Generation Z is the youngest generation in today’s workforce. They are often named the job-hopping generation. They have only been in the workforce for a short amount of time. But according to a survey, one in five Gen Zers already had four full-time jobs. This is due to them being financially-focused, wanting challenges in their job, and the ability to pursue their passion.
There are times when job-hopping can help one achieve their career goals. If you are learning new skills, is demonstrating engagement, and show career advancement, then your job-hopping is doing your career good. But if you see yourself switching from one career to another unrelated gig and there is no clear progression within an organization, this only means you need to make some major changes.
What Gen Z needs to focus on is to stop job-hopping and start developing their skills more. Here are some strategies you can consider adding to your list to better facilitate professional development.
Lay out Your Goals
The first thing on your list needs to be mapping out your goals. Determining your goals and writing them down will give you a better idea of what you need to do to achieve them and which ones you should prioritize first. Create specific steps that you need to take to reach your goals as well as the challenges you may face while trying to achieve them.
For instance, your goal is to build your own brand within two or three years. You will definitely need to prepare for your business venture by learning the basics of entrepreneurship, brand positioning, go-to-market strategies, etc. You can consider enrolling in online courses related to entrepreneurship and obtain SkillsFuture certification to give yourself a head start.
Explore Your Wins and Losses
You need to know what your strengths and weakness are. This way, you can work on improving your weaknesses and slowly turn losses into wins. Consequently, keeping track of your wins allow you to motivate yourself and do better each time.
You should not simply focus on your wins. It is important that you recognize your losses, pinpoint what went wrong, and realize what you can do to win the next time around. The more aware you become, the easier it will be for you to solve your problems in the future.
Exploring your losses also allow you to identify the things you need to change, fix, or improve. You will learn that you might have a skill gap that prevents you from advancing in your career. You can start learning the necessary skills needed so you can further step up the career ladder.
Obtain Feedback and Be Ready for Constructive Criticism
One remarkable thing about Generation Z is that they value feedback. They prefer getting feedback in person from their managers and colleagues. Use this to your advantage to learn whatever blind spot you have that stops you from doing an even greater job and obtaining a higher and a more challenging role.
Everyone has their own blind spots. But since we are often blinded and unaware of things we do wrong, or inefficiently, it is easy to continue doing the things that are already hurting our career. The earlier you start getting feedback and changing for the better, the more you learn and grow.
Step out of Your Comfort Zone
No one ever managed to climb the career ladder without making an effort to challenge themselves, take on bigger roles, and learn knowledge and skills. If you are one who often says “I can’t” “I don’t know” and “I will not”, then nothing will really happen to your career. You will stay stagnant and you got no one to blame but yourself.
What you need is to start stepping out of your comfort zone and start embracing new challenges. Be willing to learn new skills, gain new knowledge, and experience failure. Challenge yourself more often, do what needs to be done and your words will soon be “I can” and “I will”.
Keep on Networking
Who you know can influence your career in more ways than one. Networking does more than just knowing the key players in your field and establishing a long-term connection with the influencers in your industry. You also get to enjoy the following perks.
- Increase self-confidence
- Leverage your contact’s powerful connections
- Make yourself stand out with your skills and expertise
- Attain support from your industry’s high profile individuals
- Boost your creative intellect for sharing and exchanging knowledge with other professionals
Don’t shy out from attending networking events, reaching out on LinkedIn, and to ask for advice, and not a job. Be authentic and considerate, and make sure you always have something to offer in return. Even if another party doesn’t have anything to offer just yet, it pays to be polite, kind, and helpful.
In this day and age, what matters is who you know what you know, and what you can do. Make sure you align your goals and strategies and to welcome feedback and constructive criticism. Turn your weaknesses into strengths, your wins into your motivation, and be willing to go out of your comfort zone. It is never easy advancing in your career. But by making the right investments, you too can build your name and achieve your career goals in due time.
