Times of crisis, whether personal or professional, may not exactly bring to mind more successful careers. As we’re navigating the coronavirus crisis at the moment, so many jobs are being moved online to be performed remotely, while many others are unfortunately being lost to a seemingly declining economic outlook. Additionally, this crisis is disproportionately affecting women, as a result of the already existing disparities between men and women at work.
As the future may appear gloomy, many, as a working woman and/or mom, you may be wondering what can be done to remedy the situation. While there are many elements outside of your control in times like the ones we’re currently facing, there are a few things you may be able to do, as challenging and counter-intuitive they may seem. One of these is to strengthen your career in times of crisis:
- Re-center and re-focus!
Crisis have an uncanny ability to help bring us back to ourselves, as we re-center and re-focus o who we truly are, what is important to us, and what drives and motivates us. “What am I here for? What is my purpose? How is my current career aligning with who I am and my true purpose?” These are a few of the questions that may arise during challenging times.
The urge to re-center and re-focus in times of challenge is actually a gift, one that has the potential to help bring us increased clarity and strengthen us, thereby indirectly strengthening our careers.
- Cultivate your adaptability to change
The only constant is change. More than intellectual ability or street smarts, it’s your adaptability to change that really determines whether you just get to survive, or thrive. As you re-center and re-focus on your priorities, you also free yourself to adapt to different, more challenging contexts.
It’s this same adaptability to change that constitutes one of the most vital skills for any long-term career, and can propel you from shaky economic ground to stable and positive professional re-invention.
- Never stop learning!
Last but not least, times of crisis are also times of learning and tremendous growth hidden behind hardships and challenges. These are the lessons, insights and growth spurts that end up becoming your most precious competitive advantages, both on a personal and professional level.
All in all, strengthening your career in times of crisis may sound counter-intuitive, but is actually a by-product of challenging times. It’s when your career may seem the most strengthened that paradoxically, you may just be on the brink of discovering your best professional assets and strengths.
How are you managing your career in times of crisis?
The Corporate Sister.
