Recently I had the pleasure of welcoming Patrick Lynch, President of CMP Southeast Region, to Let’s Fix Work. Now, we are all well aware that the workplace is changing and challenging. And that applies to people at all stages of their careers, from those just starting out to those who are possibly winding things down and looking forward to retirement. How do companies and individuals manage all of the growing issues with getting the right people into the right jobs? Well, that is where Pat comes in. His company is a talent and transition firm that helps HR leaders develop their people and teams across the full talent life cycle – from talent acquisition and leadership development to organization development and outplacement support.
But I wanted to put the focus on outplacement. What about the inherent concerns, stresses, and struggles that accompany transitioning between jobs? In our conversation, Pat discusses some of those issues people face when they find themselves moving from one job to another. Oftentimes, people are caught off guard by a company that has changed course and is now altering their workforce. So, he encourages people to always stay up to date with their industry and skills and be open-minded about their work and their futures. He says, “Things are moving at such a fast rate that you have to be always keeping yourself current because some industry darling all of a sudden could be disrupted in a matter of a few short years. Now, what do you do? So you have to have that ability to adapt and be flexible.” That involves networking, always putting yourself out there, and positioning yourself to be ready to take advantage of new opportunities that may come your way.
In order to be able to take advantage of those opportunities, he stresses learning.
That means being a life-long learner. It doesn’t matter what age you are, there is always more to learn. As he says, “You have to learn to be a learner.” It is so important to always be developing yourself and your skills so that you are marketable when transitioning between jobs. We all need to embrace that idea of constant learning so that we can be creative when the time comes to find a new job. You may have to step out of your comfort zone to improve your skill set.
So, are you ready to take control of your future at work? If so, be sure to listen to this engaging episode of Let’s Fix Work as we discuss the challenges facing workers of all types in this economy, ways to think more strategically about outplacement, and finding a new job.