Advertising Week APAC: How to Thrive In Career Uncertainty with 4 Simple Tools

Advertising Week APAC 2022 was held in Sydney earlier this month, Yahoo senior executives and regional leaders have taken part and given their inspiring sharing.

Yahoo’s VP and Head of APAC, Paul Sigaloff, was with globally renowned author, keynote speaker and blue flame business thinker, Rishad Tobaccowala, to share the tools and techniques you need to take control of your career.  To watch this thought provoking session and hear more about how to navigate your career uncertainty, click here for the virtual session.   Below are the key takeaways:

You may ask how a map, telescope, compass and first aid kit are going to help my inner turmoil of career uncertainty? Well as it turns out, these items are not just the tools of a swashbuckling pirate looking for treasure, but used well will lead you to the priceless find of career fulfilment.

Don’t use an old map to explore a new world

The Map is the start, it’s the importance of planning your career. People often jump on and off different buses in their career without any knowledge of where the final destination is. If you think about your life goals, and your vision, it is integral that you identify what's important for you.

As Rishad pointed out during our session: “Most people only think in terms of a few years or even a quarter. But you have to think about it evolving over decades and that’s why you need to create a map - to help you chart the course ahead for the early, mid and late stages of your journey.”

Those who don’t look ahead, stay behind

The Telescope is your ability to look into the future. It underpins the notion of a permanent growth mindset. The world is changing all the time, and the telescope can give you the ability to be comfortable with those shifts. It can also help you identify key megatrends driving change, and allow you to align yourself with what you’re passionate about early on in your path.

“In future, for example, automation is going to play a much greater role in the workforce. Now imagine a scenario where things suddenly change but you don't have adequate visibility - that’s why you need a telescope,” points out Rishad.

Not all compasses point north

The Compass is about finding your niche. In my experience coaching and mentoring the best results come from helping individuals become the best they can be in their own path. When I look at my own career my niche has been in digital transformation, so I’m often asking myself how do I help businesses prepare for the future in this sense?

Rishad highlights an easy step plan to find your niche:

“Come up with three words that describe your niche - which is something you are world class at or could be world class at. Then choose three words that describe your voice - which is essentially who you are. Lastly, pick three words that describe your story - which is the reason people believe in you.”

Those nine words will help you unlock a world of fulfilling growth for yourself.

Don’t make a calculated decision if you’re bad at maths

Lastly, but certainly not least, is the First Aid Kit. It’s important to remember we all fail, we all fall over, yet it's the picking yourself up and dusting yourself off that shows grit and resilience.

As Rishad points out the world always changes, but people often forget to adapt and keep doing the same old thing.

“You may suddenly wake up and say, ‘Oh, my God, I'm a frog in boiling water and I think I need to jump out’. But then when you jump out, you don't know what to do. And that's why you need a first aid kit, in order to repair yourself,” he says.