Ultimate Career
Career Worth Living For!
Market Prospects 2010
Jan 25th
I often get questions such as:
“What are the employment prospects these days?”
“What are the hot industries?”
“Who is hiring?”
Employment (or unemployment) statistics are just good conversational topics but they are not worth following for your career planning.
The only employment statistic you should care about is either 0% or 100% – that is, are you employed or not.
The next question to ask is, “Are you in the job you want or not?”
So regarding market prospects for 2010, the answer is, “Why should you care?”
What you should be focusing on is your individual career. Yes, all things being equal, I would go after growing industries instead of shrinking ones.
But all things are not equal.
It is more important to know your values, skills and interests and match them with the right industry, job function and company instead of picking employers from a hat and force-fitting yourself into them.
Two tips to think about:
1. Let the market respond to your actions.
The market is invaluable in providing guidance on what your skills and qualifications are worth and how you are perceived by it.
If you are aiming for certain jobs or titles or salary levels and are not getting interviews, you need to find out if you are targeting wrongly or simply not positioning yourself properly for what you want.
Rather than reading market news and trying to incorporate that into your planning, craft your best plans and take action from there.
Then, collect market feedback specific to your actions and adjust accordingly.
Remember, if you continue to do the same thing again and again expecting a different result, you are an idiot. And believe me, a lot of people fall into this category.
2. Go for the ideal, not the available or popular.
The reality is that a career is always made up of what you bring to the table (i.e. value) and what the market will take. Don’t get me wrong, I am not dismissing the importance of what is available in the market.
But you must always keep in mind that markets change, expand and new markets emerge. So, when you look only at what’s available currently, you are not seeing the complete possibilities.
When you aim instead for what is ideal for you and look for a way to bring that to market, you include market expansion and creation in your potential outcomes.
In other words, going for the ideal gives you more opportunities.
So, if you must know what the market prospect is for 2010, you have the perfect answer – it depends on how far you are willing to go.
I want an iPhone 3GS
Dec 17th
My sister-in-law and her family visited my family over a weekend last month and we had a good time catching up. Her son, Ryan, is 11 years-old this year and although I have known him since his birth and have even taken care of him for a short spell 4 years ago, he is growing up to be his own man and, entering his teenage years, he now tends not to enjoy adult conversation nor company.
Ryan spent most of the entire visit glued to my laptop computer that was in the living room where everyone was. I would peek at what he was doing occasionally (mainly to ensure he was not messing up my files) and found him on the Apple Computer website.
Specifically, he was on the iPhone pages of the Apple website.
Before I knew it, he interrupted the adults who were happily chatting away over coffee.
“Mom, look! The iPhone 3GS is so thin and it’s so cool!”
Three minutes later, he shouted again, “Mom, the 3GS can take videos and upload them to YouTube! Isn’t that something?”
Another 5 minutes later, he exclaimed, “Mom, there is voice command for the 3GS! Wow!”
This time, his mother responded, “Ryan, you don’t need an iPhone. I’m not buying one for you. You already have a mobile phone.”
It turned out that Ryan had been bugging his mother over the past week to get him the latest iPhone 3GS. And when I asked him why he needed an iPhone, he said, “Everyone in school has one and it’s really cool” to which I responsed, “Ryan, the iPhone cannot make you cool. Only you can.”
Of course, Ryan didn’t understand what I meant and he also didn’t get the iPhone 3GS he coveted.
From this little episode, it reminded me of the way most of us try to persuade, influence and convince others of something – in other words, our “selling” strategy.
And guess what? Job-hunting is a “selling” process whether you like it or not.
Most people think that the best way to sell is to do what Ryan did – promote the features of the product or service: The iPhone is thin, it can take videos, access the internet, and issue commands via voice, etc.
In job-hunting terms, most people promote ONLY their features thinking that those will sell: Their degree(s), work experience, internship experience, special skills, awards, extra-curricular activities, community service, professional memberships, etc.
Just like Ryan’s mother, the features of the iPhone 3GS meant nothing to her. They may be cool to Ryan but they do not appeal to his mother at all. In fact, an iPhone is expensive to buy and to maintain, especially for an 11 year-old.
Remember: To an employer, you are always on the right-hand end of this simple equation:
Profit = Revenue – Cost
To make business sense, you will only be hired IF:
1. You are affordable (i.e. low cost), and
2. You can generate sufficient value (or revenue) to cover the cost of employing you (i.e. high benefits).
And so, your features may be cool to you, but they will only be cool to the employer IF and ONLY IF they can generate benefits to the employer.
In order to sell successfully to employers, you must approach from the BENEFIT angle: How exactly will the employer benefit from having you on the team? What value can you bring.
No doubt, features can be part of the selling process to provide support for the benefits but features should never be the main focus.
Remember: We don’t buy features. We buy only benefits.
When Ryan understands this, he will be in time to get an iPhone 3GS for Christmas.
Get a job in ANY company
Aug 25th
What kind of person does any employer want to hire?
Answer: People who can solve problems and get the job done.
But…how can they know if you can get the job done before even
hiring you?
The fact is: They can’t. They can only make an educated guess.
And how do they educate themselves about you?
Answer: Through your resume, cover-letter, reference letters,
portfolio, personality tests, psychometric tests, assessment
centres, group interviews, phone interviews, individual interviews,
meal interviews, etc.
You see, none of these methods of screening and selection is
perfect. So, at the end of the day, the employer is still making a
guess and taking a gamble when they decide who to hire.
So, how you can make yourself a COMPELLING hire?
Take their guessing and gambling out of the equation and…
Act as if you’re already working for the company!
When you can show tangible completed work BEFORE THEY’VE EVEN HIRED
YOU, you have instantly become 100 times more employable than every
other applicant. It doesn’t matter who you are up against in the
job competition. The person who shows up at the interview table and
says, “I’ve already found a few ways that you can improve the
company’s website, double the online traffic, and increase the
sales” or whatever… “and here is what I have done to demonstrate
one.”
By doing so, you prove that you CAN do the work and are immediately
providing VALUE to the company.
Here’s an example:
Jason Zimdars tried to get hired by 37signals (37signals.com they
are extremely picky about who they hire — much like Microsoft,
Google and Yahoo!) and he created this:
http://jasonzimdars.com/svn/highrise.html
The way Jason stood out from the rest was that he looked at the
design in Highrise, one of 37signals’ products and created several
different variations of the site with improved usability and look
of the tags. And one of his designs was so good that 37signals
implemented it straightaway! And of course, Jason was hired.
I can already hear some of you thinking in your head, “What? You
are suggesting that I spend all the time and do the work for free??
And I don’t even know if they’ll hire me?”
Yes, I am suggesting that.
Sure, you won’t know if they’ll hire you but if you are reluctant
to give value first to a job that you are applying for, then you
are not really interested in the job. If you are not really
interested in the job, then employers won’t be interested in you.
It’s a two-way street.
Besides, you want the job right?
I mean if this is the job that you want and have decided that it is
going to be your ideal job and that you really want to develop your
career in this industry, then what’s holding you back? Your time
and effort is TOO important to be spent this way?
In any case, you will surely learn something and understand more
doing the work. This will make you even better prepared for the job
interview and the industry. So, I would call the time and effort an
“investment.”
Such a Time as This
Jul 13th
Have you just graduated?
If so, you may have firsthand experience of what the job market is
like currently.
Since October last year, we have been hearing in the news about
where the world economy is heading. We continue to hear of company
bankruptcies, budget cuts, headcount freezes, massive layoffs,
social unrests, declining economic growth, reduced consumer
spending and rising unemployment.
In May this year, it seemed like there was a glimpse of
stabilization and that triggered a fair amount of activities in the
stock markets and real estate markets. But that looked
unsustainable right now and the fundamentals have not changed even
though there was much euphoria. It sure looks like things will get
worst before it gets any better.
What is very real, however, to many of you at this moment is that
you have graduated from being students to being unemployed. Some of
you may even be starting this next stage of life with a whole load
of debt.
Many students I meet are actually considering going straight back
to studying. Yup, get another degree, spend more money (or take on
more debt), get shelter from the crisis for one more year, and,
hopefully,emerge next June with a Master’s degree.
Indeed, going back to school will allow you to be sheltered from
unemployment and be “upgraded” at the same time. However, if you
think that prospects will be better with a Master’s degree, let me
help you with an answer from employers:
If you do not have professional experience, you will still be
regarded as a fresh graduate even if you’ve got a Master’s degree.
At the end of the day, employers do not hire degrees. They hire the
ability to solve problems. They are paying a monthly sum in
exchange for value. A degree says that you can do the academic work
(usually given by professors who do not have real-world
experience). But mark this: Work experience is the only solid proof
of your capabilities.
OK, the bottom-line is that you want to land a job (at least start
gaining some real-world experience). And very soon. Here are some
tips to up your chances:
1. Draw up an employment strategy plan and set up goals to help
youself track progress.
2. Brush up your job-hunting skills. At least ensure that your
resume and job application (i.e. cover-letter)is in tip-top
condition. You are only doing yourself a BIG disfavour by sending
out mediocre resumes during such a time as this.
3. Adapt a flexible approach. Other than targeting the
industry/company/work that you would usually target, look also at
their vertical as well as horizontal market.
For example, to look at the vertical market, if you have always
wanted to work in a commercial bank, look also at which other
industries the bank serves and which other industries serve the
bank. The commercial bank may serve the real estate developers in a
huge way and be served by IT firms which provide their computing
systems.
Horizontally, other than look at being an analyst in the bank,
consider HR, marketing, business development, accounting, project
management, front office, back office, etc.
4. Many companies have implemented hiring-freezes as well as
pay-freezes. Taking on another full-time staff can be an added
burden especially for an SME. But as long as they still exist,
there’s work to be done. So, consider freelance, internships and
part-time employment. Do well in these and you will get a much
better chance of being converted to full-time later.
5. Job-hunting means you should get out there to do the hunting. If
you are hunting for pigs, you’ve got to go where the pigs are. So,
start finding out where you can meet people from the industry of
your choice, get out there and start networking!
6. Consider starting your own business or offering professional
services. This will stir up your creativity, give you priceless
experiences and mark you as an entrepreneur which will provide you
with a huge stepping stone into the corporate career. Starting your
own business need not be a costly affair. Take a look at
www.elance.com and www.guru.com and you’ll know what I mean.
Excel in your CURRENT job
Jul 6th
Have youfinally found the job of your dreams? Are you focused on becoming the best employee possible for your organization? Excelling in a profession can not only be positive for the company, but can create self fulfillment, opportunities for promotion and an excellent professional reputation.
Some employees are content with going to work, doing the same job and performing the very minimum just to earn their paycheck on an ongoing basis. Work proactively to excel in your career by breaking the routine, following in the footsteps of your leaders, and mastering time management.
Break The Routine – Take On A New Project- Found A New Idea
When an employee starts a new job they are often excited, full of new ideas and rearing to conquer success. Over time, through small bumps in the road and increased stressors, many people lose this fresh outlook and fall into an unproductive daily routine. In some cases a positive experience, promotion or other significant event can break this cycle. But for most individuals, they will remain in this cycle for years.
In order to combat this rut so that you can rejuvenate your employment experience, you must break your common routines. Ask your employer to work with you to change your routine. Ask to take on a new project. Or take the initiative to lead a brainstorming session. Seek opportunities to take on more responsibilities. By working in a proactive manner, you can break out of your current routine to focus on achieving success within your career.
Follow In The Footsteps Of Leaders
Do you want to be considered for the next promotion? Most successful professional are not satisfied with remaining in their current position throughout the remainder of their career. But, how can you develop a career plan that will put your goal of a promotion into motion?
The first step to take is to speak with your direct supervisor about your career goals. Also, ask your supervisor about their individual career path. What steps have they taken that enabled them to achieve their current position?
By engaging in this discussion, your supervisor will work with you to develop a career plan, with tasks and steps that you can take to begin working toward your goal.
Take Time Out
It is great to take on extra projects, work long hours and have the company’s best interest at heart. After all, these are the behaviors that will enable you to achieve career success.
But, if you don’t take care of yourself, all of these work will be for nothing. Take time out to enjoy something for you and you only on a weekly basis. It may be a trip to the spa, day of golf or weekend alone with that special someone; but, find time for yourself. It not only renews, but also refreshes the mind to better focus on excelling in all your ventures. And this recharging time will enable you to focus more clearly on your career during the time spent at the office.