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Firstly, hello from me at HVO Search – it’s been a while and it’s good to be back
from maternity leave!
Secondly, while I’ve been away the rest of the team have been busy working behind
the scenes on all sorts of exciting projects I can’t wait to tell you about - but more on
that another time.
Here we examine the career “winning streak”. What is it and can you increase your
chances of a winning run of success?
What is a Career “Winning Streak”?
For a lucky few there comes a time in their careers when they seem to be on fire –
where they have maximum impact at work and everything they touch turns to gold.
New research recognises this as an identifiable phenomenon; defining it as a career
“winning streak”- a period of time in someone’s career when they perform
substantially better than their typical performance, with a recurring sequence of high
impact work over a period of months or years.
Why Should I Care?
Want to get promoted? Looking to secure a pay rise or a better job? Clearly the more
glowing your references and the more examples of success you can point to the
more desirable and potentially irreplaceable you become.
From an employers’ point of view, who doesn’t want to have a superstar working for
them, driving success?
Chance or Cunning?
Ok, so there are clearly variables you can’t control at work – your boss, colleagues,
the rubbish coffee they serve in the work canteen…
But here are 5 ways of increasing your chances of bringing your “A” game to the
table and hitting a career “winning streak”:
1. Make sure you’re in the right job at the right time
Too many of us move on before we’ve had the chance to adequately demonstrate
our full potential or stay too long in a dead-end job before jumping ship; waiting until
we’re completely demotivated before beginning a begrudging job search.
2. Actively plan and manage your career
Don’t wait for your manager to assign you the best projects, clients or tasks – put
your hand up at the right time and be transparent with your manager about your
career aspirations so they can help you get there by setting objectives that will help
you reach your full potential.
3. You’re Amazing - Shout About Your Success
How many of us are guilty of working hard and waiting for others to recognise our
achievements? Inevitability they don’t. Managers and colleagues have their own
workload and lives to be worrying about so if you don’t make your career success a
priority don’t expect anyone else to.
Firstly, make sure people understand what it is you actually do. For example, take a
few extra minutes on a conference call to explain the work that was done and
challenges faced before delivering the solution/outcome. The more others
understand what you do the less likely they are to take it for granted. This is
especially true when working with others in different locations – don’t expect them to
understand the inner workings of your local office and the amazing things you do on
a daily basis just to keep things ticking over.
Secondly, share success stories and market yourself. This doesn’t mean standing on
your desk parading a trophy saying “I’m the best”. Instead, actively network, go for
coffee with people in different teams and position yourself in such a way that people
will keep you in mind when opportunities arise.
Often, we’re so focused on moving on to the next challenge at work we and others
forget to acknowledge the great work that was done.
4. Look After Yourself to Maintain Productivity
We can stretch ourselves for short periods of time for peak productivity, but if we
spend too long out of our comfort zones our productivity takes a nose dive and it
becomes unsustainable. In order to remain productive and ensure career success
it’s essential to look after yourself both outside as well as in work.
Now or Never?
The good news is that you stand as much chance of hitting a career “winning streak”
in your 20s as in your 60s. Typically people experience just one winning streak in
their career but some lucky few appear to be able to replicate this success so there’s
everything to play for!
Have your experienced a career winning streak? How did this come about? We’d
love to hear from you.
Email us your thoughts.