Careers today are rarely linear. This is why self-efficacy is becoming more important than the perfect career plan.
Looking back, many CVs seem surprisingly straightforward. When we recount them, it often sounds as if decisions have built on each other logically. Training, job, next position. Step by step. The reality, however, usually feels very different. Academic appointments often arise situationally. Opportunities arise, doors open, new tasks are added. You grow into roles, take on responsibility and move on. And at some point, a question arises that you rarely ask yourself in everyday life: Am I actually consciously shaping my path or am I letting myself drift?
This question has occupied me again and again. I got divorced. I changed my career direction when my son was born. And I have made several decisions that were not based on a preconceived plan, but on the desire to consciously shape my life. What has helped me time and again is a conviction that psychologists describe as self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy describes the conviction that you can overcome difficult situations and actively influence your own life. This does not mean having everything under control. Nor does it mean always knowing exactly what the next step should be. Rather, it is about a fundamental attitude: I can make decisions. I can change things. I can shape my own path. This attitude does not come from theory or motivation. It comes from experience. Through moments in which we realise that our actions actually make a difference.
A working world that demands more and more design
Our working world is currently changing at a rapid pace. Digitalisation, new forms of organisation and flexible working models mean that academic appointments are becoming less predictable. Careers today are rarely linear. Many people are changing roles, sectors or forms of work. At the same time, the demands for personal responsibility and adaptability are increasing.
In this context, there is often talk of so-called future skills. These are competences that enable people to orientate themselves in a dynamic working environment and remain capable of acting. In addition to specialised knowledge, this primarily includes interdisciplinary skills. These include the ability to reflect, a willingness to learn, resilience and the ability to actively shape one's own path. Self-efficacy forms a central basis for this. Because those who are convinced that they can influence their own situation deal with change differently. Not passively, but in a creative way.
In my work as a start-up consultant, I support people in academic appointments. Many of them are at a point where they are questioning their previous path. I often meet very competent and committed people. People with experience, expertise and ideas. And yet I keep hearing similar sentences: I feel like I'm just functioning. I no longer know exactly what I actually want. Somehow my path has just turned out that way. These situations rarely arise suddenly. They usually develop over a longer period of time. A job that presents itself. A responsibility that is taken on. A role that you grow into. And at some point the question arises: Is this path still right for me?
Self-efficacy as a future skill
Such questions are not a sign of insecurity. On the contrary. They show that people are beginning to consciously reflect on their situation. And this is exactly where self-efficacy begins. This is rarely the result of big decisions. It often begins with a moment of pause. With the willingness to honestly confront questions such as: What is really important to me? What skills do I want to use and develop? What role should work play in my life? In everyday life, we surprisingly rarely take time for such questions. Academic appointments, family responsibilities and everyday routines leave little room for fundamental reflection. This is precisely why a structured framework in which such questions are consciously considered can be helpful.
The skills training programme "Self-efficacy and compatibility in a dynamic working world" at the C3L of the University of Oldenburg was developed against this background. Over the course of several weeks, the training programme helps participants to reflect on their personal values, strengths and goals and relate them to the demands of a changing world of work. The aim is to develop an individual strategy for the future that takes into account both professional development and private areas of life.
Methodologically, we combine scientific perspectives with practical self-reflection. This includes approaches from positive psychology, the so-called Ikigai model and various methods for determining your personal position. At the centre, however, is a simple but central question: How can I consciously shape my life instead of just reacting to external demands?
Making conscious decisions
Experience shows that even small changes in perspective can make a big difference. Those who are aware of their own values, strengths and priorities often make clearer decisions. Changes seem less threatening because they are not only experienced as external demands, but also as opportunities to shape the future. Self-efficacy therefore does not mean that one's own path can be completely planned. But it does create the basis for making conscious decisions and taking responsibility for one's own development.
The question of how we want to work and live will become more important rather than less important in the future. Many people today not only want professional success, but also meaning, room for manoeuvre and compatibility with their personal lives. These questions cannot be answered with general career recommendations. They are always individual. However, what makes a difference for many people is the experience: I can shape my life. And it is precisely this experience that is at the centre of Future Skills training at C3L.
Madleen Frommholz, author of this blog post, is a start-up consultant for parents and teaches in the Future Skills training "Self-efficacy".