The 6C’s for Career Success
Get ahead faster and be the best you can be in your career
The job market has changed dramatically in the last few years. It has become more challenging to land a job, especially if you are looking for a position that is not in your field or if you do not have relevant work experience.
On average, it can take anywhere between three months to over one year to find a job. And may extend for up to two years in chronic situations. Nowadays, employers are stricter with their selection criteria as they receive too many job applications for each job posting. They have continually invested in the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) systems to prune and shortlist candidates based on selected or pre-set keywords. In addition, they have actively engaged external recruitment agencies and job hunters to help them find the right talent for a job. This statistic and evolution clearly show how competitive the job market is today and that job hunting is not for the faint-hearted.
If you want to succeed in your job search, you need to have clearly articulated strategies to find your dream role in the industry.
In this article, I set out the 6 C’s for career success based on my personal experience to help you get ahead in your career.
#1. Clarity
Not knowing what you want can significantly impact your career goals
Although I have written these points in no particular order, it is almost impossible to achieve career success without clarity, which is why I would consider this the most important of all.
Why is this important?
Everyone wants to have the job of their dreams. Unfortunately, many people don’t have a clear idea of what they want. And without clarity, it’s impossible to create a plan to achieve your goal.
As trivial or straightforward as the word “clarity” may sound, many young professionals do not know what they want. Not knowing what you want can significantly impact your career goals. It’s like driving a car to an unknown destination without using Google Maps or GPS.
I speak to many young professionals today, and it’s pretty alarming the number of persons who are either currently in school or out of school and cannot articulate what they want in their careers. This is concerning, especially when you imagine the resources they have committed to their education, especially in tuition fees.
The most important part of charting your career path is having clarity in what you want. Defining what you want would save you months or years of emotional and mental stress and prevent you from chasing someone else’s dream. If you haven’t defined your career goals, start by asking yourself the questions below:
- What do I want?
- What matters to me the most?
- What are my skills and strengths?
- What are my interests, and what motivates me?
- What are my core values?
- Which environment do I thrive in the most?
- What do employers need, and how do my skills and values align with these?
Knowing what you want as soon as possible and having this embedded in your subconscious will help you prepare better for the future. Understanding your goals would help you focus on the most critical aspects of your career, and this will save you countless hours doing the things that necessarily do not add to your career goals. You would only have to invest your time, energy and resources into what matters the most to you. Therefore, I encourage you to spend some time assessing yourself to understand what you want.
Like compound interest, you may not see the immediate value or reward in seeking career clarity; you would be rewarded with its benefits in future.
#2. Creativity
Creativity is the mother of invention.
Creativity is one of the essential skills in today’s job market. It is necessary to think outside the box and develop innovative ideas to distinguish yourself from others. However, many people struggle with creativity and don’t know how to tap into their inner self to bring out their best self and stand out amongst the crowd.
A dream job will not happen overnight. You have to put in the work and show that you deserve such an opportunity. And one great way to quickly display your raw talent is by being creative to a potential employer.
You have probably heard the saying that creativity is the mother of invention. Of course, I am not asking you to build the next Boeing aircraft, battle with Steve Job’s Apple iPhone series or compete with Elon Musk on his mission to make other planets accessible to humanity. I am simply trying to communicate that you have to get creative in your daily endeavour and pursuit of career success. You can unleash your creativity during your job search to show the employer that you are the right candidate for the job.
There is stiff competition with jobs, as too many applicants jostle for limited job applications in the job market. With practically everyone applying the same strategy, you need to think of innovative ways to help you stand out before employers. Employers love professionals who can think outside of the box. They are bored of seeing the same thing repeatedly, from resumes and cover letters following nearly the same structure, style and in some cases, contents. The applicants that stand out are those that are unique with their approach.
Your ability to solve the inevitable problems is the essence of creativity, and employers want to see this before you even get the job at all. You have the potential, and you can unleash your creative imagination during your job search and not necessarily wait until you start the job. There are a few things that you can do to boost your creativity:
- Be open to new experiences: Get out of your comfort zone and try new things. You don’t necessarily have to do what others are doing. Doing non-unique things will not fetch you extraordinary results.
- Take time for yourself: Relax and clear your mind to develop new ideas. The best ideas stem from a rested and relaxed mind.
- Reflect from the other side: Put yourself in the employer’s shoes, and ask yourself, what would you like to see in an ideal candidate? What would a candidate do get you interested and excited about building a working relationship?
- Be social: Connect and exchange ideas with other professionals.
#3. Consistency
Real remarkable changes come from the effects of the numerous changes, habits or decisions that are accumulated over time — James Clear
Besides knowing what you want and showing creativity, you also need to be consistent in your job search to achieve your desired results.
It can be challenging to land a job these days. There are more job seekers than ever, and the competition is fierce. The only way you can stand out from the crowd and get noticed by potential employers is if you do your part by showing up every day, consistently, with your best work. Yes, it may be frustrating at times but keep being consistent, knowing that it’ll pay off in the end.
Quitters never win, and winners never quit
Many individuals don’t get the results they want because they get worried and lose hope due to not getting instant results and immediate gratification from their current input. They believe there is no point in putting more effort into an activity that might not pay off in the end. However, they do not understand that a series of building blocks of action is required for compound growth. According to James Clear in his book Atomic Habits, real remarkable changes come from the effects of the numerous changes, habits or decisions that are accumulated over time.
The more focused and consistent you are about what you want, the easier it will be to find a job that is a good fit for you. Additionally, being consistent in your job search means engaging in activities that ultimately provide the results you desire. Some of these activities could be applying to jobs regularly, networking with people in your field, or following up on applications. If you keep moving without breaking the chain, you’ll achieve your desired results. On the other hand, if you quit, you will not achieve the results because quitters never win, and winners never quit.
#4. Constraints
Your odds of landing your dream job and achieving career success will significantly increase if you know the factors or limitations that can hold you back and address these factors accordingly
You might be shocked that I am discussing constraints. Yes, constraints are as crucial as other factors that will assist in achieving career success. According to Brian Tracy, there will always be a constraint or limiting factor between you and your goals.
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly is holding you back from landing your dream job. The majority of the constraints you will encounter in your quest for career success and growth comes from within. But your odds of landing your dream job and achieving career success will significantly increase if you know the factors or limitations that can hold you back and address these factors accordingly.
Some widespread constraints could be a lack of industry experience or skills, lack of a relevant degree, lack of the necessary work rights or visa type for overseas skilled workers. Or maybe you’re not quite sure how to get started on that perfect resume and cover letter.
I encourage you to self-reflect and reach out to more experienced professionals in your field and region to perform an exploratory analysis of the limitations that can hold you back in achieving career success.
Not knowing the forces against you is like fighting the wind; you keep doing your best to beat it; however, it keeps hitting you from a hidden angle or direction. No matter how much effort you put into achieving a goal, the effect of one limitation can neutralise all your efforts and hard work. Therefore, the quicker you can determine and itemise these constraints and address them, the better your chances of success.
You need to identify these chokepoints and double the time you spend solving them, as this will determine how fast you’ll be able to get to where you want to be. The quicker you remove these constraints, the faster you’ll be able to achieve your goals.
#5. Competence
Simply put; Competency is Skills. Employers pay for skills and will only pay you if you have the necessary skills to perform your job.
There will be a set of core skills required to be considered for the role in nearly every field. This requirement is often a no-brainer for some positions, especially in Information Technology, which is very technical. In some cases, candidates must participate in technical interviews requiring live coding or problem-solving sessions.
Your chances of career success will increase significantly if you understand the skills required to get the job you want.
If you know the skills you need, the best time to start learning the skills is now. You want to be competent enough before you get shortlisted for an interview or commence your new role.
On the other hand, if you do not know what you are good at, one of the best ways to find a career you will love is by trying different things. Get involved in activities that interest you and take on new challenges. These actions will help you figure out what skills you have and how to use them in your dream role.
The job market is competitive, but you can land your dream role if you have the skills the employers need.
#6. Courage
Courage will give you a higher chance for success in your job search and career progression if you do not give up prematurely.
Courage is needed to forge ahead in any endeavour. You need courage to start and continue a task without giving up. A job search can take several months; therefore, courage is necessary to forge ahead during these challenging moments. Job hunting is indeed not for the faint-hearted.
With the current unemployment trends, mostly communicated through colleagues, peers, news and media and other information sources, you need the courage to focus on the positives instead of the negative news and situations around you. It won’t be easy to cope with these challenging circumstances without courage.
Courage is taking action regardless of the odds and fear. Courage will allow you to take risks, take up new ideas or engage in activities that others would not dare to take. It will give you a higher chance for success in your job search and career progression if you do not give up prematurely.
Courage is needed to continue in the face of the ugly unemployment news and statistics you hear all around you. Courage is required to keep up when you haven’t heard back on a job application. Courage is needed when times fly past after you have graduated from college and haven’t landed a job n the industry. You would need courage to keep going when everyone around you seems to be progressing with their career except you. Do not be worried when all you see online, especially on LinkedIn, starts in the lines of “I am delighted to announce that ….”
I cannot guarantee that there will not be setbacks or disappointments; however, these are temporary. You will eventually achieve your goals and be successful if you keep your heads up and endure in the face of all disappointments. There will be light at the end of the tunnel.
Final thoughts
Finding your dream job and achieving career success is not always easy, with many ups, downs, twists and turns. You need to be creative in your job search tactics as you try different ways of getting ahead. To find the right career path, you must be clear about your career goals and the skills you need to achieve career success.
You might encounter some challenges along the way, but stay focused so that you don’t lose sight of your goal and ensure you take action consistently towards achieving your career goals.
There’s no such thing as a fast track when it comes to a successful career. You have to be prepared for setbacks and develop the courage to forge ahead in times of challenges and uncertainties.
Good luck!
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About me:
Banji is a career advisor who enjoys sharing his learnings with young professionals to assist them to land their dream jobs and become the best they can be in the industry.
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