Know Your Environment for Career Success

13 May 2016

Do you know the environment that surrounds your career?  If you don't there may be opportunities you are missing out on and potential threats that you are not planning for.

This article continues a series of articles that dig deeper into the process of career maintenance.  Regular career maintenance keeps you on top of your career.  To do career maintenance well take time to look at 4 key areas:

1. Know yourself really well
2. Know the environment that surrounds your career
3. Making proactive decisions about your career
4. Take action to keep your career developing

In this article I want to focus on the importance of knowing what is happening in, and being connected to the environment that surrounds your career. 

When I talk about environment I mean those people and events that are outside your control that can have unexpected impact on your career. 

Keeping a regular an eye on the environment surrounding your career helps you plan for and take advantage of short and long term shifts that occur. 

Here are some things to keep an eye on:

• Technological advances – for example if you had been in the film processing industry as digital cameras and smart phones emerged you would have needed to make some very pointed career decisions.
• Political changes – different government have different priorities which could see funding moving in different directions.
• Key people in your industry – know who they are, what they are doing and what they are thinking.  They will shape how your industry develops.
• Social sentiment – what are people demanding and will their demands impact on your industry?  A key example of this is the shift to a national disability scheme in Australia.
• Clients – Are there things that are happening to the key clients that you service that may impact your job and industry?

How do you stay on top of your knowledge of what is happening in your environment?  Here are a few ideas:

• I outlined a whole bunch of questions you can ask yourself about your career in an earlier article.  Review and answer those questions.
• Be a member of the professional association or associations that are connected to your career.  For example if you are a public servant IPPA is one of the professional associations you should consider joining.
• Use social media platforms such as LinkedIn to keep abreast of things that are happening.  In LinkedIn join groups that discuss issues relevant to your industry and career and link to and follow people who are influential.  And if you are a member link with me.
• Set yourself a goal of having a coffee catch up with others in your profession that you may not interact with on a regular basis.  For example people who have moved on from your place of employment, but are still in your industry.
• Keep abreast of the hidden job market (keep an eye out for an upcoming article about this).
• Go to networking events – breakfasts, talks, seminars and find people who look lost and strike up conversations with them.  They will love you for it.
• Build your network of contacts and regularly and generously share knowledge and resources with them (see a previous article on principles career success where I outline why this is important).  As author of Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazi says ‘Build it before you need it’.
• Listen critically and objectively to the rumors that always circulate in an organisation.  Share them with your manager and separate out fact from the fiction.
• Take on a volunteering role in something connected to your career – this widens your knowledge base, keeps you more employable and provides you with a wider network. 

The environment that surrounds your career will have a significant impact on the options that are presented to you – make sure you stay alert and ready to seize opportunities that are always coming along.