This is a bit of a personal reflection moment but the theme of career reflection is common at certain milestones, it is human nature!

My personal situation is that I have just rolled over the 3 years of employment mark in my current company and I find myself reflecting on my current role; the last three years and of course the future ahead.

Now I am lucky enough to be in a working environment with a clear set of goals, some great people all around me with a pretty diverse and interesting business offering services across the entire employee life cycle and as I sit to reflect and plan ahead I thought I would share some key elements and maybe a bit of career advice.

Here are my tips:

  1. Take the time to reflect.

Yes I know, I know… we are all ‘busy’ some perceive themselves to be too busy but reflection is a critical piece of the puzzle: not just for your career but for life in general. If you do not allow your mind to unwind, digest and analyse then this will cause you problems. Make the time!

  1. Celebrate the wins

Mark out some key milestones of your achievements. Many of us focus on the negatives and remember the hard times or the pressure points through our career. but the positives and achievements are also key!

  1. Ask for feedback

I have sat down with my peers, my manager and team and asked for feedback. My view is that without feedback you cannot make adjustments – but you also have to be ready for the not so good stuff alongside the good if you ask!

  1. Get a mentor

Preferably an external mentor: this helps with disconnecting you from your environment. It assists with providing a bit of clarity and some new perspectives.

  1. Be curious

I love this word but it relates to life-long learning and development. If you are curious and ask questions to others then you will be amazed at how much you learn yourself.

  1. Surround yourself with diverse thinkers

I give a lot of credit to my boss as we have some really diverse thinkers in our group and just how important this is cannot be underestimated.

  1. Be Honest

Sometimes you have to be honest with yourself – reflection is a self-awareness exercise. Sometimes the answers you come up with may not mean your current role is in line with your future aspirations so be ready for this!

So there you have my thoughts – whatever stage of career you are: a bit of time out to reflect, renew and discover might help.

Critically – please action what you learn along the way!

Let me know if the points work for you.

Stephen Cushion, General Manager – Consulting

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