Change Resilience and Your Next Opportunity

Change Resilience and Your Next Opportunity
October 19, 2022 Construction People

Change is everywhere, it’s a part of life, and nothing stays the same forever. Your greatest asset will be your resilience by being ready and open to change.  Particularly, if you feel like you’re getting close to that glass ceiling, or your progress will stop, or it has stopped, you will need that resilience to take the step to change positions and keep your career moving forward. Our article explores change resilience and setting up your next opportunity.

change resilience and opportunity

The reality of change

It is important to remember that change is a steady constant. Change is not something that happens to us. Rather, change is something that is happening all the time. To think that we are in a static mode and then change occurs is not true. Learning to accept that change in the workplace is inevitable is a very valuable skill. We see change happening all around us but often fail to notice it because we are wrapped in the day-to-day.

Once we ACCEPT that change is inevitable, nothing is holding us back. Change is a vital part of business and career evolution. By treating change as a constant in your professional life, you will increase the number of career opportunities you receive and your level of satisfaction from your job. So, it helps to set your expectations correctly in advance. You can do so by planning for change to happen – assume that things will change, expect it, and position your mind (and schedule) accordingly.

Being positive about change

However, shifting our thinking at the drop of a hat can be difficult. What helps is to have a mentality where we think more about possibility than impossibility. What’s important is that in times of change, we don’t get stuck standing still. People want to grow, improve, and move forward. By saying YES, we’re helping everyone move forward. Some of the best opportunities in life are presented to us when we open up to change.

Building confidence towards change

Confidence is a huge factor in our career development. It promotes a healthy attitude towards our work and pushes us outside our comfort zone to seek new opportunities for learning and progression.

However, many of us lack the confidence to progress in our careers. There is the fear of the unknown and potential self-doubt in our skills and experience. There is a multitude of things that can inhibit our confidence at work. Recognising what they are and working to address them will do wonders for your self-confidence.

change resilience and opportunity

Some confidence-boosting tips are:

  1. If you believe your experience or skill level is holding you back, set yourself some goals for improving those skills and map out what steps need to be taken to achieve them. Your career progression is only limited to the investment you’re willing to make in improving your skills and experience. By setting clear new goals for yourself, you can bring about a mind shift that helps to direct your energy. Work on what you can control – focus on actions towards your goals.
  2. Consider finding yourself a mentor by seeking out an experienced current or previous senior colleague. It is an invaluable way to build confidence and advance your career. Why? Because they can provide you with advice and feedback on your role and point you in the right direction for the career path you are looking to take. Often they’ll have been in your shoes before, so they speak from experience.
  3. Explore all the opportunities available to you in your current company by letting your managers know, both formally and informally, that you are looking for progression. Doing so will enable conversations about your role, what progression opportunities might be in your company, what you need to do to achieve it, and how they can help you get there. A conversation like this can really boost your confidence.

Are you considering a different job?

Our advice is that before you do anything, it’s important to clarify your thoughts and note why you are considering a change. Once you have, consider whether your current employer can address them satisfactorily. If you feel they can, speak to them about it. In the current job market, most employers are far more willing to listen and resolve issues for their employees.

However, as a side note, you should always try and be aware of when you have advanced as far as you can within your current company. An employer’s growth and an employee’s career progression won’t always align. If your company hasn’t continued to grow enough to support your development and enable you to take the next step in your career, it could be time to move on.

What’s the ideal approach?

Let your employer know you are ready to take on more responsibility. You are prepared to receive more training in tasks that are not in your current role and be trained in some of your manager’s duties by taking some of their workloads and preparing to step up.

Alternatively, there are always benefits to a sideways career move. To find out more, CLICK HERE.

The Takeaway

Change is inevitable, and by embracing it and learning how to work with it, you can set yourself up to progress in your career. This process involves having a positive mindset and building your confidence by clarifying what you want. Then, setting action-oriented goals, letting your employer know you’re open to opportunities, showing initiative by sticking your hand up to learn more about roles outside of your position, and having concrete examples of the extra value you add to the business.

Looking for your next construction job? Search our current construction roles here, or to chat to our team about securing your next opportunity, get in contact with us through our Contact Us page.

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