Summer of discontent - reflecting on career strategy

For many busy executives, the summer holidays are a time to pause and reflect on career progress to date and what they need to do to change direction or accelerate pace. For others, this is a time to think about nothing at all and unwind after a period of frenetic activity. 

For those actively contemplating a possible career transition, the approach of “leaving things until I get back from holiday in September” is not a good one. The current situation will not change of its own accord. The marketplace for new roles re-starts in September and it is advisable to be well-prepared for this, to take greatest advantage of the busy period from September through to early December.

There are plenty of things that executives can do in July and August to get ready for September: reassessing what they enjoy doing and are really good at; ensuring that they know their success stories inside out and can describe them concisely; asking others informally about their strengths and development areas as well as what to do next; and thinking about what really matters to them in terms of corporate environment, role and personal factors over the short- and longer-term. 

To do all of this takes time and is time well spent over the summer months. The work is also more effective when undertaken in a structured way, in partnership with an adviser (such as AGM Transitions) which can access extensive geographical and sectoral networks. So by the time September comes, conversations about possible opportunities - internally and externally - will be much more focused and impactful. 

Make your summer productive so that the autumn harvest is all the more fruitful.