Here’s a one liner that might confuse, shock and perhaps, enrage some workplace learning teams.
Building L&D products, solutions or tools (alone) won’t solve 99% of supposed workplace performance problems.
Before we begin:
If you’ve read any of my stuff before, particularly my work on Steal These Thoughts!, then you’ll know I have a somewhat obsession with human development and the exploration of meaning.
I’m of the opinion that having meaning in life is more important than happiness. Mainly because happiness is an emotional state, one that is fleeting and cannot be sustained. Whereas meaning is something that drives us, gives us a sense of being and will more likely provide the moments of happiness we seek.
A quick note before we begin:
This is a topic I’ve wanted to write about for sometime, it’s taken me nearly 8 months to finalise what you read now.
I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour and exploring why we do the things we do. As a society, mental health issues have been on a scary increase over the last 10-15 years and particularly in my generation, the anointed ‘millennials’.
I believe that all of us in some way are dealing with the mechanics of a path and way of engaging with the world that we did not choose when we were infants, most likely thrust upon us by those who raised us.
As I’ve grown older, it’s become pretty clear to me that many of us struggle daily because some of the things we have been taught in the environment from our younger years don’t actually help us live a good life now.
This post is not me telling you what to do, rather it’s a bunch of thoughts and insights that I feel can help us all find some understanding in why we operate the way we do, whether that’s in how we think, feel or behave.
It’s ultimately about recognising that you have a choice in everything in life and we have the power to change anything.
A common misconception in the careers game is that a CV is a passport to today’s best opportunities in our economy.
This is FALSE!
Let’s talk abt this… ⬇️
The competition is huge
There are abt 8 billion humans on planet earth today. Let’s say (hypothetically) 1 billion work in your industry.
Of those 1 billion, let’s say 450 million have the skill set to do the role you’re doing today.
That’s a lot of competition, right?
If all you have to compete with the rest of these people for opportunities is a CV. Do you think this is enough?
Do you believe the playing field is level??
It’s not. Many have created advantages to navigate the game and produce better opportunities.
Here’s how…
Create an advantage
We all have a platform to create career advantages, and that thing is called the internet.
Yes, the thing we’re all on right now!
You can easily:
➡️ Build a niche following on social platforms
➡️ Show your work on a website (thanks Austin Kleon)
➡️ Contribute knowledge on video platforms
➡️ Share value through a podcast
➡️ Start a blog and teach others to do what you do.
The point is that the options are out there to build a profile that gives an advantage over others in the same field. This is something I talk about in depth in the How to win in the Careerverse playbook.
Think about it…
Would you rather read a document that talks about what someone can do or see what they can do?
The internet provides that gateway.
As Austin Kleon says, SHOW YOUR WORK!
This realisation has been the thing that has led me to the most opportunities in the last 2 years of my 16 + year career.
Showing what you can do gives an advantage over just talking about what you can do.
Not one or the other, combine both for maximum results
This isn’t about dumping a CV entirely.
It’s about what you can add to the toolkit alongside that CV. If you go with just a CV your chances are much lower than going in with a CV, a portfolio page and other publicly shared work.
Look at the CV like a product subscription service.
It’s the main entry point, but what are the sweeteners you can add to give you an advantage in customer conversion?
I find the more senior you get in an org, the more a cv becomes redundant. Most, if not all those hires are based on relationships. Whether that’s right or wrong to do is a topic for another time.
Give yourself the best chance for success in the career game, folks.
Before you go… 👋
If you like my writing and think “Hey, I’d like to hear more of what this guy has to say” then you’re in luck.
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