One thing you might not know about me is that I’m not just a psychologist. I’m a Counseling Psychologist. This breed of psychological cat has a unique identity that is tied to focusing on strengths, prevention, culture, and personal growth and development, in addition to traditional areas of psychology such as psychopathology, assessment, and therapy. An especially unique wheelhouse for us Counseling Psychologists is that we are trained in Vocational Psychology. We are very interested in the world of work and how people’s career lives develop and intersect with their goals, values, and lifestyle.
So it was with great interest that I took advantage of an opportunity offered by Washburn University to attend a recent webinar by author Connie Steele as she spoke about “How to Create Your Own Career Mash-Up – the Career of the Future” and her book Building the Business of You: A System to Align Passion and Growth Potential Through Your Own Career Mash-Up.
Steele compared the “old world of work” with the “new world of work”. She characterized the old way as “siloed, narrow, sequential, linear and rigid with conformity and the concept of “or”. The new way is characterized by “collaboration, broadness, agility, fluidity, individuality and the concept of “and”’. Steele stated that these days change is constant and “uncertainty is the new certainty.”
Steele spoke to the future of work as very fluid. Our work roles, location, time, goals, mindset, identity, processes, and organization are very dynamic. As a result, workers/people have become “brands”. Our work selves are now products and services, therefore building your brand is very important. Here is a quote from Steele: “You are in a constant beta state to be your best self.” It sounds exciting and exhausting at the same time!
Steel defines what she calls the “career mash-up” as a “merging of skills, roles, interests, passions, experiences, values, hobbies, opportunities, and relationships.” We are surrounded by it in popular culture and social media. Like many of you, I was captivated by collegiate women’s basketball this year. Within this world, you can see great examples of this career mash-up taking place. Players not only excel at their sport but also find the time to shoot commercials for major companies, promote brands they are affiliated with, and I guess, do their homework!
Instagram is full of these “career mashers”. You can travel down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of parents, bakers/cooks, book lovers, etc who take you into their daily lives which they have “branded” to optimize the advancement of their financial and career goals.
Throughout Steele’s talk, she guided us through her recommended plan to prepare for this world of work. She talked about “creating your compass” which relates to goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics. She discussed the steps to prepare for change which I found very interesting as she addressed the concepts of anxiety, fear of failure, and the importance of emotional intelligence.
So as we prepare for graduation season, I encourage you to take an interest in this blossoming generation of “career mashers” in your circle. Ask them about their ideas, help them build their networks, and be part of their launching pad. We, as a society, need their creativity, talent, and contributions!