Has COVID-19 rocked your world? Make a change for the better in your professional life with help from a performance consultant
The world of work and business has changed a lot (to say the least) due to COVID-19. Some are struggling to adapt to new standards of work, such as working from home; some have been made redundant or have had their hours reduced; some have reassessed their priorities and realized that they would rather do something else. Now, more than ever before, many people are coping with more variables in their day-to-day decision making, and many are feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and in need of career advice in Hong Kong. Whether the last year has brought you career achievements or frustrations—or both—a period of intense change can be a good time to check in with your career goals.
This is where performance consulting can help. In the traditional sense, performance consulting is a service for businesses to analyse and identify productivity issues, and then recommend solutions to improve performance. But the same process also applies to individuals looking for career advice in Hong Kong. Due to COVID-19, everyone—whether they are an individual or a commercial business—is going back to the drawing board.
Success is going to look very different in the years to come and so will its prerequisites. Here are five top tips for career advice in Hong Kong that still apply in the rapidly changing world of work.
Career advice in Hong Kong
1. Look within
What kind of work do you want to do? What kind of organization do you want to join? What sort of teammates would you like to be around? What professional values are important to you? What kind of impact do you want to create? These are all important questions that enable you to start building a clear vision. There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions, but it is important to set time aside to reflect on them. Many people never take the time to ask themselves what they truly want until they’ve been in roles and organizations that they would not have otherwise chosen.
2. Paint a picture
As you reflect on the above, you’ll start to ‘paint a picture’ of what truly matters to you—not what society, your friends or your parents want for you. The key is to take ownership of what you want to do and where you want to ‘go’ professionally. It’s imperative you have a vision, and I’m not referring to a ten-year plan. Look at what you want your next six months to look like. Then, look at the next twelve to eighteen months. What you want is there for the taking but you first have to figure out what you truly want.
3. Build relationships
Applying for roles in a generic manner, either through ‘easy apply’ or through company portals is not the best use of your time. Why? Because you’ll probably never hear back from anyone. The best way to go about finding the right kind of role for you is to leverage your existing network and then also build new relationships by reaching out directly to people in similar positions so that they can help you open doors. That’s the first step. The second step is to identify ways that you can add value when you meet these stakeholders and decision makers.
4. Demystify myths
In today’s hyperconnected world, it’s easy to get lost in the sheer quantity of information being exchanged, so make sure you steer clear of false ‘truths’. For example, to be successful, you must grind all hours of the day. Wrong. What you need is a commitment to efficiently executing a strategic value proposition. Another example, which is very much linked to point 3, is that it’s who you know, not what you know. Wrong. If someone was to set up a meeting for you right this very moment with a very senior stakeholder, would you have a compelling elevator pitch ready? Probably not. It’s what you know AND how you can leverage it.
5. Cultivate self-worth
It’s normal to feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, especially in times of massive change. So it’s important to make a habit of checking-in with ourselves to see how we feel. Setting time aside for activities that relax and centre us is crucial. Good daily habits—such as exercise and eating well, reaching out to your support network, and spending time in nature or away from electronic devices—will enable us to tune in to our self-worth and to cultivate it. This includes self-worth in relation to our career. If we don’t rate ourselves highly, or fall into the trap of believing that we don’t offer much value, it’s unlikely that we’ll encounter much professional luck down the road.
In short, performance consulting is all about assessing our current state and identifying the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Whether you’re kick-starting your current career, making a lateral move into a new industry, or starting something completely new, these five tips for career advice in Hong Kong will keep you on the right path towards your next big opportunity. Seek and you will find.
