Emplyability and Self- Career management

Employability has become a key term in the contemporary world of work. Although there are many definitions of employability, many of them focus on specific characteristics and skills. In brief, employability can be presented as an individual's ability to gain and maintain satisfying employment (according to J. Hillage and E. Pollard, 1998).

These authors also emphasize that it's about the ability to independently navigate the job market to best utilize one's potential. Other definitions focus on competency components. M. Yorke and P.T. Knight (2006) consider employability as a combination of knowledge, skills, and personal traits that enhance job security. C.M. Van der Heijde and B.I.J.M. Van der Heijden (2006) also view employability as the ability to maintain or obtain work through optimal use of professional competencies. N. Saha, B.I.J.M. Van der Heijden, and A. Gregar (2013) highlight that employability also involves the ability to adapt and manage one's future professional career.

In summary, employability involves:

• Personal flexibility: the ability to adapt in the job market,
• Professional knowledge: deep expertise in a given field,
• Optimization and anticipation: the ability to foresee and respond to changes,
• Balance: aligning personal interests with those of the organization. The fourth industrial revolution brings new challenges and opportunities. This may mean greater freedom and diversity at work, but also a lack of employment certainty. Therefore, it is important that we take responsibility for our career development. Relying on support from organizations or bosses can lead to disappointment. Remember, even the largest companies can fail (only 12% of organizations from the Fortune 500 list have remained on the market from 1955 to today), and the job market is constantly changing. 

  To meet these changes, we must become more proactive and independent in directing our professional careers. In my recruitment work, I have witnessed both spectacular career falls of leaders and great successes. As a career coach, I often work with leaders who, for various reasons, sometimes beyond their control, are let go. I understand how a sudden dismissal can affect the psyche of individuals in high positions within organizational structures. The VUCA reality spares no one, and the less prepared we are for it, the more serious the consequences can be for our professional careers.

  Job market participants can be divided into three groups: - those currently looking for a job - those who will be looking for a job in the future - those sought after by employers or headhunters. Those sought after by employers are either lucky to have chosen a "future-proof profession" and are now benefiting from this luck (though this does not mean that such a situation will last forever) or individuals who skillfully manage their careers. But what exactly is self-career management? It is a systematic process of planning, monitoring, and achieving set goals in one's professional life. This process is not limited to job searching, though it may be part of it. Career management is flexible and adjusts to the goals and priorities of the individual. For example, your career plan may change when you plan to start a family, focus on promotion, or start your own business. Many people believe that their employer is responsible for their career, but this is not entirely true. The boss has some influence on an employee's development within an organization, but they are not responsible for shaping the subordinate's career. If you let your boss manage your career, it's like deciding to work in only one environment, not realizing what the job market looks like and whether your skills would be appreciated in other organizations. This approach is risky because being an employee may give you an illusion of employment security, yet you do not have full control over the company or institution you work for. Its development does not depend solely on your successes, so many decisions are made beyond your scope of action. As a result, one day, the organization may decide to dispense with your services and suggest you continue your career outside its realm. Of course, such situations rarely happen overnight – they are usually preceded by warning signals, but often we do not notice or pay attention even to clear signals about personnel changes. In a dynamically changing reality, it's worth considering why we work - why we engage, why we develop our skills. I believe that above all, it is worth striving to be a high-class employee to ensure the possibility of work in the future. If you are employed in a company with low standards, where your efforts are not appreciated, do not give in - do not give up. Do everything in your power to expand your skills - they will create your personal competency capital. These skills are your currency, which you can exchange for higher pay at another employer. At the same time, if your employer does not set ambitious goals for you, try to define them yourself and strive to achieve them. When you look for a job in the future, these achievements will show your attitude and determination, which will help you effectively move to the next stages of your career. If you "rest on your laurels" and stop working on your future and reputation, you may have difficulty explaining during an interview why you only did the bare minimum, which could undermine your chances for a better position. Nowadays, we should independently decide our fate, as the current employer may not provide us with a clear perspective for the future and sometimes may contribute to our future employment problems or maintaining a position in the job market. In my work, I have met people working in so-called "ghost positions" or "ghost departments." These are positions and departments that do not add value to the organization, but for various reasons have not been noticed and appropriately restructured. People employed in these positions often work little, are on the verge of boredom, their duties are repetitive and de facto their work is not needed, e.g., they create reports and analyses that no one uses. Representatives of these departments often have become accustomed to this situation - their salaries are paid on time (sometimes they are even very high salaries, which discourages looking for a new position), giving them a false sense of security. However, with each passing year, their skills begin to lose value. They do not realize that stagnation can have negative consequences for their careers. Mediocrity and routine may seem safe, but ultimately lead to stagnation and depreciation of competencies. In today's times of dynamic technological development and constant changes in the job market, such an attitude can be very risky. Therefore, it is important to focus on personal development, actively look for new opportunities, and fulfill assigned duties at the highest level. Remember to create value for the company you are employed in. Our competencies and engagement are our most valuable resource, ensuring our competitiveness in the job market. They constitute our "currency of the future," which will ensure job satisfaction and adequate compensation.

  I encourage you to read my new book "Career Management in the VUCA World" - soon available in bookstores.

  The book includes a series of proven tools for planning and managing one's career, proposed according to the logic: planning (own professional path), assessment (own competencies, previous career path, expanding self-awareness), professional change (changing positions, organizations, effective job searching, choosing a job offer, negotiations with the employer, ending cooperation with the current employer, effectively dealing with one's emotions in the job change process), settling in a new workplace (adapting to a new work environment, building effective relationships

  I also discuss additional issues related to shaping a career path without the need to change employers, finding pleasure in work recognized as job crafting, and managing career risk.

  I encourage you to read.