Shifting out of the ’employee mindset’

Turn on the radio or open up the paper and you will find hopeful stories about economic recovery as well as grim reports of ongoing economic woe. For every bit of positive financial news, there are stories of layoffs, stock market declines, and housing slumps. We are trying to make sense of the world because we need to know if we can afford to buy a new car, change jobs, take a vacation, or if we will be able to retire any time soon. People are looking for signs that will point them in the right direction. Often we sit tight because we are not sure which way to turn. The only thing that does seem clear is that we are living in unstable times.

The workplace is especially tumultuous and changing. The old rules about jobs and work don’t seem to apply and the new rules are fuzzy and complex. It is no longer the case that we graduate high school or college and then stay with the same company until retirement. Showing up and working hard every day offers no promise of steady employment. A college education does not guarantee a livable wage. Years of experience can hinder rather than help us land good jobs. Our professional lives are less linear and more full of radical ups and downs. A typical career progression may look a lot like an EKG print out with jagged peaks and dips. All of this makes many of us wonder what we can do to survive and even thrive regardless of what is happening in the world.

Rich Feller, a highly regarded Colorado State University professor and president of the National Career Development Association, offers sage advice for finding career stability in unstable times. “We are living in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. It is important that we grow more comfortable with the current state of insecurity.”

Granted, accepting uncertainty may be easier said than done because recovering from a layoff, learning to live on less, and surviving a lengthy job search often takes a heavy financial and emotional toll.

Still, Feller asserts that one of the key skills we need to develop is the ability to move through challenges with greater ease and shorter recovery. As we adjust our mindsets and expectations to be more accepting of career and work-related chaos, we will be less devastated and immobilized when faced with difficult situations.

It is not only important to change the way we think about the world, we must also shift our thinking about ourselves and the work we do.

According to Feller there are only two kinds of workers. “You are either an owner or a temp. You either own the company or you are in a temporary state of employment. Jobs are nothing more than paid internships or opportunities to build occupational competencies.”

Feller also points out that many of us over-identify ourselves through our careers. Job titles and salaries have traditionally determined our value in society. No wonder most people are devastated by being laid off or let go from jobs. We had visions of loyalty and security and then within a moment’s notice we are stripped of both title and salary.

“We believed that our work would make us matter,” Feller says. “It is often shocking to discover that we are dispensable and quickly replaceable.”

Feller suggests that in order to better survive job losses or career setbacks we must find other ways to matter in the world beyond the work we do or how much money we earn. Caring for our families, building meaningful relationships, artistic expression, and community involvement are some of the ways we can find meaning and make a difference apart from our work.

Shifting our perspectives and expectations about our careers is vital to maintaining stability in rocky times. We also need a new set of tools and skills to compete in today’s workplace. These include:

• Clear, compelling marketing materials that outline the value we provide and the skills we have to offer.
• Targeted list of potential employers and/or clients who need our particular skill sets.
• An active and engaging personal networking plan that includes a variety of face-to-face, online, and professional outreach efforts.
• Social media expertise and know-how.
• Commitment to maintaining strong technical and industry specific skills.

Keep in mind that these are not job-search tactics but rather life skills that apply to every stage of a career. Thriv-ing in the current market requires that we shift out of the employee mindset and start managing our own professional development. It starts by defining a niche and understanding the types of problems we can solve. Stale resumes, boilerplate cover letters, and lackluster online profiles won’t cut it. We need to develop our personal brands with effective marketing pieces that communicate our worth. Networking must become a way of life as opposed to a contrived job search activity. Social media is not going away and we need to embrace it.

Feller offers up the following mantra, “Success is not permanent and failure is not fatal.”

“We need to keep our professional lives in perspective,” he says. “We are more than the sum total of the work we do and the money we earn. We will likely experience greater ups and downs in our careers. Accepting the new reality and being ready with an updated set of skills and tools will help us recover from setbacks more quickly.”

In the coming year it is likely that many of us will continue to experience ups and downs in our careers. The hope is that each of us will learn to ride the waves with greater ease.

Carrie Pinsky is a Fort Collins-based career and HR advisor. She can be reached at carrie@pinkskywriting.com.

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