How to future-proof yourself no matter what industry you’re in
By Jess Lane, Founder of The Full Cup Co. [Career Design for the Future of Work] | 20+ Years Fortune 500 and High-Growth Tech | MA Psychology, Pepperdine University
The future of work can seem intimidating to some, but I’m going to explain why it’s actually a very fun and exciting time to be working.
Here’s how to future-proof yourself, no matter what industry you’re in →
Ditch Your Resume
Step 1: Ditch your resume.First, you need to remove the small box you’ve been given to fit yourself and your career into. A resume sounds pretty much like everyone else that’s applying for the same role. And it’s likely being scanned by AI bots before it gets to anyone anyway. It’s confining and not allowing you to consider what’s actually possible for you. It’s only defaulting to whatever jobs are available. It’s a reactive, not a proactive tool.
A much better approach is to allow yourself to think beyond a title and job description, because these all sound the same. You want to be able to differentiate. yourself, and that should be fun, because it means being more of…YOURSELF!
Here’s how to do that →
Start with your Intrinsic Motivators
To identify what makes you YOU, you need to understand the things that are going to drive you long-term. This is based on Self-Determination Theory, which states that the sustainable key drivers of motivation and well-being are autonomy, competence and connectedness. So, do I have a choice (autonomy), am I decently good at it (competence) and does it have meaning for me; do I feel belonging somehow (connectedness). These are intrinsic motivators, and the proven keys to long-term sustainability and well-being. You can learn more about the research behind Full Cup Method here.
So, first. you want to understand you. Start with your background, values and beliefs, interests and passions, personal and career experiences, and desired impact in the world. These are the key components to understanding the key themes that drive you and set you apart.
Understand Your Unique Blueprint
Now that you have a key understand of your intrinsic motivators, think about the unique combination of those key themes. What are the common themes that keep coming up? What are the themes that stand out as similar, different or surprising? Don’t be afraid to mix up key themes to come up with a unique way that you want to show up in the world. You can mix and match things until they make sense to you.
For instance, I merged a master’s in psychology with 20 years of commercial experience to create a career design company. Have fun with it and lean into your flow state. This is going to set you much further apart in the future of work than sounding like everyone else.
Focus on Solving Human Problems
No matter what industry you are in, there will always be new human problems to solve. For instance, I talk to Christine Carlo George of Post & Beam Creative on her podcast Know Like Trust for Real Estate about how real estate agents are uniquely positioned to solve the current (huge) human problem of loneliness, due to their embeddedness in their communities → Listen here: https://www.postandbeamcreative.com/post/how-to-build-a-personal-brand-that-survives-any-market
But that’s just one example. In any industry, you can apply your unique blueprint to solve a human problem to also drive your career, just like I did.
Learn New Things & Upskill
Adaptability and flexibility will be some of the most important skills in the future of work. The more you understand how to use AI to automate what you don’t need to do, and to help you lean into your zone of genuis, the further ahead you will be. You can also think about upskilling in an area that will set you apart from your peers or that is an interesting complement to the experience you already have.
You Are Your Magic Ticket to The Future of Work
It all starts with believing that YOU are your magic ticket to the future of work. You actually can design your dream career now, vs waiting for another 9-5 to choose you. It’s time to stop defaulting to work and start designing it.
If you’re ready to future-proof yourself, you’re in the right place.
Book your 90-minute Career Design Clarity Session: https://www.fullcupco.com/clarity-session
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Jess Lane is the founder of The Full Cup Co., the career design company for the future of work, creator of the Full Cup Method and Strategic Executive Exit. She has 20+ years of marketing and business leadership across Fortune 500 and high-growth IPO and unicorn technology companies including Porsche, Visa, Michelob ULTRA, and TheRealReal, and a Masters in Psychology from Pepperdine University. She helps experienced professionals design their next chapter and the career meant for them.