Mid-career can be very difficult for some. You may wonder if you are doing something you will be happy with for the rest of your life. It may be something you need to consider, but once you know you are in a career that makes you feel good and happy about yourself and are future-ready, you will be much happier no matter what you do next.
The maturity that we will have depends on our life experience and knowledge. We are usually now at an age when we can be more experienced and use our better judgement for things in life that we think we need or want. We want to be completely confident, able to make our own thoughts, and able to make changes that are better suited for us.
In our mid-career, we may realise that life is going to be made of moments. Those moments will be treasured and measured for what they are, and they are important parts of our life’s past that have given us precious memories and the determination to make us who we are today. This can help us better ourselves and become the person we want to become. It can also motivate us to change careers so that we can be delighted and happy with our life situation.
The first thing that you need to do is to do your current job well. It’s essential to take your responsibilities seriously and use them to your advantage. If you need help with your current tasks, how will you be able to advance and seize better opportunities in the future? No matter what you’re doing, it’s crucial to do a good job and give it your all. As a newly qualified Movement Controller in 2002, I did my utmost to deliver during my time in the army, which later led to finding the next opportunity to become an army linguist. If I were already underperforming as a mover, I would like to know if my troop commander would have supported me.
Learning how to access your abilities may not be easy for you. You may need help to get what you want with what you know. You will need to do a few things to get what you want and have the following career that makes you happy and gives you the satisfaction you are looking for. But it is not your skills or knowledge. The world of work is changing so rapidly that clinging to the past can only limit your future. Technology is shortening the lifespan of knowledge, skills, and even entire professions. The knowledge you’ve acquired to date becomes outdated faster than ever as industries transform and skills lose relevance. This means the professions and jobs we hold today often won’t exist in their current form a decade from now. In this moment of great inflexion, including a restructured workplace, the rise of AI, and rapidly changing cultural, social, and technological trends, our most critical skills–our most human skills and knowledge—are endangered.
So, what should you focus on? As a mid-career, you must focus on your ‘talents’. Your talents are what will separate you from the rest because skills and knowledge can easily be updated.
As a soldier, you know that your weapon can fire up to 600 metres- that’s the first thing you learned during basic training, but you also know that hitting your target at this distance is not going to be easy by experience. This is what we call actual knowledge and experimental knowledge, and they are both critical. Of course, since we are continuously learning, both types of knowledge will change. We must use that knowledge to create a better future, as we know AI is already being used in 76% of the market. Last week of November 2024, the government published the Get Britain Working white paper, which rightly focuses on tackling economic inactivity, particularly among young people. It reflects years of work to identify the causes and solutions to unemployment, but how about those leaving the forces? How do you ensure your next job is your BEST career? General Sir Richard Barrons, in his foreword of my book Leavers to Leaders, said it this way: ‘Perhaps the greatest tragedy around military service is not the friends who never returned from battle or the life-changing mental and physical injuries some of us must bear, it is the thousands and thousands of veterans who find themselves trapped in jobs that employ a fraction of their character, skill and experience… ‘.
Leading oneself is an essential part of effective leadership. Leaders can realise their full potential and lead others by discovering and cultivating their strengths and passions. Finding their mission can give clarity and purpose to both themselves and the organisation. Concentrating on your strength zones and outsourcing energy-consuming activities allows you to use your influence to its fullest potential without burning out.
So, how do you become future-ready at your existing workplace? It would help to let others outside your military network know that you are doing your job well and are proud of your work. The key word here is ‘outside’. You should not keep it a secret if you are good at your job. Let them know when you are doing things right so they know they can hire you for the next job. Ensure those above you know that you are a good choice, that you are doing everything that is expected of you, and that you are ready for the next challenge. If you do not tell them, what are the chances of someone else telling them you are doing a great job?
Another way to be future-ready and assess your abilities to get a promotion is to identify key organisational decision-makers. If other people make decisions in your company/regiment, then you need to get to know and understand them. Find out what they want from you and what they will expect. This will help you be better known in the company, further your career, and give you more opportunities. You should take on more responsibilities if you do your job duties at higher levels. You may want to start volunteering to help your co-workers or your supervisors when possible. Ask your supervisor if you can lend a hand. If you have the opportunity to lead a project, take it. Ensure you are demonstrating to others in your team and Squadron that you have what it takes to be a great success.
Finally, you must be able to take on more work at some point in your career; however, you do not want to put yourself above the limit. It would help if you only took on what you can handle. If you have the opportunity to lead a project, take it. Ensure you are demonstrating this to others in your team. You will feel better telling them upfront rather than waiting till the last minute. The more you impress your managers and supervisors, the easier to earn a promotion. The professional world has changed significantly in the last 20 years. We used to look for jobs in newspaper ads, then embark on a professional career and stay for decades in an organisation that would direct our leanings. In today’s world, we are all responsible for our future, and it requires professionals to take control of their careers without losing sight of their employability in the marketplace. This is the only way of being Future-ready.