Re-routing your career when things don’t go to plan

When I received the automated email telling me I did not get the promotion I applied for, my heart sank.

Not only did I really want the job, but I was also due to speak at an apolitical event the following month on how to get ahead at work.

I felt like a fraud and did not know what I could offer an international audience of public officials looking to strategically plan their careers. It took some time to recover from this news, but eventually I realised it wasn't as bad as I first thought.

The best stories are filled with adversity

Lean into the drama of failing.

As it turns out, this recent set-back gave me a great hook for my upcoming speaking engagement. Achieving your career goals is all about facing challenges and working out how to overcome them.

Nice and traditional A-to-B career paths are not interesting, and they aren’t that common anymore either. Not getting this promotion was a learning moment for me, and if I could be brave enough to talk about it, it could be a chance to share some insight with others.

Any set-back is an opportunity to re-evaluate your needs

Be assertive and ask for help.

Not getting the job also gave me a reason to ask for more from my employer. You go through different phases at work, often operating more independently at a consistent level, other times needing assistance to act-up and attain your career goals.

Carla Harris speaks of the myth of the perfect meritocracy. When it comes to determining pay and recognition she says you need a sponsor, someone rooting for you when it counts. You can attract a sponsor by building performance and relationship currency. Equally, as someone in a position to sponsor, it is in your interest to do so because the way to grow your power is to give it away.

I knew at this moment that I was looking for a sponsor, someone who knew my work, really believed in me, and was willing and able to advocate on my behalf.

It can be uncomfortable to ask for help, but I needed to enter into a phase of receiving more support. I asked for regular check-ins with my line manager, for a more formal approach to goal setting, and for more exposure to activity that would build my experience and competency at a senior level.

Rejection is a heart-wrenching route to self-improvement

Look in the mirror and make a change.

Rejection in any form can be heart-breaking. The sense of injustice can make you mad at others, but at the end of the day, it’s feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt that really sting.

However, as the hurt dissipated I was granted an overwhelming sense of clarity. Suddenly I knew what I had been doing wrong, and how to fix it.

Always second guessing myself, not communicating opinions clearly enough, taking direction from others, instead of setting it for myself. It wasn’t so much my technical skills that were lacking, I needed to start acting like the leader I wanted to be.

On her YouTube channel, Ginny Clarke speaks to her millions of fans without any doubt that every one of them has the capacity to lead. She says that anyone wishing to progress their career needs introspection, discipline and decisiveness. To get this, she promotes Career Mapping, a structured tool for gaining clarity, exploring possibilities and building confidence.

I downloaded her Career Mapping template, because my career needed re-routing. I knew I had to get clear on what I wanted and why, as well as work on my weaknesses until they turned into strengths.

Progress is non-linear and a new title does not guarantee job satisfaction

Appreciate how far you’ve come.

People that tell you ‘don’t worry, your career isn’t everything’ when you don’t get a job can be annoying. It is not helpful advice when you have been trying so hard and still not got what you wanted. Instead, I like to think that my career is lots of things. Yes there is the title and the pay, but there’s also the people I meet, the things I learn, and the changes I want to make in the world.

I know that money and status alone will not lead to a meaningful life. Daniel Pink identified three core intrinsic motivators as purpose, autonomy, mastery. He says autonomy is the urge to direct our own lives, mastery is the desire to get better at something that matters, and purpose is the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. When I do eventually get the promotion it will be nice, but it’s not going to alter my intrinsic motivators, because I already have them in spades.

Making sense of it all before going again

Prepare to come back stronger.

In conclusion, I’ve learned that there isn’t a right way to plan your career. However, this is no excuse not to plan. It’s just important to be flexible when things don’t go your way.

Not getting this promotion gave me a chance to reflect on where I was in my career, shake things up a bit, and then re-focus on what I wanted to achieve.

I am still passionate about progressing in the traditional sense, but this does not define my worth. I am learning every day and find meaning in my work. This is what matters most.