The Career In Turmoil, written by Nick Roud, 7th April 2025
Nothing is perfect and yet we all want things to be better. For many our careers have been well thought out. From early years you have had dreams of becoming an…………………. Over time as you have matured those dreams slip to one side as we become consumed by stuff and things which quite possibly bear no resemblance to what we imagined our careers would be. As we embark on a life of work how does it seem that some seem to have it all whilst others continue to struggle?
I am a big believer that we all have options. We all can achieve great things. We all can ensure our careers are enjoyable.
Our careers can be split into many chapters, a little bit like the weather or seasons. Winter time can be a wonderful time to rest up to read, to learn new skills. Hunkering down with a good book as the nights draw in. Enrol on a new skill that you have been wanting to understand better and or learn. Summer time is a time to be free, to speed things up, to try new stuff and continue to learn along the way. Autumn is a time to build on those learnings, how may they be put into something actionable? Spring well to me spring is such a great time a new dawn arises – new opportunities – new beginnings. If you have put in the hard work then it’s time to set those new found things out to the world!
How we perceive our careers is and should be a personal reflection. In my career coaching practice I see many clients compare themselves to others, Nick – they have better titles, more money, look at what he/she is doing, I went to school with them look how well they are doing! These are some themes that are shared with me in confidence. A person who enters into those kind of thoughts to me is missing some golden opportunities to appreciate the things they have. If we are trying to keep up with the Joneses we will never in my humble opinion meet our own full potential. Social media plays an important role as we spend hours and hours and hours scrolling through images / words / thoughts of so called happy people who are fully fulfilled in life. My advice here would be to throw all those so called helpful Apps away and just breathe, look up, smell the roses and be purposeful in your intentions. Please please please stop short of comparing yourself to others. This will be one hell of a fast way to crash your career.
Over the past few months I have been purposeful in my use of technology (apparently there is an App for that!) I have continued to double down on my pen and paper approach to work and journalling. I can’t recall a time that I have read so much in my life. What I have noticed is I am more in tune with my body, myself, my feelings and thoughts. I think I should take some shares out in Moleskin – they make the most beautiful journal books and continue to allow me to get thoughts out of my head. The other thing I have noticed is ‘Time’. When I am reading and journalling time seems to slow down. Is it just me or am I reading too much into that? My recent read has got me really fired up on the world we live in. Nelson Mandella – Long Walk To Freedom. Still a few chapters to go but as I turn the pages I thing about leadership more and more. How am I showing up as a coach? What am I bringing to the table? How am I enabling my CEO clients to really move the needle forwards. I get to sit in many different rooms, with leaders who continue to make a difference. At times they share with me how their career has at some-stages been in turmoil. From self doubt, not getting traction, to missing out on opportunities. These are some of the thoughts shared with me during our 1:1 coaching work together.
So how can we take control of our career and avoid it turning into turmoil?
- Be clear on your Values
- Take note of the strengths you have
- Consider up-skilling yourself during quiet times
- Stop comparing oneself to others (remember you are not them and they are not you)
- Surround yourself with people from all walks of life
- Take advantage of training and development offered from your company
- Slow down, breath, remember its your life and career
- Challenge yourself, establish the base plate
- Look up and out
A career is a choice, you can choose to do something different. You can choose to learn new skills. You can choose to leave the orhanstiaon you currently work for. You can choose to take a step back or a step forwards. You can choose to go without something in order to do something else. These are all your choices.
Careers are fun, full of flavour and varieties. There are an abundance of choices if you are willing to look hard. Remember people make a difference, who’s in your black book?
Finally you may choose to have multiple careers. Taking strength from a variety of roles, could be gifting your time in the local community, helping out at local events. Could be pitching in with local activities from rest homes to early morning delivers. I read recently that an active mind is a healthy mind. As we grow older remembering that what drove us before may not be what is driving us today.
Go have an amazing career. Consider what it is that you enjoy doing, how much income do you need as an individual or as a family? Remember that we can all course correct (or pivot) as the buzz words says. And finally as I wrap up today’s career coaching blog it’s your career, own it.
Nick x
(note from Author, no AI was used in writing this article, words came from Nick Roud himself as they always do!)