Resilience and You

What is resilience and do you have it? More than that, how can you build it to help you through times of crisis?

The global economy has taken a massive hit. And although it is recovering, some industries are still hollowed out, and experts believe that Singapore’s post-recession economy will be vastly different.

But job searches wait for no one, and neither do graduation dates. You might already have been left gutted at the thought of a subdued convocation and the reality of finding a job you like in a recession. Now, on top of everything else, how can you get over this new reality without dwelling on it too much?

With dignity, grace, and most importantly, resilience, of course!

What is resilience?

When you ask “What is resilience?”, you might find yourself fed lines on adaptability, how you should react to unplanned events, or how quickly you can recover when things do not go as planned.

Except, that is not the full truth. Yes, resilience is about being able to adapt to, and navigate through, unknown circumstances. But it is also about the capability to bounce back with minimal stress even when things do not go according to plan.

But there is also career resilience. And it is about awareness, a certain ability and agility to change along with the challenges you have to face in order to achieve your goal, as well as the strength to grow and learn from the obstacles you encounter.

The good news is that we all have both resilience and career resilience to a certain degree. For example, have you been looking for ways to future-proof your career? Taught yourself how to solve an unknown problem through Google searches or YouTube tutorials? These are all examples of resilience at work.

Resilience is a trait that you can strengthen with enough practise and time. Just like how you can improve your public speaking skills through mock presentations, you can also improve your resilience through facing tough situations with the right mindset and figuring out how to adapt!

Why is resilience important?

Without sounding overdramatic, resilience can make or break your job search – especially now that your job prospects and career progression may seem unpredictable with current events.

Challenges will inevitably pop up, like your job search not going the way you want it to, or taking much longer than expected. These factors can weigh you down over time and cause you to question your own self-worth. By approaching the process with the right mindset, you can avoid this and ensure that your career journey continues to be a positive learning experience for you.

However, resilience is not about irrational positivity or burying your head in the sand. It is about approaching your career planning with a growth-oriented mindset. Learn to keep your eye on the bigger picture and do not let temporary setbacks pull you down. Be confident enough in your strengths to be honest about your own weaknesses and actively approach any task with the intent to learn from it and improve.

Being resilient is key to a meaningful long-term career journey, too! In fact, a survey by LinkedIn Learning listed adaptability as one of the skills employers need the most in 2020. And a huge part of staying adaptable and nimble in the marketplace is to actively cultivate a resilient mindset within yourself.

How to start building resilience

Although the local economy is recovering, the effects of the global pandemic can still be felt, leaving the situation precarious. As such, developing resilience now seems more important than ever. But where do you start?

You can begin by looking inward and understanding what makes you tick. Here are some suggestions:

• Look back on times in your life where things went well and when they did not. How did you respond to these scenarios? What do they say about how you react in both good and bad times?

• Be honest with yourself about your weaknesses and fears. Why do they scare you or bother you? Are you satisfied with how they are? If not, what will you do to try and remedy that?

• Check if your campus career services centre runs workshops for self-awareness. If they do, check them out

• Pinpoint strategies or measures that have kept you calm and helped you address unforeseen circumstances in the past. Whether it is just mapping things out on paper, or turning to spirituality to ease your mind, just go with what works best for you

• Be kind to yourself. Being confident in your strengths starts with loving yourself more

• Accept that change is the only constant in life, and learn to embrace it

• Learn to approach mistakes and rejection positively – see them as learning experiences or opportunities for feedback

• Remember this simple truth: your past setbacks are not an indicator of your future success!

Putting resilience to work

How do you make a resilient mindset work for you in your career planning, especially now that the world is a very different place from what it once was?

A resilient mindset is not set in its ways. If job applications alone are not working for you, try attending online events to broaden your professional network and search for other avenues. Alternatively, you can relook your resume and applications and get external feedback on how you might improve them further. And if your dream industry is not hiring at the moment, think about some other options you can consider.

But you can also turn your attention to picking up more skills to ensure career resilience, as well. If the industry you want to enter requires certain skills or knowledge you do not currently have, do not just throw your hands up in defeat! Take the time to go for courses or read up on those topics. Courses are also not necessarily long – in fact, there are six-hour courses on popular sites such as Coursera.

Learning how to approach your career journey with a resilient mindset is a key part of staying employable – whether during uncertain times or stable ones. Make it a point to keep practising it every chance you get, and see the difference it makes in terms of how you think about yourself – both as a person and a professional!