There are 1.8 million fewer women in the workforce due to Covid-19. This shocking piece of information is just one of those that are testament to what many are calling ‘The Great Resignation’.
Millions of people across the world are quitting their jobs at unprecedented levels. inc.com reports that in the US, four million people quit their jobs in April alone and (here’s the interesting part) money has very little to do with it.
Women across the world are shown to be at the forefront of the drastic labour shifts we are detecting.
So, if money isn’t the main reason so many people have jumped ship, then what is?
Here’s what the team at TomorrowToday has been tracking:
1.When, Where, How we work, as well as Who does the work has changed & we know it.
It’s not a secret anymore. Young women across the globe have realised that a career can be done on our own terms and that we deserve better from a part of our lives that takes up (let’s be honest) a huge chunk of our time, resources, energy, mental and emotional capacity.
I had the opportunity of coaching a phenomenal young woman this year. Let’s call her Gee.
Gee had recently left a budding career at a large insurance organisation to work at a smaller, be it reasonably large firm that is growing in leaps and bounds. As a Data Analyst, Gee was considered (and considered herself) a great find for organisations looking to leverage the power of data for insights and product development.
She had just done 5 or so months at this exciting new job before having to go on maternity leave. Coming back to her demanding corporate job after she’d helped her little angel settle into the world – everything was different! Do you know the feeling?
She felt as if the goal post had been moved 100 steps ahead, her boss seemed like an absolute monster and the playbook was either no longer relevant or no longer spoke to her purpose of being a young mom with a larger vision.
That’s when she knew she needed to recalibrate. Was the workplace of the 2020’s and beyond still for her, and if so, what did that even mean?
2. Why – why do we work?
The second thing we have been tracking as a team is what my dear client Gee realised. Why – why was she getting up in the morning in the first place? What was it all for? And was it worth it? Understanding the answer to this, has the potential to completely revolutionise how, when and where you work! Trust me.
You’ve probably heard me joke around and say that nobody wakes up in the morning, yawns, stretches and says “Yay, a new day! I can’t wait to get working to fulfil [insert company’s name]’s purpose today”. Said nobody ever… We want to fulfil our own personal purpose.
It’s as if a secret has been revealed, never to be hidden again. Young women (and everyone else) can now do work on their own terms. I’d love to focus on young women, although these insights can be applied across the board.
Now, I have been able to prove time and time again with my own success and those of young women I coach, that the secret to navigating this era of immense excitement where the world opens up and becomes your delicious oyster and the nervousness of not knowing where to start and what to do, simply is:
BE STRATEGIC!
I cannot count the number of times I’ve sat with bright-eyed, young, capable and ambitious women and asked for them to give me an idea of their Career Strategy and I’ve gotten…. crickets (yes, you guessed it).
Zig Ziglar says that if you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time. So, aim for something – something really clear. If you don’t. You’ll be making multiple career moves and find yourself right back where you started. Only to wake up one day in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and wonder ‘how did I get here?’… (Scary, right?)
Here are three things you can apply today to be more strategic about your Career Moves going forward:
1.Map out a Career Strategy
Use the simple question: Where do I see myself in 30 years?
Document your thoughts in the form of a paragraph, key words, a drawing, a vision board, a mind map (whatever works for you, girl!). If you’re a Virgo like me, remember it doesn’t have to be perfect, this is subject to change, but don’t let that stop you.
Once you have the 30-year vision, work backwards. Create the 20-year version, then the 10-year and then the 5-year. Feel free to change these numbers as you see fit.
Add as much detail to this as you can and do your best to ignore the glass ceiling of how high you can go and what you are, or are not allowed to have or become.
2.Connect, Connect, Connect
Get a tribe. Find a network or community of women around your age range and more especially, women who are more experience and accomplished than you may consider yourself. The moment I surrounded myself with women who were where I was going and women, who like myself, where going there, everything changed!
This can also be in the form of a mentor, a coach or a sponsor. I cannot stress the importance of a good network enough. Put away your introvert label (I have to do it too, occasionally) and get networking!
3.Enrol in a Programme
There are many awesome programmes or courses out there that guide you through building and nurturing a fulfilling and ‘kick ass’ career. Find one that speaks to you and then commit!
Commitment is a big part of the game and you must keep choosing yourself, in order to rise to the occasion of the woman you are becoming every single day. I say there are times to choose others and prioritise them, but there are also times when women must choose themselves and this is one of those times.
If you’re keen on making this happen today (and yes, you are), enrol onto my Transition with Confidence online video course that gives step by step strategies and tools to women such as yourself, at each stage of your Career Transition – whatever those Career Moves are that you are crafting!
When you sign up for the course, be sure to book a coffee chat with me too, I would love to meet you and welcome you to the community of other young women across the world who are making Kick Ass Career Moves.
Wishing you your own personal version of absolute success! Go out there and be great 🙂.
About the author of today’s Tuesday Tip – Zanele Njapha
In the face of disruptive change, Zanele, author of today’s Tuesday Tip, assists organizations to become future fit: adaptable, resilient, innovative, proactive and confident through helping them crack the unlearning code.
She does this by facilitating the understanding that learning, unlearning and relearning must be the crux and heart of an organisation’s DNA if they are serious about being future-fit.
Reference:
Gogoi, P. NPR. Stuck-At-Home Moms: The Pandemic’s Devastating Toll on Women –
Jeff Haden. inc.com. The Great Resignation: Why millions of people are quitting (and how employers can earn them back) –
US Bureau of Labour Statistics – https://www.bls.gov/bls/news-release/empsit.htm#2020
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