Some thoughts on career strategy

Future proofing yourself

 I recently wrote in Substack on future proofing your career. It's tough but here's an extract about some of the strategies available to you. You can find the full article here: Future proof your career

All strategies contain risk. The core strategies to future proof your career depend on your circumstances but you should address the following:

Your personal growth.

Mid-career is mid-life and your experience reshapes your ambitions and your values. Having a relationship, a family, a bigger role in your community, all reframe your previous career ideas. Future proofing means staying true to your (developing) self.

Your professional growth. 

With experience comes the ability to see further ahead and to see more deeply into important issues. It means understanding how great teamwork, effective use of technology, good operational systems and the right culture are all necessary to success. Future proofing means engaging with each factor in ways that suit your growing capability to lead.

Technology. 

Technology has a habit of bringing the unexpected. The technology itself is not the problem; it’s that someone finds a way to use new technology to disrupt professional practice. You’re best to be the first to innovate, but this requires big investments in research, designing relevance and a strong innovation process.

Demographics and politics. 

Unless you’re a political player, you are at the receiving end of legislative change. Future proofing may mean thoroughly understanding big demographic shifts and the views of those who disagree with how you want to run things. Take them into account in designing your firm’s culture, your target markets, your branding and your professional focus.

Which of these is a burning platform for you? What action is feasible, even if it’s only as an experiment?

For other articles and short posts with a more personal note, follow me on my new substack page: Sean's Substack