With such an oversupply of graduates, surely too many will be seen as mediocre...

Why did they stigmatise the ‘Career’ word?


When the Labour Party came to power in 1997 legend has it that they banned the word 'career' from policy-making documents on the grounds that it was "aspirational, discriminatory and elitist". Many of my friends know my favourite retort to this nonsense is the story about the Street Cleaner in London who was given the freedom of the city for never missing a day's work in his 40 year career; shopkeepers could set their watch by his pushing his barrow along the pavement and you could eat your lunch of the footpath it was so clean! When interviewed he exclaimed how proud he was of his career.


I regard myself as being very fortunate that I worked as a Career Adviser in 1996 and 1997, the last years of the previous Conservative government; not because of my political affiliations but because their career services mechanisms were hailed as being the gold standard amongst the 28 OECD countries. What this meant in reality was that 95% of school leavers had at least one careers interview with a trained career professional in their final year and left school with a signed Careers Action Plan including at least half a dozen action points designed to help them fulfil their career goals.


The new Connexions service saw many former career guidance practitioners having to learn to shape-shift into a Personal Adviser and not only help and advise young people on their career strategy, but alongside these challenges they also had to learn about how to assist with welfare payments in complex benefits system, how to intervene in complex family and social traumas, often with their main focus turning to the minority groups in the population whilst the majority were left to flounder. To a large extent this contributed to a significant loss in profile for career guidance professionals and a collapse in professional standards.


Who Said We Need So Many Graduates?


Sadly, the first thing that Tony Blair’s Government did when it came to power was dismantle this internationally acclaimed system for supplying career guidance. The next strange act by the Labour Government was to hurl themselves at getting 50%+ of school leavers into university. Our global competitors don’t need this many graduates. Why do we? Could it be something to do with the smoke and mirrors of hiding the real number of unemployed who would have gone onto the dole queue? I hope not.


This naivety has made a significant impact on the health of the economy as there never could be enough capacity in the British labour market for such a number of graduates when the main reason we lag behind our global competitor’s economically is due to our lack of technicians not our theoreticians and academics. Couple this with the controversial, but increasingly obviously truism that our education system has been dangerously dumbed-down to satisfy the Labour Government’s obsession with targets, and you are left with a potentially broken generation whose career dreams are unfulfillable even before they enter the labour market.


Surviving when labour market reality bites


So within 2 years the whole world has changed beyond recognition and we are staring at a ‘double-dip’ recession. It is now August 2010 and everyone is holding their breath. The ‘Combined Spending Review’ is due out in October and the press are guesstimating between 400,000 and 2miilion public sector workers will lose their jobs in the next 2 years. Many have already gone since the swingeing cuts of the new coalition started to bite immediately post General Election.


The shifts in the tectonic plates of old education policies and the ambitions of the new are going to cause shockwaves felt mainly by the young. Gone are the aspirations of winning door opening degrees with the promise of fast-tracking to success in the ranks of full-employment as reality bites in. Overnight, we are going to have to accept that the supply and demand economics of higher education are changed forever. Universities geared up over 13 years to accommodate thousands of extra spaces now need to reverse that economically dubious trend.


As a would-be graduate considering going to university, take a long hard look at those economics. For the fresh graduate with that newly earned financial millstone around your neck, consider your next steps carefully. What you need to identify quickly are where the skill shortages lie. Where is the oversupply and run quickly in the other direction? Early 21st Century career survival is about adaptability and resilience. People applying for jobs through job ads and recruitment sites are playing an agonising numbers game where they are competing against almost insurmountable odds. Networking your way to job search success is more important now than ever and without these skills, the outlook is stark.


Unorthodox approaches win through. I hope that's an obvious point! Conventional approaches to employment are where all of your competition lies. This is the hardest job search maxim to translate. If you are looking for full-time, permanent, 9 till 5 kind of employment, then you are in the market of over-supply. Take yourself where the demand is high and the supply is low. If moving geographically is required to achieve this, then more power to you for having the gumption to react to labour market demand. It is always a tough decision. (Believe me, I know).


Maybe even consider overseas markets. Maybe even consider self-employment. Have you ever explored the option of being a ‘Portfolio Worker’; someone who possibly has a part-time job to cover the bills on 2 or 3 days per week, a voluntary job to feed the soul and a couple of self-employed contracts to speculate on generating real wealth? This might include buying a franchise, mowing lawns, proof-reading documents, buying, selling and merchanting – maybe using auction sites like Ebay.


The important survival skill in a competitive labour market is to make sure you are not welded to convention. Your parents will likely have experienced a hugely different labour market dynamic and your grandparents, many of whom enjoyed one or two jobs in a career spanning and uninterrupted 50 years, possibly with one company, will have no comprehension of the challenges facing a 21st Century career changer. Unless, of course, they were around in the Great Depression of the 1930s!


Two Eyes on Future Trends


Adapt and survive. Be prepared to take on new challenges. Only stand still with cast iron certainty. But always, always have two eyes on future trends. The labour market never stands still and will continue to evolve. Keeping the British economy at the leading edge of global commerce is an uphill struggle until we sculpt a labour force fit enough and up-to-date enough to compete for overseas currencies. The emerging economic giants of India and China have stolen a march on UK whilst we wondered what to do with 3rd and 4th generation unemployment after the collapse of all of our heavy industry. Ship-building, steel, mining have all gone.


We reinvented ourselves into a Hi-tech nation manufacturing semi-conductors just before the world’s semi-conductor markets collapsed. We then reacted swiftly into the world’s call centre capital and remodelled our science parks into call centre hubs. Sadly, many of our blue-chip organisation decided to outsource our call centres to Asia, Africa and now South America and our call centre hotspots in the North of England and Scotland are fighting to retain their market share. What are we going to do next?

Follow this column for further updates or contact www.careerdovetail.co.uk if you have found this blog thought-provoking and would like anymore information.

Building Purpose Through Savvy Self-care & Owning *YOUR* Words:

 

'Work Aesthetics - radiating beauty through love of labour'

On the back of a number of recent coaching breakthroughs, I found myself analysing those pivotal insights that unlock the epiphanies that tap-in to potential and achieve the breakthrough moments so many of us seek on our journey through life.

Since 1998, I have accrued data and insight, firsthand, that continues to convince me that 90% of the people I meet are in the wrong job or not engaged by their work at all. With my own tenuous journey to unlocking my true vocation bearing out these discoveries. Having burnt-through 35 jobs in the first 32 years of my work-life certainly wasn't satisfying. But by process of elimination, I discovered my 'calling' in the end! 

 

Aside to the massive issue of employers not valuing the fit between employees and their occupations, the primary reason for huge misalignment between workers and their work is so few people have taken ownership of their ‘self-story’. 

Derived as the key output of ‘self-inventory’, 'self-story' is the unique compendium of terms with which they can understand themselves, value who they truly are, act compassionately towards and self-encourage. In the most important act of self-care a person can achieve during their whole life. For them to be capable of looking into the mirror and not just accepting themselves. But genuinely liking (and, hopefully, ultimately, loving) the person looking back. To be enabled. By themselves. For themselves. Encouraged. Accountable. Responsible. Empowered. 

 

As a pathway to facilitating positive contribution, assiduously, industrially, ‘care-lessly’, too many of society's structures discourage this healthy inner dialogue. Education. Employment. Family-life. Religion. Conventions. Attitudes. Orthodoxy. Normality. 

Each step in the one-size-fits-all process of producing citizens, discouraging the pivotal acts of self-discovery, encouragement and identity-finding. Possibly, for fear of creating ‘big-heads’, misfits, mavericks, narcissists and egomaniacs. 

When what employers are alleged to seek are compliant, malleable, dutiful, work ready conformists. Ignoring the fact that almost all of the economy's value flows from that minority group of courageous agitators capable of original-thinking, creativity, rule-breaking, innovation that challenges the status quo and rewrites the rule-book. 

 

But my half-Century of findings are that so many of society’s conventions and attitudes actively legislate against people constructing a healthy, self-sustaining and progressive sense of individuation. Alongside the necessary self-esteem to effectively self-actualise and maximise our potential along this majestical, mythical, magical mystery tour this all-too-fleeting-freak-of-chance life has us embarked upon.

 

So, on the basis of recent research into pattern-recognition, performance analysis and breakthrough moments, here are some of the reflections that chime truest. Questions that inspire answers, are steps towards enlightenment, empowerment and encouragement. Thought-sparks that might assist you and yours in pausing to reflect, to take stock - constructively - about who you are now and who you seek to become in your future:

 

-      If you suspect there is another, better way, there probably is.

-   Your gut-instinct is arguably your best friend in the whole universe. If only you took the time to tune-in and listen to it.

-   Therefore, if it/ life/ existence feels broken in whatever way, it probably is broken. So, you need to fix it.

-   Step One: is the stopping, the retreating, the listening and being 'still'.

-   Step Two: Have you given yourself permission to be the you you strive to be? If not, do so now. Make a pact with yourself to maximise your potential.

 

-      In taking self-inventory, how many departments are there in your life to audit, e.g. career, work/life balance, emotional / spiritual wellbeing, fitness, happiness, meaningfulness, financial freedom/ security, living to a purpose, sustaining the pace of life, authenticity, freedom of choice, values-alignment, connection, community, 'worthwhileness'?

 

-       Being conscious of the dangers of comparing ourselves to others, by whose gauge do we measure ourselves? What does your gut-instinct say? 

 

-      What truly is important to you, may not be important to others. What is important to others, may not be important to you. But this is your life. You drive it. It is your conviction to build. Your responsibility. You are accountable. Authenticity is yours to discover. No one else. Ever. Only You.

 

-      What does success look like to you? How is it manifest in your deepest Self? Do not be discouraged to consider your dreams blueprints for turning your desires into reality.

 

-      Have you ever allowed your imagination to run wild on just how maximising your potential might look and feel like to you if you invested the self-work to seize-upon and optimise all of your talents, capabilities, attributes and opportunities?

-   Do you capture these innermost thoughts in a journal? If not, do so now. Pause - Reflect - Take Stock - Plan - Prepare - Deliver - Grow - Repeat.

 

-       Did you decide how your life would be or someone else? (Back to the pitfalls of comparing ourselves to others and measuring ourselves by other people's standards)?

 

-      Who invites the necessary (constructive) criticism into their life to rectify the ingredients that are not running smoothly?

 

-       Who can you trust to ask?

 

-       Are they impartial? 

 

-       Are they qualified to know?

 

-      If a 'Feedback Loop' exists, how can we ensure it is constructive?

 

-       Against whose performance do we measure ourselves?

 

-       Where are the errors?

 

-       How do you find them?

 

-      How do you correct them?

 

-      If you don't know what good looks like from the outside, how will you change it on the inside?

 

-      Are there patterns in your performance – good or bad?

 

-      Can you change them?

- Would you benefit from objective, expert guidance - thinking-partnership - coaching?

 

-      In the midst of all of this fog, who is the authentic you?

 

-      What is changeable?

 

-      Why change?

 

-       Do you care enough to want to change?

 

-       When change might mean you are not 'the old you' anymore... 

 

-       Can you just be happy as you are?

 

-      Have you sparked your passion?

 

-       Are you dedicated and devoted to your goals?

 

-       If not, what does this tell you?

 

-       Do you believe in yourself?

 

-       If not, why not?

 

-      Where does self-acceptance fit into personal-development?

 

-      How do you value your mistakes as lessons and not beat yourself up about the faults you make?

 

-       Is perfection a standard that helps anyone, least of all your Self?

-   Can you tell your story in a way that supports your goals? 

 

If there is one thing, one component, one action almost all of my clients have in common, it is that they are making a decision.

 

-       Step 1 is informing it.

 

-       Step 2 is weighing-up / prioritising your options?

 

-       Step 3 is deciding.

 

-       Step 4 is acting - with conviction.

 

-       Step 5 is learning, error detecting, error correcting...

 

-       Step 6 is persevering…with The Feedback Loop

 

… and so on and so forth. Generating energy. Contributing Good. Radiating Love of Self, Work and Others. 

 

The ‘Feedback Loop’ plays its part constantly as an indicator of ‘error-detection’ and ‘error-correction’. During the whole process of refining aim and intention, what happens on the basis of falling short or successfully fulfilling objectives is an increasing body of ‘knowledge of performance’ on the basis of refining one’s ‘knowledge of results’; known, collectively, as ‘tacit insight’.

 

Which is borne-out of the living of life and the making of mistakes.

 

Which are reduced by practice.

 

Which make us who we are.

 

Work flows. 'The Feedback Cycle' continues. Potential is maximised. 

 

The magical ingredient is knowing and taking ownership of your purpose in life and being able to differentiate this overarching ‘beacon on the horizon’ from your mission. With your purpose being your ‘Why’ and your mission being your ‘What’ you do to fulfil it.

 

This whole process is a constantly evolving action plan that shifts your life from the reactivity of the ~90% of the population struggling to comprehend the meaning of their lives. To the proactivity of the ~10% who know their story is a river flowing towards a destiny they own, believe in, live for and aspire towards.

 

Take stock. Do the Self-inventory. Learn to know you. Own YOUR words. Believe in YOUR story. Design your purpose. Live Life. Self-actualise. Know meaning. Contribute Good. Leave a legacy.

 

If this message is lost. Find out why. 

Know your Why.

 

Work Aesthetics^© = radiating beauty from love of your labour.

 

#feedbackloop #selfcare #selflove #worklove #purposedivining #findyourpurpose #personaldevelopment #disaffection #engagement #talent #outliers #careerplanning #careerdevelopment #coaching #selfinventory #epiphany #careerdovetail #duncanbolam

www.duncanbolam.com

Duncan Bolam © 2022