Careering, Yes … it’s a Verb

The term Careering came from Sally hogshead’s book Radical Careering, one of my favorite little career book.

Here is an excerpt from an interview/podcast from total picture radio:
“Careering … when you think of it like a verb, it shift the way you interact of a career … your career is no longer a thing that is static … It is constantly moving and evolving”

Most of us, gen X & Y, are not going to stay in 1 role or even 1 company for more than 10 years. Our career will probably morph as time goes on. We should take a proactive stance to manage how we grow in every moment of our careers. It doesn’t mean to job hop … You can take projects & responsibilities to gain skills & knowledge to move towards your goals.

This is what careering is about.
Have you been careering or settle with the 1st thing that comes by?

Lead: Gaining Leadership skills

Leadership skill are often list in any job posting; but when it comes learning it, we can’t just take a class & say we have leadership skills.

Like many skills such as writing, math, exercising, playing the piano or industry experience … Leadership skills need practice & gradually growth.

If you want to gain leadership skills, there are many place you can to start. These are some suggestions:

1. Volunteering
With so many tasks to do, you are force to take charge in completing some of the task. This will give you a chance to gain coordination skills.

2. Assoications or Communities
Having a role in associations & communities will give you responsibilities you don’t usually get. Many times you will need to request for help to complete these responsibiliies. Know how to requesting effectively is a fundamental for leading.

3. Teach
With no surprise … this is another way, teaching is a way to guide others to a specific goal. You can teach one-on-one or one-to-many, in the end, the goal is to lead people to learn particular processes or information.

Teach: Being Better at Work

Having been a teacher before going into university, I learned alot from teaching. When I started working full-time, I have taken as many opportunities to teach others as much as possible.

This is what I gained through teaching at work:

1. Better interal networks
When you teach others on things that save them time, others will show gratitude, trust and deeper connection. When you help enough people to save their time … you will have a vast network that will help you when you need it.

2. Better communicator
This one is simple, when you guide & explain more; The better you are at explaining & guiding

3. Better learner
If you teach others a lot, you will naturally keep on learning; so you can teach others. Also you will get to know how to be better at what’s the best way to learn for yourself.

Of course there more, much much more teaching can teach us. These are 3 interesting one I want to start off with.