Self-Reliance: A Clear Indicator of How Successful You Will Be in Your Job Search and Career
No one wants to hire someone who isn’t capable of getting the job done or who needs their hand held all day. Although this is generally true in any market, it is particularly evident in the environmental industry. Environmental jobs come with hefty responsibility. It isn’t ok to drop the ball or wait for someone else to pick up after you because the environmental - habitat, conservation, or other - mission is at stake. Field days are hard to reschedule, scientific data can’t be recouped if it was missed or messed up, and sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Environmental jobs require people who can improvise and think on their feet.
There are three key characteristics wrapped up in self-reliance including:
- Resourcefulness - the ability to find a way around obstacles and create or find solutions
- Reliability - the ability to show up and follow through when expected
- Resilience - the ability to bounce back when things do not go your way or as planned
When you are a resourceful person, it can drive you nuts when others around you are not. Resourceful people know when the time is right to ask for help; usually, after trying to accomplish the task at least once. They are the ones who look up agendas and sift through their inbox for info before bothering someone by asking them something they should already know. They watch how-to videos on YouTube and sign up for tutorials so they don't have to rely on someone else's available time to complete a task. Once people know that you’re resourceful, they’ll come to you for help.
The same goes for being reliable. It can be frustrating to work with people who miss deadlines and repeatedly show up late. Once you build a reputation of reliability, people will invite you to volunteer, participate, and even recommend you to available jobs.
Resilience is a sign of maturity and self-assuredness. People generally admire people who can bounce back from failures or other tough situations without letting it derail them from reaching their goals.
As a self-reliant person, you'll reap the rewards of:
- Building confidence organically
- Inspiring naturally
- Personal satisfaction
People around you will:
- Want you on their team because they know you can take care of yourself
- Respect you for your quiet but ardent success
- Think of you when they want a problem-solver on their team
Without a doubt, some of the mentees and coachees I’ve worked with are more self-reliant than others. Quite honestly, the ones that are self-reliant are the biggest joy for me to work with as they take the coaching advice and build on it. They revel in their own ability to get the most out of the programs. Those who haven't yet harnessed the power of self-reliance are typically looking for a coach to give them the answers and do things for them. It isn’t an attractive trait; in coaching or on the job.
Take a hard look at how you interact with people, are you taking charge of your future or waiting for a future to come to you?
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If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in the Professional Development for Environmental Professionals Free Webinar, and the Free Personal Development Worksheet.
If you recognize this as something you need to work on, why not join us in the Career Clarity Group Coaching Program?
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This article has been written on Day 7 of a March Madness Content Challenge.
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Stay gold!
-Laura
