SMU Career Guide 2021

Page 14

ADAPTING TO A CHANGING WORLD

CAREER RESILIENCE FOR MILLENNIALS What is career resilience? Why is career resilience important for a millennial entering the workforce? Here is a guide on how you can nurture and develop what it takes to be a resilient professional in an ever changing world of work.

What is career resilience?

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ou need both hard and soft skills to navigate the professional world, as well as strength and resilience to cope with unpredictable changes and switches to different career paths along the way. Maintaining a positive mindset, identifying how you can contribute to the industry and organisation, and being ever receptive to learn new things are all part of developing career resilience.

Why is career resilience important for millennials? Although young professionals usually have new skills to offer to the market even in a changing economic environment, there is no guarantee that your career jouney will always be smooth-sailing. Furthermore, transiting from school to the industry involves a big leap, calling for adaptability and self-awareness.

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Do you have career resilience? Check yourself! How many of these boxes do you tick? I am not afraid of failure and I see it as a learning opportunity. I embrace challenges and keep a positive attitude when faced with one. I am resourceful. I am inquisitive about how things work and enjoy learning about new perspectives. I am flexible with changes and adapt accordingly. I have good relationships with contacts in my industry.

Cultivating career resilience 1. Be Adaptable Keeping up with change, be it macro-economic shifts or new events and manpower movements in your workplace, is key for any professional who wishes to remain flexible and positive. Change can be unsettling, but knowing that change is the only constant helps you to adjust your expectations whenever new situations arise, reminding yourself to stay afloat and fit in.

2. Build Relationships Maintaining a good network helps you to get industry insights and support from those who appreciate your work, personality and ethics. While trends can move and shake the industry, nurturing valuable professional relationships often means that someone can lend you a hand in a time of need.

3. Commit to Personal Growth Take charge of your own development by looking out for new courses to take, and be thirsty for new knowledge to gain. Other than asking your employer to offer you training, spend your afterwork hours wisely to keep abreast with industry news and developments.

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