Career paths are becoming less linear and in the current climate of uncertainty, should we even bother planning? Our Career Development Manager, Sam Berry, explains the theories underpinning the way we approach career planning and professional development to help UTS students grow in curiosity and embrace ambiguity.
My background in Recruitment and Career Coaching positions has given me the opportunity to work with people at a variety of life stages at critical times in their careers. Sometimes the career moves or changes they were experiencing were self-initiated, and sometimes they were completely unexpected, such as in the case of redundancy or unanticipated personal life events. Something I noticed was that those who seemed to achieve success, or “bounce back” in difficult circumstances, were those who had somehow already planned for the unexpected. It led me to consider how much control we really have over our career trajectory, and whether a sense of control is an advantage or not.
Do we choose our career or does it choose us?
Is it possible to find our one true calling, or are we at the whim of the unpredictable world around us?
Rewind 60 years or so and it was common for people to work in the same occupation, industry, or company for the duration of their working lives. There was a sense that once you landed a job, either through choice or circumstance, you were stuck with it. The general assumption was that you would start at the bottom and work your way up the ladder until you reached the top of your profession or retired. Early models of career management paid little attention to influencers such as changes in society, economic fluctuations, new industries or an individual’s personal life.
We now know that the world of work has become fast-paced, global and more connected than ever via technology. What happens on the other side of the world can affect us almost instantaneously – change has become a key influencer in our everyday lives. We also know that changes in personal circumstances, family commitments and individual values are important factors in our careers. Modern career theories encourage us not only to accept change, but to anticipate it. And that frames the way we educate students around how they can take charge of their own career trajectories from the moment they arrive at UTS.
Chaos Career Theory
Chaos Career Theory suggests that because we live in a world which is constantly changing, where one event can influence another unexpectedly, career development is unpredictable.
According to this theory, finding one true calling and having a long-term plan for our career path is unrealistic. Instead, we’re best to develop strategies to deal with unplanned events, to be aware of what’s happening in the world and our industry so that we can be alert to changes and respond in a positive way. It’s like viewing our career as a series of projects that we take on according to opportunities that come our way – perhaps due to what’s happening in the market at the time, or because a chance meeting or event occurred. To thrive in these conditions the most important career management skills would include keeping our radar up for new opportunities, continuously adapting our know-how as we go, and being able to bounce back if things go wrong.
Planned Happenstance Theory
If the prospect of handing your career over to chance feels a little daunting, but you recognise that a linear career path is outdated, you may be more comfortable with the concept of another theory known as Planned Happenstance. This perspective is similar to Chaos Theory in that it accounts for the unpredictability and rapid change of today’s world, but it incorporates self-management, allowing for “planfulness” as well as serendipity. Planned Happenstance Career Theory encourages us to plan for what we can, but also to embrace unpredictable events and see them as unavoidable, yet desirable.
Take the example of Lina, a Law graduate with 18 months’ experience in a corporate law firm. Given a downturn in the industries that her department provided services to, she found her role was unexpectedly made redundant. Lina took the opportunity to reflect on her studies and her career so far and found that the most enjoyable components for her related more to winning clients and understanding different business models than to the legal work itself. She also took the extra spare time to explore her interest in yoga and joined some classes where she built a new network of contacts who held similar personal values. Over a period of time spent networking and reading in her areas of interest Lina discovered that she could combine her knowledge of business law, client relationship skills and passion for healthy living to help one of her new contacts develop their corporate well-being business. After some further networking and research into the market, this ultimately became her next career step.
Lina landed on her feet by embracing new opportunities and contacts. She realised that she could utilise recently developed skills and interests. She also found that she could be better prepared for this type of life event in future by keeping a constant watch on industry changes, staying engaged with her passions, meeting new people and regularly assessing where she can further develop her skills and knowledge. She began to feel more comfortable with the idea that she could take a new direction again in the future when the opportunity presented itself. Lina could represent many of us, the students we meet in our recruitment efforts, regardless of age, profession or experience level.
Can you teach curiosity?
Perhaps it can be cultivated. Your career path will undoubtedly be influenced by circumstances outside your control. It’s the response, the readiness to pivot which could mean success in the midst of a difficult situation, or loss which leads to further difficulty. It’s our hope that students who engage with us at UTS Careers are able to explore their options, consider their own responses, what action they can take and how to “future proof” themselves as much as possible.
We can’t always cover all bases. But we can consider how we might deal with difficult circumstances before they happen. Being aware of our own values, strengths and interests, and being committed to continuous learning can help us navigate the twists and turns. Perhaps we can embrace the concepts of both destiny and chaos, by knowing ourselves and the value we offer, staying alert to our changing world and seizing unexpected opportunities.
*Originally published by Samantha Berry on LinkedIn.