The present fiscal situation has made the job scenario really dynamic. Gone are the times when parents used to consider that they know exactly what their children should study to get the right job and be pleased ever after. What is a hot, high-indemand sector becomes outdated all too soon now.
We have noticed cycles when civil engineering was considered bottom of the rung to when it was critical for all infrastructure tasks and now again when there is a slowdown and layoffs. Still investment banking, considered the gold standard of successful careers, is now in depression. And it is not merely the jobs, but also where you locate them that is changing along with seasons. Dubai, once a hot vacation spot, is now a difficult position to stay, expensive and, therefore, an unpleasant profession destination. Same for the United States. In such a situation of uncertainty, how do you secure yourself ? How do you ensure that you are not in the eye of the storm each time a downturn hits?
Differentiate yourself Cultivating a distinct personality is simply like shopping a product or service the most outstanding individual catches attention. Expertise has the same standards as well. In fact, this is the most main thing we should perform right at the commencement of our profession.
The foremost step is to identify what makes us exceptional -- communication abilities or technical depth or interpersonal connection or the capability to think out of the box. This introspective analysis has to be done honestly , perhaps with help from peers and superiors to get clarity on the key talents that we can potentially develop to create that difference.
For instance, if you are a great coder, start emphasising it by taking part in as many coding contests as possible. Start tracking your presentation metrics in coding, which can establish that you are a remarkable coder. Guess what? Still in the worst fiscal scenario, there is always a demand for the most productive, professional coder, so you will be protected.
Golden regulations Learning is completely proportional to exposure: The first job is based on what and where we studied.
However, as we progress to the second and third job, this pales in front of our experience -- what have we learnt on our profession?
A significant part of what we study is dependent on what we were exposed to in our separate stints. If our profession took us to international markets, we learn more about working with distinct cultures and competing internationally . If our job gave us the opportunity to wear multiple hats, say , selling along with marketing, we have learnt more. What it does is that it enhances our upcoming opportunities far more than the raises we have got or the designations we hold.
So, especially in the initial phase of your job, focus on creating prospects for learning. Offer less importance to stability and compensation, for they are the consequence of what you study. Working for start-ups is a high track to leapfrog your learning. It comes at the cost of stability and current profit but you will gain manifold in the future and that is something you need to quantify accurately when you evaluate your options.
Do not neglect soft talents: In the early part of our job, we are often busy learning the basic skills and becoming better and better at it.
Often, in this fixation, we lose sight of structure our repertoire of soft skills. In fact, some of us believe that it will automatically `come' when we go up the ladder. However, the truth is that soft skills start becoming more and more critical once we reach the mid-management stage. By then, we are too old to study these talents as our personalities are shaped and perceptions are set. Interpersonal talents, oral and written communications, creative thoughts, are all as important as getting a postgraduate degree and should be accomplished accurate from the beginning.
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