Is your career sustainable?
Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash
The future of business is green but is having a sustainable career at the top of your wish list?
What is a sustainable career?
Not to be confused with a career in a ‘green’ function, a sustainable career is aligned with your values, strengths and interests.
Is your career sustaining you? Whilst it's possible to work under difficult circumstances – at what price?
The warning signs
You may be a high earner but you feel empty and unfulfilled
You may confuse job title and status for fulfilment
You may live for your holidays because it’s the only time you get to switch off
You may work for a well-known, desirable brand but the pace and expectations at work leave you with little mental and physical energy
You may have a sense of security with a job title but feel constantly challenged by the culture and leadership
You may be in survival mode at work
You may be a great asset to a company but at the expense of your career
You may be struggling to get your career back on track after the pandemic and it doesn’t look likely to change anytime soon
You may feel like you’re going through the motions and don’t have the time and energy to think critically about what you want
You may be telling yourself that you should feel grateful to have a job because you survived the rounds of redundancy
You may feel exhausted and lack motivation to make things any better
You never thought it would happen to you but your physical and/or mental health has been affected
How to build a sustainable career
“A sustainable career is built upon the ability to show that you can fill a need that someone is willing to pay for. This holds not only when you’re starting a business or looking for a new job; it’s also an important springboard for refining your current job and your career trajectory to make it more ideal” HBR
Let’s start with you:
o What do you stand for?
o What do you stand against?
o What do you value?
o What's the best culture fit for you?
o What lights you up?
o Who lights you up?
o What drains you?
o Who drains you?
o What's the next obvious step on your career path?
o What would you love to do more of?
o What would you like to do less of?
o How might you be getting in your way?
o What are your short, mid and long-term plans?
What next?
Don’t assume that a new job is the best solution. Look at your career and work in context using the wheel of life (it’s in this blog)
3 steps to getting your career back on track and the wheel of your career.
Want a new job?
Get clear on your value proposition and transferrable skills. Then research potential companies and job opportunities where your expertise would be valued.
Going green?
Search LinkedIn for jobs using keywords, follow relevant companies and sustainability groups and connect with leaders in the field.
Create your sustainable success strategy
What actions can you take to make positive changes to your career? Use the questions above to guide you and help you to stay on track. Make informed and conscious decisions about your career and next steps.
Need some inspiration?
The former creative director of a well-known fast-fashion retailer
We worked on her positioning and transferrable skills. She now has her sustainable label and design consultancy.
The design and development director at a leading clothing manufacturer
We have mapped out his options and a strategy to take his sustainability experience and know-how to market.
The strategy director of a top tier creative media agency
We identified her marketable value, stretched her goals and pushed through the middle-aged career imposter feelings that were holding her back.
Get in touch to discover how I can help you and your career.
ABOUT ME
I’m Tracy, Career Consultant, former Executive Headhunter and I help senior executives and leaders land great jobs and be successful at work through 1:1 coaching.
I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.
If you’re ready for straight talk and career guidance get in touch – let's start the conversation.
And don’t forget to sign up to The Insider – behind the scenes of your executive career for my 'insider' tips and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.