Take even the half chances

Opportunity. We look out for it all the time. But sometimes we get so fixed on what opportunity looks like that we miss the half chances that can give us a foot in the door. Here’s my list of half chances I urge you not to throw away.

AN ACTING POSITION: An acting position often is a higher position than your own and can get you scared or lacking confidence. But believe you were given the responsibility because you were deemed capable. Don’t go in there afraid to ‘touch’ anything because you are ‘only acting’. You are accountable for what happens during your stint so find out quickly what you need to do, identify a helping hand or short term mentor and DO THE JOB.

A TEMPORARY JOB: For many people, a temp job is not appealing. Don’t shun a temp job because it can bring benefits like helping you get industry knowledge and new skills quickly; keep your CV current if you are in between permanent jobs, provide more flexibility and a chance to sample different organisations and tasks. A permanent job brings stability but before you say no to that temp assignment think about how it can enrich you and your work experience.

TEACHING A NEWBIE: Working with someone who is learning their first steps in a role can feel frustrating but embrace it especially if it’s your first shot at supervising someone. It offers you the unique chance to learn and practice coaching, mentoring and line management skills. So rather than be grouchy, think about what you can teach this person, find out what they would like to learn and work out what the best way to teach. As you pass on skills you strengthen your own.

THROWN IN ON THE DEEP END: Ever been given a big task which set your head spinning? Sometimes superiors do this deliberately to see how well you can cope in a difficult situation where you have to hit the ground running. If this happens, first take a deep breath, don’t be afraid to ask questions to clarify what’s expected in terms of results, break down the task into manageable bits and look for help. When you succeed it could become a very long fluffy feather in your cap that serves you well. If you unfortunately flop learn from it.

WORKING WITH A TASKMASTER: This can be tough because task masters tend to be workaholics who expect the same of others. If you end up with one don’t spend your time ‘wishing him or her away’ or spend time resenting them for destroying your work life balance. Work out a way to negotiate less stringent working hours and impossible deadlines. Give quick honest feedback if you feel you are being treated like a workhouse. But also think about what you could gain such as developing resilience, capacity to work under pressure and with a difficult boss as well as ability to think on your feet.

Now take action: What half chances could you proactively look for in your job?