve got a couple of upcoming professional profile building courses that will provide you first-hand guidance through this process. You can learn more about them here.
To stay updated on future course dates, sign up on our mailing list now!
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