In our last blog post, we pointed out some underlying rules that would lead to a breakthrough in your career. The article sparked a conversation about career-defining moments.
What are career-defining moments?
A career-defining moment is a point in time or a realization that catapults, changes, or highlights one’s career path. This could be a new assignment that highlights your skills and potential, or it could be a word from a mentor. This could also be defined as a moment when your career got out of limbo and found its preferred niche.
4 ways to get to your career-defining moment
1. Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Firstly, this happens to many. Self-doubt, thinking you would get called out for doing your job, or the feeling that you don’t deserve the role or that project.
You need to kill off that doubting Thomas mentality. Trust in your skills and experience.
2. Don’t be too comfortable in your current situation.
Achieving your career-defining moment takes action, activities, and skills that will navigate you to the realization. Being too comfortable in your current state of your career would leave you stuck. In the cooperative world, one should constantly challenge themselves. Your job is meant to expose you and provide you with opportunities to learn more about the industry you work in.
So how do you go about not being complacent;
- Learn new technical skills that would be relevant to your industry. Keep up with the new tools and trends in your industry.
- Reignite your ambition. Find ways to motivate yourself in your current field. This could be as simple as hanging out with ambitious people.
- Take up new opportunities. Be on top of volunteering for new projects at work. These will expose you to new skills and new trends.
3. Find A Mentor
Find someone with whom you can share your vision and career goals. This could be your manager or supervisor. According to Pluralsight.com, “a great leader has a vested interest in seeing you grow and succeed, especially if your career aspirations help the business in some way.”
Similarly, you could get other people in your field who could act as your accountability partner.
4. Have a Career Vision Board.
Put down your vision, goals, and mission in a visual representation. A career vision board can be a fantastic tool to gain clarity and make a strategy for your future if you’re feeling you are in a career limbo or too comfortable. Clearly state the purpose of the vision board. Write down your career goals.
Lastly, use the career vision board as a scorecard for your career-defining moment.
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