Career Lessons from the Olympics:
Or the Importance of Having the Right Blazer for the Right Occasion
As the flame extinguishes on the Paris Games and the Olympic flag makes its way to Los Angeles, our city prepares to host the world in four years. This transition reminds me of a key lesson in defining your angularity—one that’s as relevant in your career as it is in the pursuit of Olympic gold.
Think about the athletes who competed this year —Pommel Horse Guy, the Turkish hitman, or even the Australian breakdancing prodigy (well, maybe not her). Each of them has their angularity—their unique craft that sets them apart on the global stage.
Why does that matter?
Love them or hate them, these athletes have honed their skills to the peak of their game. They’ve committed to one discipline, perfected it, and taken it to the next level. Similarly, your career shouldn’t be about being good at a variety of tasks; it should be about mastering one thing that makes you indispensable.
It’s not about pole vaulting and then swimming the breaststroke. It’s about becoming the expert in your craft and elevating it to the highest level. So, you need to ask yourself: “What do you do that no one else does?”
If that seems like an impossible question, here are four tips to help you define your angularity:
1) Identify Growth Areas Within Your Industry and Beyond:
Research and identify six areas currently experiencing growth. Consider trends, emerging technologies, and shifts in consumer behavior. For each area, write a brief description explaining why it’s growing and what makes it interesting to you.
2) Top Areas of Interest:
From the six identified growth areas, select the top three that you are most curious about and passionate about exploring further. Explain why these areas stand out to you and how they align with your personal or professional interests.
3)Aligning with Current Trends:
For each of the top three growth areas, identify and describe at least two current industry trends or developments influencing these areas. Explain how these trends impact the growth area and what opportunities they present for innovation and development.
4)Evaluate Past Experience:
Reflect on your past experiences and identify the projects or roles that align with the selected growth areas and current trends. Write a brief overview for each experience, highlighting the relevant skills and insights you gained.
As you work through these steps, you’ll start to see patterns emerge. From those patterns, your angularity will begin to take shape, helping you define the areas of the industry you want to pursue. Your next step isn’t on a different path—it’s laid out right in front of you. Sometimes, you just need a bit of help to clear the brush and see where the right path will lead.