Career Defining Moments Part 4: The best work of your career

Check out the other blogs in this series:

Part 1 Stepping Up, Part 2 Saying Yes, Part 3 Pushing Through

At the top of your game

You’re on fire!  You’ve got the Midas touch and things are humming.  You’re at the top of your game and doing the best work of your career. 

Ok, so what’s next?

The answer to this question could be any number of things, such as, what motivates you and whether you’re able to sustainably maintain this level of focus and commitment that has led to your success.  For most people, getting to the top of their game takes years of learning their craft, applying it in different scenarios, failing, overcoming the temptation to give up, then adjusting and persisting until finally it all comes together. 

We can all think of people we admire who have achieved tremendous success, and in most cases, it has been well earned.

What comes after the peak?            

Although many of us want to maintain high performance, once it has been achieved, not everyone wants to repeat it.  Ash Barty, the former world number one tennis player, is a great example. She retired from the tennis circuit (for the second time) in 2022, whilst at the peak of her powers.  Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, has been a tennis powerhouse for years and holds the record of 377 weeks as the best player in the world.  Two people, two world number 1’s, two very different stories.

How long your peak lasts in the working world, is generally a combination of market factors, your ability to remain consistent (and motivated to put in all the work required), whilst continually looking to improve. 

It is also determined by what you want.  Maybe, like Ash Barty, you want a change. Perhaps your definition of success looks different now.  You might be more interested in transferring your expertise to others, or you might apply your talents in another area. 

Different journeys

I’m fortunate to work with several high performers and they all have different stories.  My last blog highlighted Marianne and her ability to deliver top results time after time.  She loves accounting recruitment… always has.  Before that, I wrote about Alicia, who I’ve worked with for 20 years. She takes on every challenge thrown her way and always says “yes”. 

Mikahla’s story is different.  Like Marianne and Alicia, she has achieved a sustained period of high performance here at Optimum.  However, her motivation is now focused on broadening her skills, to leverage her recruitment expertise into the world of HR Consulting.  Her journey is taking a different path, whereby she is boldly putting herself outside her comfort zone.  She is determined to expand her knowledge and bring new value to her clients.  She is managing her career to ensure she can apply a range of skills across the employment lifecycle, and in the process, enjoy the variety of work. 

Despite her successes so far, and knowing her determination, I suspect the best work of Mikahla’s career is ahead of her. 

Playing the long game.

There is no right or wrong with this.  We all have different journeys.  Mine has been more focused on leadership and growing multi-disciplinary teams.  This is what gets me jumping out of bed each day nowadays, but it was different for me in the past. 

What we’ve achieved in the past, what we are doing presently and what we’ll do in the future, will contribute to our legacy. 

What’s your career plan?

Contact us for career planning discussion if you need some help getting started.

BEN WALSH
General Manager – Recruitment

Ben is General Manager – Recruitment at Optimum Consulting Group, an Australian employment advisory firm.  He has been actively recruiting and managing teams for twenty years, with industry experience gained in Australia, Canada and Ireland.