“Transformation” is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as “a complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone”. 

It’s probably something that is quite topical, as we transition from one year to the next and as people set new resolutions and plans for the year. These might revolve around health, wealth, relationships or a mixture of key aspirations that are all centred around being the best version of oneself, both inside and outside of the workplace.

Everyone is striving to better themselves. And what is extremely likely is that this personal transition will accompany a change in role, either internally or externally, towards a role that is centred on enhancing the brand of that organisation.

And what is abundantly clear is that the two go hand in hand, an organisation cannot transform itself, let alone continuously improve, without its people adopting a parallel mindset. Companies can think as big as they like, but if their people are not thinking big and constantly elevating or diversifying themselves then the whole thing stutters and never truly gets off the ground.

All of this sounds exciting right? And so it should be! Here in Australia, there are still so many opportunities to grow and transform your career, whilst also playing a pivotal role in transforming your own organisation, because there is so much of an appetite for Change and Transformation. Companies are asking how they can move quicker and slicker than ever, whilst also being more sustainable, productive and cost effective.

Transforming the Job Market: The Shift from Contractors to Permanent Strategic Hires

There’s been an evident shift in the market from being a contractor heavy market, with demand ever increasing and supply constantly shrinking, to a market that seems to be swaying more towards longer term, key strategic hires in permanent roles. Businesses are making a conscious effort to make bolder, more ambitious and transformative adjustments in order to position themselves at the forefront of the market, giving their customers the best possible experience; not just keeping the lights on.

So, coming back to mindset, people are looking for agility and diversity of thinking, over and above the mere notion of Agile as a methodology. To keep up with the need for speed and the necessity to constantly be moving at pace, individuals not only need to demonstrate they can move at the same tempo, but also be able to add value in as many areas as possible.

How can you elevate yourself?

There’s forever been a debate between the positives and negatives of being niche vs being generalist, but at the moment the people who are succeeding in driving change for both themselves and their organisations are those who allow their experience to mushroom out; constantly evolving their core skillsets whilst adding to their toolkit.

Think big!

Show eagerness to build networks, seek mentorship both internally and externally, attend courses and seminars and make the most of a market that has an appetite for change.

In essence, get excited about your own career and how you can transform it rapidly in a market where organisations have so much hunger to transform themselves and be the very best they can be. It won’t necessarily be like this forever, and right now we only have visibility over what is front of us. I’m not going to unfurl a crystal ball and attempt to predict what the next few years will look like, and if recent history has taught us anything it is that the landscape can rapidly change!

Transform your career in a company that wants to transform, because life is too short to stand still or move backwards and not be passionate about what you do!