Take Charge — Grab That Bull!

In my career as an HR professional, I’ve come across many amazing young professionals, with some leading & many lagging with regards to their career progression, and one of the things that hurt most is seeing many young professionals put their career progress and personal development in the hands of their employers. When it comes to keeping their skills up to date, many young professionals expect their employers to tell them what training they need, as well as pay for it.
Truth is; it’s easy to get complacent about professional development especially when you’re employed. You’d think; if I already have a job, why should I go above and beyond to improve my skills, especially if it’s not required by the company?
Having a job doesn’t mean you should not take your career personally, as you’re the CEO of the business called YOU!
Let me share briefly on why should not leave your personal and professional development to your employer.
My profession has over time helped me understand how this works, especially in the workplace — taking charge of your career development. Our duty as HR professionals is mostly centered on developing & employing people in line with business needs & growth, which is often regarded as talent management, where we look at how to retain our human capital. This is often done by enabling people to get a vision for the possibilities they have within an organisation.
But is this idea of evenly developing employees a reality for all the employees of an organisation?
No! It is not, and many fail to see or understand this; often waiting for employers to develop them. Talent management was created to identify how to retain KEY people that managers or management do not want to lose. So what happens to you if you are not seen as a key person — a TALENT? (As sincerely, everyone in a company will not be perceived as a talent.)
HR are not employed by you, so the reality is they will not always be interested in you, unless the organisation is interested in you. As much as I believe every employee should be given equal opportunities, businesses invest more in people perceived as talents. Also, with millennials bringing new behaviours such as shorter stays to the workplace, some companies no longer fund employee development until they have been identified as talents and retainable and not those they could lose.
So what happens when your company doesn’t invest significantly in your career, and you also don’t?
What happens is that you become less marketable, will not learn new skills and acquire new knowledge and experience, you’re likely to fall behind your peers, which could be detrimental when you look to get promoted or change positions.
So what do you need to do?
As we all know, the world of work is rapid and fast paced, and if we do not keep up with it, it will be hard to keep a good job as no one will wait for you to develop yourself to match with workplace demands. Hence, don’t always expect talent management to be a reality in your life, and don’t expect your organisation to provide you with all you will need to succeed in your career.
However, don’t despair the future is still extremely bright, as long as you are ready to be in control of your own career. Yes it is up to you to plan your own journey, don’t wait for the organisation to send you on training or meet your development needs.
- You have the online world at your disposal and if you’re smart you will find most of the information you need for free
- Further your education and take a class that’s relevant to your job and learn something that will help you adapt to the pace of change in the workplace
- You have platforms like LinkedIn where you can connect to, and learn from thought leaders in your domain
- Train others, volunteer to develop new skills, join professional associations
- Devour books, articles, professional journals and blogs within your niche, also read outside of your normal profession and stay abreast of the business world
- You have free online courses and videos that will aid your development and can help bridge skills gap
- Focus on transferable skills that are relevant across a variety of industries and positions, looking ahead to what is going to be required in your potential next role
There are several other ways to learn and develop yourself, as the workplace is rapidly changing & requiring new skills.
So, don’t leave your career development to your employer. Own your career development by continually acquiring ongoing knowledge and skills. Be sure your development advances both personal and professional competencies and, most importantly, to prepare you for new opportunities and the future of work. Personal development takes time and energy, and it will sometimes take you out of your comfort zone. If you can keep the learning habit throughout your career, you’re more likely to stand out at work and improve your employability.
Never forget; anyone not seeing you as a talent doesn’t diminish the fact that you’re valuable & incredible. So now go and do it, plan your own future and make yourself, a marketable and valuable brand. You are not doing it for your boss, you’re doing this for you.
Grab that bull; take charge of your career — as there is no time like now.
Best wishes in your future endeavours.
