Who are you, where are going & how are you going to get there? These are the three simple yet complex questions that need to be asked and answered in order for you to develop a career plan. This plan is something that should guide you through your career, giving yourself clear objectives and direction.
At the latest Vicsport Professionals Network event: Creating Your Vision, star of FOX8’s ‘The Recruit’ Leigh Russell challenged attendees to re-connect with their passions, their skills and start to think about where they might want to be and how they are going to get there.
At the beginning of the session, Russell asked the audience what they wanted to be when they were younger. This was not to highlight how far we have or have not moved away from our original aims, but to understand what our passions were when nothing else mattered. These passions may still be with us and can help drive and motivate our future decisions.
Before applying for your next job, or considering a career change take some time to think about yourself. What are your passions and what are your skills - where do they intersect? Finding this intersection will help you find the role that will excite you and keep you driven while also being able to utilise your skills. Knowing ‘what we are excellent at’ is not something we are always comfortable articulating publicly, but is something we simply need to do- we need to believe in our own abilities.
Leigh continued by highlighting the trend of automation. Over the next 10 years it is forecasted that 40% of all jobs will be automated and 65% of pre-schoolers will be in jobs that do not exist yet. The sports industry is certainly not exempt from these changes, and we (the sports administrator) need to be ready (and ahead) of the trends. The sports industry has already changed significantly in the past 10 years with positions such as Fan Engagement and Social Media becoming a must-have for all elite sport teams.
Once we know where we are going, we need to know how to get there. But what is ‘there’ for you? For some this may be work related ie. Becoming a CEO or General Manager, for others, it may mean finding a work-life balance suitable to your lifestyle. Think about what success means to you. This will help guide your career and the decisions you make.
Unlike previous generations, where individuals may have remained in the same organisation their whole lives, gone are the days of a linear career. We will move from jobs, careers and possibly industries before reaching our final goal. There is no right or wrong way to reaching your goals.
The final piece of advice instilled by Leigh was to create meaningful connections in the industry, not just to network.
“Make connections where you will get value out of the relationship, where both you and other party are able to contribute, and provide feedback to each other” said Russell.
These connections can open new doors and opportunities for you, so be sure to put in the time to maintain and grow these connections.
Invest time in yourself, by putting in the effort to understand who are, where you want to be and how you are going to get there. Remove the assumptions you may have about the industry, look to the future, be ahead of the game and most importantly find a position you enjoy, that drives you and gives you purpose.
If you want to be a part of these fantastic events and gain access to educational resources, become a member today! Memberships start from as little as $4.58/month. For more information visit vicsport.com.au/memberships or contact the Vicsport Membership Team via membership@vicsport.com.au or 9698 8103.
