Boost your career in today’s fast-paced world

re you aware what is that describes and manages the career success of individuals? Do mental abilities matter or is technical knowledge the defining factor? Do social and economic considerations as pertinent to family matters have a bearing on career success. Does the performance at college and subsequently hold the key to career success? The pertinence of various issues talked of has changed with changing times. 

At the outset, it is necessary to be aware that there exist a host of fabricated stories and falsehoods and concocted theories that tend to impact our viewpoint on this very important issue of career success. The prime one is that any person is capable of reaching a summit and that it is possible to arrive at one’s aspired position with ease, subject to some imperatives. Well, this could have been true four or five decades back, but not now. The dynamics of the situation have changed.

An individual’s ability to make good judgements and quick decisions; his or her proficiency and competence: and lastly an acumen to accurately assess people and situations continue to be significant factors that bring about career success. However, their nuances and implications stand altered. Today, it is not just intelligence in the classical sense that gives your carer a boost. Qualities like exercising control over and expressing emotions; and man-management skills also hold the key to career success.

The above notwithstanding, your intelligence will always be an important factor. But you will have to possess and display speed of perception, comprehension and response. Your emotional intelligence quotient, that is, the levels of your people skills, self-knowledge and public appreciation will be good indicators of your career success. And also career failure. It has come to be seen that a low level of emotional intelligence is responsible for career muddle and confusion. research has proved that emotional intelligence is a great differentiating factor between good employees and bad ones. Therefore, it is no surprise that organisations lay great emphasis on it while recruiting people; possession of a concern for others and self-understanding are seen as big assets.

All careers have ceased to have any boundaries. Under such a changed environment, what could be the indicators for career success? Today, the conventional yardsticks to measure or quantify career success have become irrelevant. With careers that have practically no stipulated precincts, inner and mental triumph has become a crucial determinant for career success vis-à-vis earlier tangible ones like earnings. But gratification and achievement are what are viewed as more significant today. Issues related to motivation and self-awareness have assumed greater importance than ever before. Your ability to make friends, that is your networking capability has also come to be regarded as an important quality because in the working world of today, developing and sustaining relationships are important. Individual and organisational survival are seen as contingent on networking. The connotation of courage has also changed in that it implies working against odds and finding solutions to vexed problems. It is the ability to stay focused during stressful periods that is a major quality for success. In addition, your own learning and development efforts also contribute to your career success. In the altered conditions that prevail today, your inspiration to bash on regardless is also an essential factor for career success.

The above notwithstanding, the important question is, “Can emotional intelligence be boosted?”  Research conducted on the subject has indicated that that though it is largely influenced by early childhood happenings, an improvement can be brought about through personal effort and counselling.    

It is believed that career success in establishments adhering to old tenets of management is possible for people who are relatively less resourcefully endowed; this is largely on account of dependence on hierarchal superintendence frameworks.  However, in the changed milieu that prevails today, career success is all about being forward-looking,  working to reduce load of  seniors and volunteering to take on extra responsibilities. Bosses at each and every level want their juniors to be competent, well-organised, work as per laid down parameters and meet deadlines. Evidently, such imperatives do not get dictated by perceptive or emotional assessments; and hence impede the progress of individuals who howsoever efficient, is not comfortable when required to work under supervision.

The change that will not change is this. The orthodox and traditional image of an organisational leader as being self-confident and generally not available to the subordinates, despite possessing a good sense of strategic perception has been rendered outmoded. On the other hand, a high degree of emotional competence is desired. If that be so, conventional skill-based or cognitive assessment to prognosticate career success has lost relevance. It is an individual’s emotional proficiency that will count.

Originating a plan for career advancement

Are you concerned about your career? Do you wonder how you will attain your career objectives and fulfil your career aspirations? If you think on those lines, be assured that there are simple methods by way of which, you can formulate a career advancement plan. However, you need to understand that though the entire process can seem to be simple, it will not be actually so if you you do not go about it with seriousness and sincerity. But you need not be unnecessarily worried because your efforts are going to investments that will eventually pay good dividends. You need to reflect on and do the following:

• Visualise your career’s eventual position:  It is necessary that you have no doubts about your career journey, including the path that you intend embarking upon; that is a prerequisite for success. Your visualisation should not be unduly complicated. To put it in simple terms, you should be able to envision the position that you seek to be at in the immediate, near-term and long-term years. Your immediate future should be two or three years hence; the same is not distant from where you're at the present and hence, will not be  difficult to envision. Envisaging that will help you to identify your objectives that lie still further ahead. If you start planning for ten years from now, your comprehension of issues may not be crystal clear and may necessitate alteration of plans to suit trends prevalent then. But being forward-looking is a good trait. Remember that when you set goals for yourself, they have to be specific and motivate you to remain committed. When you have no doubts about the path that you are going to move on, you will automatically understand why and what of the issue.
• Be aware of the need to acquire additional qualifications: You may feel that your present qualifications are adequate, but you may not realise that in another couple of years, there will be intense competition. When that happens, you may find it difficult to acquit yourself well. Therefore, you need to identify in advance the qualifications that you ought to acquire, a discernment of which is possible if you study the qualifications necessary for higher posts in your organisation. This will help you gauge your position with regard to what you aspire for. The qualifications that you think will be necessary should be noted and prioritised. Caution should be exercised when you get to realise that a particular position is not apt for you, even if you possess all the requisite qualifications for it. Under such circumstances, you will emerge the best choice and therefore, need not place extra focus on or for gearing up for it. The truth will be that you have in your ready possession a record of all possibilities of growth.
• Draft your own growth strategy: Now that you have no doubt about what you intend to accomplish and that you are armed with all information pertinent to your focal points, you are well-geared to move forward and take on all career challenges head on. If you seek advice from a professional coach, mentor or even your immediate boss, your plan will be rendered more potent. They will be able to guide you on how you should acquire additional qualifications. On your part, you will have to accord precedence to the manner in which you acquire new qualifications. However, this may not be easy as you will have to work hard to maintain your present efficiency as you set out to improve your qualifications. But once you decide on the methodology, new  thoughts and ideas will come to your mind on how you should actually be performing on ground to add on to your knowledge and skills. It should be remembered that drafting a growth strategy calls for meeting deadlines; it is also essential that you exercise self-control since things may tend to get difficult, more so because you cannot be certain of the time that you will spend in acquiring new qualifications. Considering the foregoing, you should initiate a system of checks and balances over yourself so that you do not deviate from the path that you have embarked upon.

Career advancement is an issue that people tend to neglect but realise its importance when you find that you have been stagnating. In the light of the foregoing, you have to be in firm control of your career to prevent it from being adversely impacted. Your planning today will help you to scale greater heights. Remember that the responsibility to take charge of your professional future is yours alone and hence, you need to make certain that you indeed progress wisely on the path that you have set your foot on.

Locate & seize career opportunities

The world abounds in opportunities waiting to be grabbed. And then, there are associated pressures too that cannot be done away with. Opportunities can only be grabbed if you can see them; being able to to do that calls for a careful disposition and initiative. If you are sincere for your career advancement, you should be adept at looking out for opportunities that gel with your penchants and overall personality. However, the foregoing is not a very simple process, may take time and demands patience.

No opportunity will ever come with an announcement of its worth. So, how do you locate and seize career opportunities? There are so many opportunities all around you and it may be rather difficult doing that. Therefore, you need to be on a constant lookout for them. And make that a habit too. Whenever you are able to locate an opportunity, you must record it; if the list becomes long, you can always delete those that may not be high on the relevance rating. Some tips on the issue are:

• Look for hidden opportunities: There will be numerous job openings that may not be made known in the public domain. You may not even come to know of some opening in your present organisation to. Therefore, you should be on the lookout for them. It is also necessary that you increase your networking; this will help you to brush up your knowledge about all new developments and emerging trends. If you take up any honorary assignment, it will assist you in acquiring new skills, updating your knowledge base and expanding your network. The foregoing will certainly facilitate identification of new openings.
• Know your strengths & weaknesses: The need to know and comprehend what your strengths and weaknesses needs no emphasis. In order to know your strengths, you should be able to identify tasks from which you derive happiness and satisfaction; and also those that you do not want to undertake for any reason whatsoever. You may be following some principles and standards that others do not follow; if you can identify them, you will be in a better position to identify opportunities cut out for you. It will be better if you maintain a list of people who you know and who can help you when the need arises. You must respect viewpoints of others and make efforts to know how they feel about you. There will be some weak spots in you, which you should deliberate upon so that they can be transformed into positive tools for your advancement.
• Identify issues pertinent to you: Are you aware of different issues that are important for you? It is essential that you discover a job that is ideally suited for you. This can be achieved if you deliberate afflict upon aspects like your lifestyle, both current and aspired, remuneration, contentment, goals and qualifications. But most importantly, you should consider if an available opportunity is worth it or not in terms of excitement and growth prospects. In addition, you may consider any and all other factors that may be pertinent to you.
• Prune your list of likes: Having understood your strengths, weaknesses and preferences together with different opportunities ahead you, you must catalogue opportunities that you think are the best. This is help you to avoid making undue efforts. Every single opportunity that you record should be evaluated for its worth, implying everything that it involves, the manner in which it will impact you and the benefits that it is likely to offer you. Concurrently, you should examine various methods that should be adopted tomato the best use of them in conjunction with your qualifications and skill-sets. It goes without saying that there will be adverse fallouts too and you should dwell on their likelihood too. It is only after an all-inclusive examination that you will be able to narrow down on an opportunity that is best suited to you.
• Get set for the plunge: After you identify an opportunity that you feels ideal for you, you should prepare yourself for the plunge. And the best way to do that is by amalgamating it in your personal goals. After after this, you can decide to reflect upon various initiatives required to be taken by you to facilitate reaping maximum benefits. If you feel that you need to acquire more qualifications or experience, you must make serious efforts in that direction. The likelihood of being able to identify an opportunity in your present organisation cannot be discounted; under such a situation, you should make concentrated efforts to make a mark so that your prospects stand boosted.

Remember that any endeavour that you make to find out about career opportunities will always pay you dividends. As you catch hold of them, newer ones will come your way, but if you fail to do so, they will all dry up. You have to be proactive to be successful.

Decide on what you want your career & life to be

Selecting a career can be a rather disconcerting effort, however, if you have different options in front of you and adequate time at hand to reflect over them, things can turn out to be better. There were times when people believed in sticking on to a job forever. Today it is not so; the career that you embark upon is a significant component of your life. Since you are likely to spend twelve hours of your day at work, the entire process has to be gone about with due diligence. 

In the light of the above, you need to decide on what you want your career and life to be with care. The career that you select has to gel with your inherent personality and passions. It should be such that when you seek a change, you should be held down. Some tis in this context are:

• Enunciate your ambitions & aspirations: The maiden step should be to discern what you seek to do. This calls for god research to find out what are your passions; and what suits you and your personality. You could well seek assistance from others. It is important to be clear about your aims and the qualifications that you need to be possess that will take you there. You will also have to reflect on the likelihood of switching over to various related disciplines. In addition, the need to contemplate beyond the  extent of your present and future rights and claims also calls for some attention.
• Pick out skills that prompt you to undertake tasks with pleasure: It is essential that you identify activities that delight you. This will serve as an important pointer of what you want to take up as a career. And once you are able determine a potential line of work, you will be physically and mentally prepared to take it up. You should also make continuous efforts to add on to your knowledge and skills, taking all benefits that may be possible from your networking. Doing so will ensure a ready flow of advice. Any opportunity to gain experience in any way should never be allowed to slip away because the exposure that you get will broaden your horizon and vision.
• Reflect on your field of work & even beyond: The implication of your career extends much beyond a single job. You could get several types of jobs in a specific career line; this calls for treating all training efforts with an eye on several related jobs in that particular field.  You should keep in mind that the extent a specific line of work has is dependent on your own initiative, resourcefulness, ingenuity, hard work and qualifications. It is necessary that you keep abreast with the latest developments and research on additional qualifications that you would require to move ahead in your career. All your endeavours have to be detailed, methodical and pragmatic so that you are able to discern the shape of things to come and the courses of actions that you may be required to follow.
• Identify people in similar jobs: Having identified the jobs that go well with your passions, outlook and penchants, you should establish meet people who are already in jobs that are similar to those proposed to be taken up by you. The advice, guidance and direction provided by them will surely be beneficial to you in the long run.  Even informational interviews or volunteering for honorary assignments will make clear your mind of any doubt. 
• Examine your preferences in the light of your conclusions: The information that you acquire should be examined in the light of the career map thought of by you. The need to arrive at a balanced estimation or judgement vis-a-vis facts needs no emphasis. It is essential that you also consider the type of routine that you want to follow as also the type of life that you seek to lead so that you guard yourself against any possible disappointment at a later stage. 
• Don't allow negativity take over your reins: Now that you have at hand everything that is necessary to embark upon your dream career, the need will be to stay focussed at all times. An upbeat disposition is what you should adopt and maintain; a flexible approach is also part of a positive approach. In doing so, you will be able to convert challenges and difficult time into opportunities. However, it should be noted that a display of flexibility should not be at the cost of your values. The significant point herein is that you should set out to live a life that you have always dreamt of. 

Remember that nobody gets to live life backward. You have to look ahead because that is where your future lies. Keep your mind and heart focused in the right direction will empower you to live life to the fullest and enjoy the career that you decide to embark upon.

Reflecting over unemployment

Are you one who has applied for several jobs but have not got a call letter for any? Are you feeling disenchanted with your unemployment and attributing your condition to your bad luck? Like you, there are many more like you and hence, you need not be unduly worried. Unemployment per se is an unpleasant experience but there can be no fixed reason for it. It is only with some perseverance and hard work that you can overcome the disappointment being faced by you. 

Your state of unemployment should be taken as a consequence of not having worked hard enough or that your efforts have not paid off. There is guarantee either that they will pay of in the times to come. It is essential that you display a positive disposition and an upbeat zeal that manifests your ability to take risks. Your outlook has to be bold , to say the least.

While there could be several factors that may have contributed to your unemployment, there is likelihood that you have not been proactive or not been making the desired efforts or even harbouring aspirations not commensurate with your current situation. If you subject yourself to some introspective questioning, you will be able to discern the reasons for your unemployment.  Your responses will also help you in knowing your limitations; such awareness will facilitate in the institution of appropriate remedial steps. You need to ask yourself the following question:

• Do you think that others are also obliged to get back to you? It should be kept in mind that nobody will ever come to you with a job letter. You may have put in sustained efforts in drafting your resume before applying for jobs; and are now waiting eagerly and confidently for the call letter. If you submitted your application in time and significant time has elapsed after that, it is necessary to get into a proactive mode. It should now be your responsibility to keep making inquiries with the concerned authorities so that you are able to keep tag of every move and opportunity. This will be an obvious manifestation of your avidity, eagerness and tenacity. Till such time you get to know that you have not been considered, it should continue to bug you and implore you to keep making inquiries. Under no circumstances you should adopt a presumptuous approach that your case is under consideration and that a call letter is underway.
• Do you think that you and and your job search ought to be focussed only on your qualifications: Your focus should not be limited to your own self or for that matter on your aptitude, skills, expertise and knowledge. Many a people do so and when they embark upon their career journey, they fail in the very first phase, that is job search. It is necessary that you do not harbour any such outlook and instead focus on the company that you wish to join. You should be well familiar with all aspects related to the organisation that you are aspiring to be part of; this will help you to make appropriate preparations for the job interview and all discussions or parleys that will have to be engaged in subsequently.
• Is your general disposition upbeat? Everything that you think and all actions and initiatives that you take reflect your disposition, whether optimistic or pessimistic. If you have a negative outlook, it is more than likely that you will not be able to bag the job that you had applied for. Your state of unemployment is bound to bring about some feeling of dejection, however, it is necessary that you view things in an optimistic manner. You can accomplish that by considering everything in an all-inclusive and pragmatic manner; and taking corrective measures wherever necessary. This will make certain your motivation and inspiration levels are always pitched high. Remember that in sharp contrast with negativity, your fervour and ardour can be passed on to others; in other words, they have telling effects on others.
• Do you have a rigid or flexible approach? If you have a rigid approach and lack confidence or courage,  your efforts to search for a job will not bear fruit. The resume that you draft should convey an impression that you make sincere efforts to know the latest that is happening in the world. And when you add links to different social media sites, you will convey the right impression. But if you feel that you have not been keeping abreast with the latest developments and innovations, it will be appropriate to enrol yourself for a course to widen your knowledge base. This will convey to your prospective employer your dedication and resolve to do well in life.

Any individual who is inclined to work but cannot lay hands on a job to work perhaps suffers a feeling that cannot be described. The pros and cons of unemployment is best comprehended by an unemployed. You should not be found wanting in your efforts to transform  your unemployment into employment; your job search efforts thus have to be relentless.

Boost your professional credibility & reliability

At work, do your bosses and colleagues have confidence in your dutifully firm outlook and dedication? If they do not, it should be viewed by you as a failure to accomplish any goal or purpose. It has been proved that while at your workplace any display of whimsical tendencies will be a sure-shot recipe for failure. 

If you seek to do well in your job and career, it is essential that your seniors, colleagues and subordinates trust you, irrespective of your appointment and designation. All employers and management of companies regard employees who are not trustworthy and dependable  as impediments to productivity. Such employees are disliked and seen as dispensable; their contributions as part of any team are always suspect. Therefore, if you seek to be successful and popular, you should earn the image of being credible and reliable. Everybody should regard you as somebody who will not go back on commitments given.

How can you boost your professional credibility and reliability? You should pay good amount of attention to:

• Initiatives that you take: All initiatives that you take and tasks that you undertake should be done with due deliberation and planning. And if you have volunteered to take on any responsibility, the degree of care in executing it should be all the more. As part of your planning, you must set objectives for yourself, but they should be practical and achievable so that you do not become an object of censure. Things will not proceed as per plan and hence you must earmark some resources and time as reserves to cater to unforeseen developments. Your initiatives executed intelligently will always result in a better performance.
• Your acts of commission & omission: You are bound to make mistakes; few mistakes could just be unexpected and unavoidable. Commission of any form of mistake will always impact your output and therefore, all remedial measures that you institute should be effective in dealing with problems and problematic situations.  Just in case you are unable to take corrective measures, owning up a mistake and apologising for it is always advisable. But under no circumstances, you should withhold taking corrective action. There is every possibility that you may run into troubled waters; if such a situation does occur, you should avoid taking any action to make your mistake. When you take responsibility of a mistake, you portray a positive image of your personality. When you look within to find out why things went wrong, you are then unlikely to repeat similar blunders again.
• 24/7 display of candour & genuineness:  If you give your word to do anything, under no circumstances would go back on it. Any trust that people may enjoy with you will be wiped off if you cannot keep your word. Trust once broken will never be restored. In the light of the foregoing, any word given by you is more or less an undertaking given by you to do it and failure to do it will amount to a breach of trust. Your word is akin to a written promise and failure to keep it will never be forgotten. And hence, all the pros and cons of a task should be considered well in advance. There is nothing wrong in expressing your inability to take on a particular task or seeing additional time to take it to its logical conclusion. Any rash action should be avoided to preclude detrimental developments and impacts.

Reliability and credibility call for sincerity of a very high order in carrying assigned and volunteered tasks. The foregoing implies following through on your commitments with genuineness and sans any deceit. Remember that if others see you as dependable and trustworthy, it will boost your self-confidence. You will also count on yourself. Your reliability and credibility are great contributors to function in a team. Irrespective of your appointment and position, they will bolster your prospects of advancement and build up confidence in others that they should be ready to work  with and support you in in thick and thin. 

            When others view your reliability and credibility in a positive manner, it should not be taken that you are not likely to err. It simply implies that they trust you. Relationships are always built on such qualities and those who are unable to do so, invariably suffer impediments in their career advancement. Remember that your prime assets are your reliability and credibility; and thatchy facilitate in generating a good impression. On the other hand, if you are not dependable, you will fail to make a mark and your employers may even decide to retrench you. Considering this, you need to work hard and sincerely so that you are not only respected, but also believed. 

Locating leads for top jobs

A large part of the job market is veiled and not on view. So, if you want your job search to be fruitful, you will have to get into it. The recipe for a successful job search can be found there and you have to go about it with due diligence and tact. Unfortunately, many job seekers just do not do that.

You get to know about job openings through various means. One may think that online portals or newspaper advertisements are the best way to find out about ‘situations vacant’, but that is not so. The fact is that not more than twenty five percent job vacancies get to be advertised. The rest is what constitutes the hidden job market. So, if you look for openings in advertisements, you will be wasting your precious time and lose out on other opportunities that could well be more in number and better in terms of career prospect. Considering the foregoing, you ought to focus more on the hidden job market.

It needs to be understood that all advertised jobs are public. On the other hand, unadvertised openings call for concerted efforts to find them. Therefore, it is no wonder that there is a queue of aspirants for any post that has been advertised and securing that is obviously difficult. But job openings that are not publicised get to be known to only few and hence the competition involved in securing it is relatively less. Job openings that are advertised are done so as a last option. It is also possible tat they are done so on account of stipulated qualifications and experience not readily available in a majority of applicants; the entire process of recruitment is thus difficult. But an unadvertised job opening is easy to fill; it will not be presumptuous to state it is meant for a person who is eager to take it on. Considering the foregoing, any job search that is restricted to only advertisements implies self-imposed limitations of missing out on seventy five percent of existing vacancies. Therefore, your seventy five percent focus should be on hidden jobs and twenty five per cent on advertised ones.

If you genuinely seek to be successful in your job search efforts, you must decide on a definite strategy. Your perspectives, efforts and actions have to be thorough. A job search entails some self-marketing too and hence you must post your updated resume on various portals available online; this will make you more reachable and employers and hirers will be able to establish contact with you along with their offers. Remember that the need to keep your resume updated at all times cannot be underplayed; it is essentially that you list out your accomplishments in the preceding two or three years in it because employers invariably attach greater importance to them. It should also be understood that your resume has to be tailor-made for the vacancy that you are applying for. Therefore, you should pay particular attention to highlight your skills and capabilities as relevant to the job opening and in the context of projecting your suitability to bring about better productivity.

A job search can prove to be a highly demanding experience; it will certainly make you feel tense because of the extended periods of time that it runs into. You should be mentally and physically prepared for this; and display a high degree of perseverance and self-restraint till such time you are successful. At the sae time, you must refrain from applying for jobs that call for higher qualifications or experience. The likelihood of encountering roadblock in your job search cannot be discounted; you ought to identify people who would help you in your efforts.

The crux of being successful in your job search is the need to pursue a job lead with sincerity. Your efforts do not cease after you submit your resume. You need to make enquiries about its receipt and also try to make certain that you are shortlisted and called for the interview. All follow-up actions that you take should be vigorous, The follow-up action has to be aggressive, pertinacious and professional; it will stand you in good stead if you catalogue all your efforts in this regard.

You may be unemployed and looking for a job or you may be wanting a job change. But in view of the competition that prevails, getting one is by itself a job, a full-time one for that matter. And since there is no one source for obtaining a lead, you efforts have to be serious. The evident ones find place in advertisements, but they may not be truly rewarding. Though the best job lead may spring to you unexpectedly, you should not be found wanting in your efforts to chase several others concurrently.

Career planning is an ability-testing exercise

If you were asked to go to a new place altogether, wouldn't you plan for your journey so that you do not face any difficulties en route. The planning that you will do will invariably pertain to the place being visited, items that you would carry and the mode of conveyance, etc. When you do career planning, similar actions are required to be taken so that you do not encounter any hindrances in your career advancement; all roadblocks in your career journey will have to be envisioned and plans made in advance to overcome them.  When you start off with your job search, you should be prepared for challenges that you will face; more than anticipating them, you should have done contingency planning also. You may proceed with your job search in any way you like, but in order to be successful, you will have to adopt a systematic approach and display due astuteness throughout.

When you do career planning, you envision your future. You visualise how it will, rather should unfold to ensure that you move ahead in your career sans any troubles and complications. The process will never be bereft of challenges.The process is not bereft of competitive situations and your ability will be subject to test. Issues that will be challenging are:

• Remaining methodical: During the course of your job search, you will be required to have at hand a number of documents. They could be copies of your resume, contact details of people, company profiles, correspondence and applications submitted by you. You will also be required to maintain a list of actions to be taken by you like visits, telephone calls, forwarding of documents and appointments, etc. It is essential that you remain methodical so that all such information is readily available.
• Remaining canny: You will have to be highly discerning and thus display a high degree of awareness of whatever transpires around you; of particular significance will be issues that are capable of impacting your career selection. Remaining cognisant and responsive to emerging situations will help you to examine them for any possible effect they may have on your career. You will be able to evaluate opportunities that come your way for their potential vis-a-vis career advancement.
• Remaining focussed: When you set out for a job hunt, it is all about making efforts to seek satisfaction. You can be contented if you make use of your knowledge, both theoretical and practical willingly and with happiness. Remember that if you succeed in your endeavours, happiness will be an automatic fallout. The corollary is also true; if you engage yourself in any work that you delight in, success will automatically follow. if you maintain your focus, the chances of success will stand boosted. In the light of numerous  distractions and disturbances that prevail today, remaining focused is a challenge by itself.
• Remaining proactive: You will have to display a proactive approach with regard to your future planning. This is the primary strategy of any job search. It is a fact that most job vacancies are not publicised and information about them will have to be obtained through your contacts. Your line of action should be to gather job leads from others, meet people and take the information acquired by you to its logical conclusion. To make your plan work, you will have to do proper time management and evaluate all leads obtained; towards that, networking has to be a contours process.
• Remaining in limelight: You will have to generate a good image of yourself, be it when you meet people, indulge in conversations or via your resume. Your CV is an important document and it should be drafted with care. And when you face an interview, you will have to make a good impression, which again will be a challenge. The manner in which you conduct yourself will be based on what you know about yourself and hence dictate the type of impression that you generate.        

The above challenges will persist throughout your career span. You need to know what your responses to various challenges as and when they unfold themselves will be. The foregoing will call for learning newer operation techniques. But most importantly, you cannot afford to play with the trust that people who offer you frank advice have in you.