And now I'm back, from Outer Space...


It's been a while, hasn't it?

I've missed writing this newsletter but there's a good reason I've been quiet; I've been busy working on a book - more on that later...

And with me starting to write the newsletter again, it's probably a good time to re-share with you my mission and why this missive is called The Career Activist.

I'm a careers and executive coach and trainer who is obsessed with the idea of proactive career development, otherwise known as Career Activism.

What the flump is Career Activism?

If you're wondering what on earth I'm talking about, you're not alone. This term, for me, was born out of countless conversations with coaching clients who found themselves stuck, watching others zoom past them on the career ladder.

I was noticing a trend amongst some of my coachees - they seemed stuck in 'career passivism' mode.

Career passivists often rely on hard work alone, hoping someone will notice and reward them. They wait for opportunities to come knocking and whilst those opportunities have appeared and may again appear, they sometimes dry up around the mid career mark.

Sound familiar?

Action Architects

Career activists, on the other hand, take charge. They:

🟠 Consistently work on self-development

🟠 Actively build their network

🟠 Seek out opportunities rather than waiting for them

🟠 Understand and leverage their unique value

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And they don't wait until they have the next job move in mind - it's an ongoing process with many little side missions happening all the time, which grow a tasty nest egg of career capital, ready to be dipped into when needed.

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Now you do it

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The good news? You can transform from a passivist to an activist starting today.

Here's a quick step to get you started:

Reflect on your last week at work. Identify one instance where you could have been more proactive about your career development. Maybe it was a missed networking opportunity or a chance to speak up about your capabilities.

What action could you take next time?

Remember, career activism isn't about changing jobs constantly. It's about continually positioning yourself for success, whatever that means for you.

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I'm doing it too

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My book writing journey is part of my own career activism, I'll be writing more about that in upcoming newsletters and will share some more insights about the book itself (it's about career activism, obvs!).Meanwhile, feel free to hit reply and share with me your reflections in the exercise. I'm a human behind this newsletter and love to hear from those who read and take action on what I write.

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See you soon,

Sarah

I coach and train leaders on career and leadership development, mainly in organisations. If you want to find out how we can work together hit reply to this email and we can work out a time to talk.

Sarah Rourke Coaching

I work with organisations to design career development that retains high-potential talent.

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