How to future-proof your career

How having a stable career path can help alleviate stress, improve happiness, and give you a goal to drive towards

With 74% of UK workers worried about their financial situation, having a career plan you can trust can help improve confidence in your future.1

There are simple steps you can take at any stage in your career to ensure that you’re getting the best out of your working life.

CREATE A CAREER PLAN

Creating and maintaining a career plan can be a great way to keep you motivated and moving forward. Sometimes, a career plan can also include a career jump, finding the correlations between your current job and your desired role. This way, you can map what skills you have and what you need to develop to ensure you’re in a position that you enjoy. Career plans can also include self-development outside of the clinic to ensure that you’re building the skills you want, which can help you in every setting.

REMAIN FLEXIBLE

While a career plan is useful, you’ll want to ensure it isn’t rigid. Staying flexible is an essential part of enjoying your career. From pandemics and redundancies to industry changes, there’s plenty that can change the way your role looks in the future.

Being able to adapt is an essential skill that can help you not only progress further in your career but also give you an added level of security. Not everything goes to plan, so ensuring that you can take everything in your stride is an essential part of business.

Adaptability can also lead to great leadership qualities, including focus and quick decision-making – ensuring you’re highly valued in whatever role you have.2

STAY INFORMED ABOUT YOUR INDUSTRY

Another way to cement yourself into your career is by staying informed about your sector. Not only will this mean you’re not taken by surprise if things change, but you will also be able to get a quick start on new industry trends. It is also a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and capability in your role.

DEVELOP TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

No matter what direction your career takes, including changing job roles completely, by acquiring transferable skills, you’ll be able to adapt and work in all environments.

This is a great way to gain confidence in yourself, and you don’t just have to boost skills that benefit your specific industry. Spending time outside of the corporate environment can allow you to meet new people, experience new cultures and opportunities, and work on your transferable skills.

Some skills can include communication (including learning a new language), time management, and multi-tasking – which can all be learnt through taking up new hobbies and sports or spending time doing something you enjoy outside of work.

“Whether you’re new to the working world or fully versed in your career, there’s still time to improve and develop,” says Gary Clark, academy director at SIA Austria. “Having confidence in your career plan includes ensuring you’re happy and healthy in your role, not just good at it.

“Self-development is often underappreciated in the workplace, but even spending some time away from your work and trying something completely different, like ski instructor courses, can improve your skills inside your industry.”

Future-proof ing your career means gaining confidence and security in your role. Contrary to popular belief, venturing outside of your work and chosen industry can benefit you in many ways. From learning to adapt to new environments to gaining skills you wouldn’t in your normal day-to-day, future-proofing your career should focus on what you enjoy, not what you think you should do.