Leaders of Tomorrow Success Series - Career Management 101
By Michelle Wong
On Feburary 10, students in The Vancouver Board of Trade's Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program participated in a success series seminar on "Career Management 101" with Howie Outerbridge.
Outerbridge, a Senior Consultant at Knightsbridge with more than 15 years of experience, talked about the reality of career transitions, sharing personal stories and anecdotes from his own career to illustrate the discussion.
To start off, Outerbridge emphasized the importance of seizing opportunities on your own and putting your career path in your own hands. This simple concept was further elaborated throughout the workshop to stress the importance of taking control over your career decisions without the influence of other people.
Following that, participants dove into the evening's first discussion question: what does career success look like to you, and why is it important? Many of the participants said they need to feel happy in their workplace, need to feel a sense of fulfillment, and need to feel like they are growing every day.
The second question focused on what the workforce will look like in 10 years. Outerbridge predicted it will be a mixture of people who were multigenerational, multicultural, mobile, global and educated. In addition, the group discussion led to the conclusion that in the future, the work force will be populated with people who have diverse skill sets, rather than people who specialize in a particular industry.
Lastly, Outerbridge discussed what will likely be the most in-demand skills for future leaders. Those included, but were not limited to, being hard working, digitally fluent, interpersonal, competent, and adaptable.
Using a twisted DNA strand, Outerbridge demonstrated a contemporary view of how everyone's career paths change over time, while preparing students for the reality of how personal decisions will affect this meandering path.
Keeping that in mind Outerbridge advised students that the keys to a successful career include networking, entrepreneurial options, honing on in-demand skills, and investing in one's education.
Outerbridge's workshop was enjoyable, as it provided relevant information that will help students like me transition from school to the work force.
To learn more about the LOT program, email lot@boardoftrade.com.
