Reinventing Career in Disruptive Times
Tanmay Vora
Disruptive times like the current pandemic may not seem like the right time to think about alternative career possibilities, especially if you are doing well in your current context. But often, disruptive times push us to think beyond the box we are in, question our choices and reimagine what it means to work.
Then, there are people who are facing the uncertainty in the face with high probability of being laid off, going through business disruptions and being impacted in an economic slowdown situation. These situations often force us to reinvent ourselves.
“It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking, than think your way into a new way of acting.” ― Jerry Sternin
The first disruption in my early career came due to 9/11 attacks on US. The team I worked with was building a dotcom for a US investor. We were more than half-way through (with several months of unpaid salaries) when the investor backed off because of economic downturn. The company closed down and all of us were left scrambling for work.
Me and two of my colleagues however continued supporting a customer (voluntarily) who used our software for their automobile workshop. When the customer came to know about our situation, he offered us funding/resources to start a business together and offer web development services to customers globally. That crisis led to an opportunity to do something radically different in a new context. Now, almost 20 years later, I can see how that experience of accidentally reinventing myself as an entrepreneur in midst of struggle for survival helped me adopt an entrepreneurial mindset even when I pursued a corporate career thereafter. I can recount similar stories from my own career and from friends who reinvented themselves.
“The reinvention of daily life means marching off the edge of our maps.” – Bob Black
When we intend to change the shape and form of our career, several things are crucial:
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It starts from being able to reimagine/envision ourselves in a different context. Adopting a growth mindset helps.
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We often reinvent ourselves around our alternative pursuits or side gigs. (if we have invested in having them in first place)
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Having a network (personal, professional and extended via social tools) lifts you up with possibilities.
In this context, I found Herminia Ibarra’s article on HBR titled “Reinventing Your Career in the Time of Coronavirus” very helpful. I came across Herminia’s work through Deepak Jayaraman’s Play to Potential podcast where Herminia shared amazing insights on our working identities and career reinvention. Herminia Ibarra is the Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School.
In the HBR article, Herminia outlines five insights that enable career reinvention in disruptive times like the one we are going through now.
This might be a very useful read for those who are thinking about a career change or simply going through a situation where some level of personal reinvention is inevitable.
Here is a #Sketchnote summary of the HBR article.
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