Career Agility: Staying Nimble To Make The Most Out Of Your Job

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” This question, once a standard of interviewers and career counselors, may be impossible to answer.

A recent study from Dell Technologies estimates that 85 percent of the jobs of 2030 have not been invented yet. With this in mind, it can be extremely difficult to envision and plan for a traditional career trajectory, moving from one role to the next.

Career agility leverages an individual’s skills and expertise to create a unique career path, unconstrained by a specific role or industry. Honing career agility has become a necessary attribute of a life-long career, driven by a changing business environments and the transformation of job roles and functions within an organization.

Career agility represents a way of creating a career path, taking individual interests into consideration, instead of following a rigid, pre-set course. Rather than drawing a straight line from one job to the next, focusing on career agility allows you to start with your current position, but then branch off – to a new role, department, or industry – in a number of different ways.

However, this new method of career advancement requires a new mindset, one in which an employee looks at their skills and experiences that may translate to an entirely different position.

Skills that translate easily and may be applied in a number of different contexts include:

Communication

The ability to communicate effectively, in person and in writing is a fundamental skill that is valued in any position, regardless of role or industry. Being to listen and understanding others is part and parcel with this skill, as transferring ideas from one person to others requires retention. Public speaking and professionalism fall under this category of skill as well.

Administrative Skills

Many administrative functions are accomplished as second nature without being regarded as a specialized skill. However, organizational skills, prioritization, time management, budgeting and goal-setting are skills that can easily be translated to a wide variety of roles, and will have a positive effect on any future success.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Applying creative problem-solving to challenges, with a nimble and enterprising outlook, can be useful in a variety of different circumstances. Think about the times you’ve used creativity to find a workaround, save time or improve efficiency in your current job. Being able to articulate the processes you devised and the plans you implemented can demonstrate value beyond your specific industry.

Digital Literacy

Digital skills are becoming second-nature, particularly as people continue to increase the uses of technology in their personal and work lives. 40 percent of the world’s population (3.8 billion people) are connected to the internet by over 8 billion devices. Individuals and corporations are spending more time and money on technological solutions, and being able to navigate the digital landscape fluently is important for any role.

Learn More: Top Digital Technology Skills and Trends for 2018

When envisioning a future career, it is important to keep your mind open to a wide variety of potential next steps. Think about your ideal job, then look to which aspects of your current job allow you to gain or exercise transferable skills toward that ideal.

Take note of the ways in which you demonstrate those competencies and look for training and development opportunities to gain the skills that you do not currently have. By maintaining career agility, you can make the most of your current job while preparing for the next stage of your career.

Why Work With A Recruiting Firm

Shifting from one career path to another can be difficult even with the required skills. Some employers may not trust your experience coming from a different industry or job role. By working with a recruiting firm like Sparks Group, candidates can work with dedicated recruiters to refine their job application process and learn how to become a stand-out candidate.

Sparks Group is a staffing and recruiting firm highly experienced in placing candidates in challenging and rewarding positions that align with their career goals. Our recruiters focus on aligning job opportunities that match each candidate’s skill-sets, experience levels, career objectives, and growth needs.

To begin your next step towards your career goals, check out our Job Board to find new opportunities or contact our recruiting experts to learn more about how we can help you advance your career.

Sources:

1. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realizing-2030-dell-technologies-research-explores-the-next-era-of-human-machine-partnerships-300486894.html

2. http://orleansmarketing.com/35-technology-facts-stats/