SERIES: Taking Care of YOU! Staying Relevant and Competitive

Whether you are an early or mid-careerist you need to stay relevant and competitive, particularly if you want to flourish in your career.

Each of us are relevant to our loved ones. When our family or friends want attention, they are asking for relevance. They are expecting quality time from us. In the workplace we are relevant when we contribute and impact the success of our organization. Our employers expect quality time from us and, typically, we are compensated according to our relevance level.  Just as we should be relevant to our family and friends we should be and stay relevant in our careers.

So, how do we stay relevant in today’s competitive world?

Here are some thoughts to ponder:

• Do a reality check.  How passionate are you about what you do in the workplace? If you don’t enjoy what you do for a living, try focusing on any aspect of your job you really enjoy and that is your reality.  However, if you have greater ambitions, focus on the steps that will get you to where you want to be by preparing yourself to become more relevant for that role. Whatever role you are in now, or want to be, you must be relevant and competitive. Life isn’t perfect and our jobs aren’t perfect, but most have elements that we truly enjoy. Make the most of what you are passionate about.
• Get motivated about your future. Avoid reliving the past. Reruns will not get you where you want to go.
• Change your approach.  Be willing to change from the way you use to approach things and become more innovative. If you don’t acknowledge the need for change then you will not change.  While being willing to change is important, it should be in alignment with the changes occurring around you.
• Maintain values and principles that are the norms. They should remain as standards for your decision-making. Compromising them must be avoided.
• Learn new approaches and practices. If you are a mid or senior level careerist, learn from younger employees that have more advanced technical skills. Don’t be afraid to learn new skills. All of us could probably identify at least one or two skills we want to improve.
• Take care of your mental and physical wellbeing.  The healthier you are the more you will be motivated and stay relevant.
• Competition.  As the competition increases, the more you need to step out of your comfort zone and focus on ways you can improve your relevance.

If you want to take care of YOU, career wise, make sure you stay relevant and competitive. Start today! Take the challenge! Approach it strategically. You can succeed.