Throughout his career as an organizational change expert and executive coach, Haris Ahmed had the pleasure of connecting and taking with scores of individuals in transition, who are looking to recreate their next chapter. We all know as an individual, striving for a professional career that job creation has clearly been lagging the recent uptick in other economic indicators. Haris Ahmed has common themes of recommendations:
- Before making any decisions, take time to deal with the emotional aspects first. Every decision has to start with self- awareness, internally and externally. William Bridge’s model of endings before beginnings is well accepted by those who practice the art and science of change management.
- Ask yourself, what are you passionate about? Take this time to engage in honest self-reflection. Know what motivates you and visualize your next career. You need to be motivated and driven to be the best you can be regardless of your job or your work. It is the foundation for success. Not just success in your current job, but also success for every level you want to take up the company ladder.
- Identify your “Personal Brand”, be crystal clear of what you really want and then go to work to live and communicate that brand to your network and the market (physical and online). It’s your reputation. It’s about bringing who you are to what you do and how you do it. It’s about making your mark by being yourself—your best self. Think of your personal brand as your calling card—your unique promise of value. It is a matter of knowing your strengths, skills and attributes; also about choosing a career that’s right for you, what do you want to be known for,
- To be able to stand out among the rest is quite difficult in reality. For you to establish a connection, you must practice your ability to tell the story of your life journey, not a mere collection of jobs, degrees, and dates. It will be a reflection of how you love your life and appreciation of your big or even small achievements. Of course, you have to be ambitious, driven and hardworking in order for you to achieve goal in your chosen career. In this competitive world, you have to be tough and unique. If you get the right combination and are always thinking about how to be the best and how to be unique then you would have a good chance of standing apart from the rest.
- As one of Haris Ahmed’s mentors advices him about his start-up consulting practice, the key is persistence. It can’t be replaced by any other quality. It’ll provide you with the strength to carry on, in the beginning, when the heading may seem tough and slow.