Review of 2021
It’s been a challenging year.
2021 has been a challenging year for many people. Covid-19 and the restrictions placed on leading a ‘normal’ life have been the backdrop to all our lives. Hybrid working has become the new normal, and ‘The Great Resignation’ is here as people explore new opportunities. According to a survey of more than 6,000 people by Randstat UK, 24% of people will be looking for new jobs in 2022, compared to 11% in an average year. This has led to a spike in job vacancies, which have risen throughout 2021, especially in some sectors where recruitment has been challenging.
Not surprisingly, this has had an impact on the demand for career coaching. In 2021 I delivered nearly 400 individual coaching sessions. Of these 128 were ‘discovery calls’, the free introductory call I offer to everyone I work with. A good number of these chose to work with me and will continue to work with me in 2022. Many people found the DISC profiles really helpful and insightful into understanding their strengths and work preferences.
At the end of 2021, I wrote to everyone I had worked with throughout the year to see how they are getting on. The results that people I’ve worked with have achieved are many and varied. Here are a few examples:
J
Having taken redundancy and not being sure what to do next, our sessions helped him connect with his passion for comedy and writing. He now writes for a national magazine. He told me ‘It’s decent pay, great hours and they seem extremely nice, though I’ve been working from home all the time and haven’t actually met them! But I’m enjoying it a lot – and it suits me.’ He is also writing for a comedy news website.
E
Found working in a high-pressure industry where she was expected to be available 24/7 highly stressful. Following our sessions, she left her job and is now studying programming. It’s been a big change but she is now enjoying life again and looking forward to a new career in a different industry. I’m now coaching her sister!
J
Also started studying at University. His career pivot has been from running his own electrical installation business to studying music at a top London University. He is finding life challenging but rewarding and he finally has an outlet for his creativity.
F
Also left her job. She has pivoted from working in a school to running a sustainable tourism business. The first year has been challenging, but the work is more purposeful and fulfilling.
E
Told me that revamping her LinkedIn profile and knowing her true worth to an employer was key to changing her career. She started a new role at the end of 2021 is really looking forward to 2022.
C
Managed to overcome her anxiety about work which gave her confidence in herself again. As a result, she was offered a higher-level role in a new company.
E – Also overcame anxiety at work to gain a promotion in her work. She has also embarked on a programme of further study which will enhance her career in her chosen profession.
What will 2022 bring?
I don’t like to make predictions, but this quote from Robert Lois Stevenson sums up my approach to the year ahead.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
