The commonly held wisdom is that a career is a marathon. Decade’s worth of endeavour. But no one trains for a marathon by running a marathon. Instead, they do short/fast runs, medium runs, cycling, swimming, lifting weights, stretching and resting. 

In other words, building a career requires a marathon mindset and, at different times, a sprint mindset. 

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE VS ROLES

If there is one thing that we've learned over the past three years, the nature of responsibilities continues to change rapidly, outdating role titles and descriptions. 

Technology research and consulting leader, Gartner, has found that 'when tasks and responsibilities change quickly, as they do during business disruption, roles become less and less useful as a proxy for required skills.' So, as you consider your next opportunity, assess what skills and experience it will add to your CV and, ultimately, your marketability, not just the dollars to your bank account. 

INVEST IN COLLABORATION

Invest in those you believe in and who believe in you. Successful investments take time. This is one aspect where adopting a marathon mindset will reap the rewards. 

Sought after candidates, those in the industry who are well regarded will have one, maybe two, trusted recruitment professionals in their network circle—professionals that know your skills and experience and understand what role you require to take you to the next level in your career. They will also have a solid network of a like-minded professional who will be able to refer you to your next opportunity. Do not be shy; reach out to your network and ask. 

INCREMENTS ARE IMPORTANT

Increments add to career success. Unfortunately, sometimes those increments are more extended, requiring you to knuckle down. Your mindset needs to be more like that of a marathon runner. If you skip any part of your training, you may get away with it in the short term, but you will have to go back and put in those extra training days at some point in time. 



Sometimes there are smaller gaps in your experience, and the increments allow you to lay the valuable groundwork in a shorter time. But, again, use the mindset of a sprinter for these opportunities. Any successful person will tell you that hard work and sacrifice made them successful; there are no shortcuts. 

WHERE ARE YOU AT IN YOUR CAREER PLANNING?

Find your next opportunity here or contact us to start your career discussion.