Why career adaptability?

In carrying out recent research1 with ICAEW members into their professional learning, I discovered that professional competence is no longer enough to have a successful career. In the future careers are likely to be more fragmented, last longer, include career breaks and periods of unemployment and may well involve moving to a portfolio career. ICAEW members need the ability to respond to all these possible challenges. As well as reflecting on their learning relating to professional competence, the ICAEW members I interviewed also talked about learning relating to work-life balance, about issues such as motivation and confidence and about the need to shape their careers. I have chosen the phrase ‘career adaptability’ to encompass these extra facets of learning. Career adaptability involves having the skills and abilities you need so you can best respond to your environment. It is more than resilience which is about having the ability to bounce back. Career adaptability also involves the attributes you need to move forward as you continue to shape your career and your future. Within career adaptability I identified five attributes, shown in the diagram below.

Each of us will have our own profile across these attributes. There will be some areas where we already feel very comfortable. What we need to do is to ensure we are good enough at each of the elements to enable us to have the careers and futures we want. In addition to lecturing and researching at The Open University I am a trustee of CABA and also an ICAEW Council member. I am delighted that CABA is running this pilot series of courses as a first step in exploring what we can do to help ICAEW members develop further their career adaptability. 1 For more information about the research please go to patterns of learning. © Dr Hilary Lindsay FCA, CABA Vice President