Ultimate Career
Career Worth Living For!
Why wouldn’t they hire me? (Part 1)
Sep 3rd
Universities are such: They put a lot of people into the job-market
every year.
Recessions are such: They put EVEN more people into the job-market
and make sure they stay that way and take a lower pay.
The issue for fresh graduates in a recession is that all the good
jobs seemed to be snatched up by recently laid-off 35-year olds who
are desperate and willing to take a huge paycut. And many fresh
graduates are forced to take jobs that doesn’t even need high
school education.
I have heard this many times, “Well, this is how it is. You just
have to take what you can get in this market.”
Does your degree count for nothing??!
If you only know how to look for a job using OLD conventional,
outdated ways in this knowledge economy (or would only take jobs
based on your conventional outdated mindset), the answer is, “Yes,
your degree really counts for nothing.”
To start with, most people are looking for jobs at the wrong
places… places like Monster, JobsDB, Career Times, Job Market…
Now, here’s what you can do to recession-proof yourself:
1. Decide on what you REALLY want and the kind of work you are
interested in (Yes, work that you’ll care about) and TELL people
about it.
Yes, this means NETWORKING!
2. Do free work for the industry, company, project that you are
interested in.
No, free work is not an internship.
Free work is done remotely (i.e. off-site). This means that you can
work for people in any part of the world. To the employer, it is
called “outsourcing.”
Employers usually worry about wasting time and money when they
hire. These are the two big risks. With free work, you remove the
risks altogether. They don’t have to set up a desk for you, they
don’t have to spend too much time to train you, they don’t even
have to care that much about you.
They’d also have really low expectations of you. And that’s where
you can over-deliver!
Yes, no salary now but the objective is to secure trust with the
employer and prove your worth so that you will earn much more later
when you secure the job. BTW, having a degree does not mean you are
entitled to a job an pay-cheque.
What you need to do is this:
“I’d like to work on project ABC for you. I’ll work on it for the
next 2 weeks and give you an update on my progress every 2 days.
“What I need is some direction about the project and what
outcome/result you’d like to get with some feedback on my regular
email updates. This will make sure that I am on the right track.
“If you don’t like my work at the end of the 2 weeks, you can trash
it and we’ll move on. No lost for you and no hard feelings from me.
“But if you do like my work, I’d like to discuss doing more work
for you.”
When you do get the free work, do it professionally and speedily.
And always appreciate the opportunity that you have been given.
And by the way, you don’t have to do free work alone – Gather up a
few friends and work together!
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.
I knew my direction but…
Oct 27th
I remember that I always knew what I wanted to do in life.
When I was in primary school, I wanted very much to be a doctor, to save lives. Much of this desire was influenced by my favourite aunt who was, then, studying in medical school. I remember playing with and being intrigued by the human skeleton model and the needles and syringes that she used in her studies. My grandmother, with whom I spent a lot of my childhood with, also constantly talked about how important it is to have a doctor at home.
By secondary school, I had set my sights on being a top surgeon in the medical profession and the subjects I chose to study were in line with this goal – pure sciences. This was also the time when my aunt graduated from university with her medical degree and started working in the public hospital system. I told her very proudly of my ambition and how I’d like to be like her.
However, the respond I received was somewhat shocking, “Don’t be a doctor. You’ll work like a dog.”
What??!!!
By the time I joined junior college for my A-levels, I had given up the dream of becoming a doctor. Instead, I decided that I should study and work in something that I enjoyed very much, as a hobby, which was computing and computers.
I then spent the next 5 years studying computers and obtained my first degree in Computer Engineering.
And guess what? By the time I graduated from university, I have decided that IT is not the type of work I want to do for the rest of my life (largely due to my internship experience and the boring classes in university). And I chose my life direction, yet again although vaguely, to be an educator and a life changer. But this time, I found this direction from deep within my heart and had it confirmed through experience, mentors, coaches, personality tests and inventories throughout the years since.
As many of you already know, I am today an educator and a businessman and enjoying every bit of it! I am not working in the IT industry per se and have never done so directly. I am doing what I am doing because I have discovered my purpose through lots of hard knocks and running around in circles not getting anywhere.
I may not be saving physical lives today, like what a doctor does, but I am changing lives and saving souls one at a time through education which I consider my calling in life.
Looking back, I realised that while I had direction at the various stages of my life, they were influenced very much by the people around me. During those times, I had never searched and discovered within myself the questions, “What difference do I want to make in this world?”, “What am I here for?” and “What is the purpose of my life?”
If your life choices were made by people other than yourself, it is time to rethink and re-choose. You have one life and it is yours to live to the full. Nobody can live it for you and nobody can be responsible for you.
It may take some time to discover and confirm your own direction but the time spent is well worth it. What is important is that you start looking out for it and it will find its way to you.