How to grow and change in 2021

We are all still facing uncertainty, locally and globally. How we manage that uncertainty in 2021 will depend on our approach and attitude, whether we’re in employment or back at study. Here are some tips on how to make the best of yourself this year by developing skills and attitudes that will help you become a stronger person individually and a stronger candidate for jobs.

The ideas below come from ‘The most fundamental skill: Intentional learning and the career advantage’, a really informative article published in McKinsey Quarterly last year. You can access the full article here. 

Growth mindset

How often do you think, “I’m terrible at presentations so I’m not going to do it” or, “I don’t know enough to apply for that job”, when you could say to yourself – “I need to practice my presenting skills more” or “I can get more work experience so the next time I’m ready when a job like that comes along”.

Study isn’t the only way you learn and gain skills and knowledge. People with a growth mindset “treat every moment as a learning opportunity” and make it normal to learn and grow from a situation, rather than pull away or avoid problems.  Read more about this on the first half of Page 3 of the McKinsey article here.

Feed your curiosity

You don’t think of yourself as a curious person or don’t see the point in being one? Curiosity is about being aware, open to ideas and able to make connections between quite different concepts. Having a healthy curiosity makes you a more interesting individual and more employable because you learn through curiosity, keep motivated and

So start asking questions. Look for something that interests you and give it a go. If you get tired of it, then try something else, but don’t stop trying things.

Simple ways to learn how to become more curious are outlined extremely well on the second half of Page 3 and the first half of Page 4 of the McKinsey article here.

Practice, practice, practice

• Set small clear goals
• Remove distractions
• Actively seek actionable feedback
• Practice regular reflection

Read more about the best way to practice this on Pages 4-7 of the McKinsey article.

Page 7 is particularly interesting because it gives tips on what doesn’t work when building these skills.

Like some help?

Employability Lab runs on-campus and online goal setting workshops to help current students set goals that they can keep. To register for a workshop, simply sign into elab.aut.ac.nz and look for the Workshop tab. The Lab also runs other workshops to help with CVs, interview skills and career planning.

Info from from ‘The most fundamental skill: Intentional learning and the career advantage’, from the McKinsey Quarterly