Is It Time to Call Your Own Baby Ugly?
Curt Skene’s In2Win! Career Coaching Supplement.
If it’s taking you a long time to sell your skills then maybe the product is broken. Being self-aware and willing to do something about it is critical to removing the obstacles standing in your way. If you are putting a lot of work into your search and nothing is moving you forward then take a hard look at your skill set, education, track record and marketing tools to ensure you have put yourself in the best possible light.
Being able to call yourself out on the “true” problem areas gives you the ability to adjust and change quickly. For example, many executives are quick to blame their age for their employment struggles but that is seldom the “real” reason, so you need to look deeper. Your industry reputation can also make or break your career so manage it carefully especially while in transition.
To help you uncover any potential “ugly” spots seek out a career coach whose opinion you respect so you can clearly understand the unforeseen challenges that may be in your way. It’s often difficult to make a qualified assessment of who you are. A non-biased coach can give you added perspective and push you in directions that you may have resisted in the past.
While it may not taste great that dose of reality is often the best medicine for success. Remember, tough love from those you respect is the greatest gift they can give you.
Age becomes less relevant when your value, energy and current capabilities are impossible to overlook.
Why I Wrote This Page
Because a blind spot is, by definition, something you cannot see on your own. That’s not a failure of effort, it’s the actual nature of the problem, which is exactly why self-assessment alone can’t solve it.
Most professionals who are struggling have already looked hard at themselves and concluded there’s nothing to fix. That conclusion is often wrong, not because they aren’t honest, but because the thing holding them back is, structurally, invisible from the inside. You need someone outside your own head to see what you can’t.
This is uncomfortable advice because it means the fix isn’t more self-reflection. It’s inviting in a perspective that isn’t yours.
Action Steps
- Find a coach or trusted advisor whose judgment you respect, and ask them directly what they think is standing in your way. Don’t soften the question.
- When you get an honest answer, resist the urge to explain it away. The instinct to defend is usually the sign you’ve found something real.
- Ask the same question of two or three different people. If the same theme shows up more than once, it’s not a matter of opinion anymore.
In2Win! Afterthought
Curt’s current observations and updated guidance will be added here.
Suggested Reading Links
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