Career Stress – clutchmagonline.com
Most of us are stressed out at work, that’s a fact! Too much work, too little work, too many responsibilities, not enough responsibilities, bad bosses, could-care-less bosses, absent bosses, wrong jobs, not-quite right careers: stress, stress, stress!
The most common complaints include: “How do I know if this is the right career/job fir me?”, “I have no positive role models!”, “I would like to be mentored in my career!”, “I can’t seem to find a job!”, “I have so much to offer, but it seems no one is interested”….and so on and so forth…
Faced with dire economic circumstances and a scary economic state, professionals are doubting both their abilities and futures. And understandably so…Especially among millenials, the levels of career-related stress are abnormally high, as shown by a recent American Psychological Association’s study. Professionals, and especially professional women, are harboring significant fears and anxieties about their professional futures, as career paths are becoming more uncertain, less defined and definitely more biased.
While changing the economic outlook and circumstances of our lives and environments may require much time and effort, altering our mindsets can prove to make a difference. By turning our anguish into motivating fuel, we can learn to take responsibility for our careers and strive for better:
- Find solutions! A very inspiring big corporate sister of mine used to tell me “Always strive to bring solutions, not problems, to the table.” This approach has proved very successful in my career as in the rest of my life. Yes, there are problems, all bigger than the next. And yes, we must acknowledge them and address those career roadblocks standing in our way. Yet when it comes to taking action, there should only be room for solutions! Are you experiencing difficulties finding a job? Make more professional connections, send more resumes, volunteer more, be everywhere you may be needed, and watch opportunities come up! Dealing with an unbearable work situation? Look for alternative, lateral opportunities that will look good on your resume. Think out of the box, find conventional and unconventional solutions, make it a point to find a way!
- Listen up…take some advice! Nothing like a fellow corporate sister or brother’s learning experience to get you thinking and acting about yours in different and better ways. So do not just listen up to the good advice that gets sent your way, but actually go ahead and actively seek the guidance you need! Have you been eyeing an inspiring corporate sister to be your mentor? Muster the courage to ask them for their support and guidance. Have a question on your mind? Speak up, ask, and listen to what others have to say.
- Cherish your failures! The great Michael Jordan always said that he is so successful because he failed a lot…Every time I have to start over, or fall on my professional bottoms, I remember this quote. I remember that while successes may feel great for a while, we learn most from our failures. So cherish those setbacks, value those mistakes you made along the way, because without them, you would not be who you are! Learn from it, and vow to yourself that every time you enter a room, you’ll make it the best experience you possibly can!
Are you using your career stress to your advantage?
The Corporate Sister.
