Don’t sabotage your career

If you were to look around you, a number of people will come to your notice – people who have always dreamt big, aspired for more and invariably attained whatever they sought. Such people have certain key attributes and indulge in actions that particularly open up the doors of success for them. At the other end of the spectrum would be people who are self-sabotaging and fail to achieve any success.  

You may have lofty professional objectives, but unless you embark upon the correct path, you will not attain any of them. Given below are six actions that will help you shape your professional image and elicit all encouragement when the going gets tough:

· Be sure & have well-defined aims:  This is an inescapable requirement to do well in life. You should be cloudless about what precisely you seek and what is relevant to you; and be willing to sacrifice everything for them. People fail in their careers because they are unable to fill in the blanks as related to their flair and urges in their efforts to find a correct career. They are unable to work hard to discern the contributory factors of their botches. Remember that if you are cognizant, you have more options at your disposal. All successful people remain unswerving in all their actions, including emulative ones. If you dispel all doubts and feel self-assured, countless windows of opportunities will open up for you and you will be able to clutch those that guarantee progress.

· Convert nervousness into motivation:  You should learn to do so as feelings of fear, persecution and helplessness are detrimental to your career interests. It is essential that you learn to display your capabilities and shoulder responsibilities; and take every development, good or bad in the correct stride. In fact, that is how you learn to move ahead. At your workplace, there will be a horde of influences on you and your performance and you should take them as learning experiences. In case you fail to do so and instead give up or take the path of confrontation, you will in no way benefit and success will always elude you. You have to discover ways and means to convert your desperation into an impelling force for change and progress.

· Put into effect your limits & cut-off point:  When you are clear about what you seek, you have to be robust and sturdy to safeguard your limits, respect your precedence and make the essentials of progress known. There are many people who know what they stand for and seek in life, but when it comes to taking initiative or a step forward, they buckle. The reasons for buckling could be diverse, but the fact is that you need to subdue your anxiety and self-doubt so that you are able to emerge solid and resilient enough to uphold your requirements and if necessary, demand them.

· Remain fully dedicated:  You should be like a tree that faces the storm but does not shake with it. You can always create positive circumstances for yourself even when everybody around you doubt you. Well, that calls for being venturesome but does not imply not making an allowance for such misgivings. You should view things in the correct perspective and apply mid-term corrections where necessary, soliciting assistance when indispensable. In other words, you pledge yourself to your objectives with no strings attached but concurrently displaying flexibility of approach. It is a well-known fact that people who are aware of their weaknesses and strive to overcome them invariably thrive in their careers and life alike. 

· Practise good communication skills:  Your written and spoken abilities have to be charismatic. You should know how to talk about your ventures and their outcomes so that others can take it as an example. You should know the reasons behind your actions and this will help you in drawing people close to you. In addition, you also need to support and encourage others; your supportive actions will project you in the correct light and boost your image.  

· Learn to work in a social environment:  You simply cannot exist or work in a void. You have to make efforts to build good associations that are long-lasting. Man is a gregarious animal and hence you need to understand the need to help and engage others to be successful. And you can do so if you share common principles and enjoy the confidence of others. It is important that you do not move around with airs about yourself or encourage sycophancy in any form. Any attempt to exert your authority in a negative manner will never pay you dividends.

It is not that career success cannot come to you otherwise, but then your career path will be full of distressing potholes and deviations. And when you eventually reach the endpoint, you will still be unsatisfied and disoriented.      

Bidding adios to a nerve-racking job

Do you happen to be in a job that is devouring you? Do you feel that you are remaining worried unnecessarily about your work? Is your work killing you?

The stress that prevails in your life because of your work need not persist forever. You can definitely institute some measures in your life and work routine to affect a reduction of stress in them; however, they may not lead you to your dream job. But you will surely find more elbow space for yourself and be able to generate a life that has been your vision or fantasy.

Here is how you can liberate yourself of the tensions, hassles, strains and whatever that tends to make you worry:

· Job dependence decrease through expenditure decrease:  There are several ways you can reduce your dependence on your job. It basically implies controlling your expenditures so that you learn to subsist with less. The luxury of modern lifestyle has made certain comforts a habit and necessity; you must get over them. You should refrain from indulging in unnecessary expenditure and doing away with those that are not offering you much except perhaps a status symbol. Remember that your money is your valued possession and you should spend it with care.

· Job dependence decrease through income supplements: Here again you have several ways available to you. You could exploit your talents to make extra buck – if you sing, performing at a club can make your income go up. Likewise, if your writing skills are good, you can author articles for newspapers and magazines; the honorariums that you receive will be good. You could also take to private tuitions in your spare time or do away with domestic helps.

· Discuss issues with your folks at home & friends:  Everything may not be encouraging to start with; you may even run into disapproval of your actions. You should not be disheartened with the initial opposition and hostility; instead maintaining an upbeat outlook all through and through should be your focus. If you are candid and sincere in conveying your envisioned plot; and incorporate them in your scheme of things, you will find that their backing will be forthcoming. It is essential that you describe to them the way your present job is prejudicing and damaging your life; and how starting a new life will help you and others stand in good stead.

· Look for a new job or earnings attuned with your life:  The new job that you may get into may perhaps not necessarily have to be your dream job. If you are convinced of your capability to get into a job that is ideal in all context, there should not be any reluctance on your part. Your aim should be to say goodbye to your current job that happens to be devastating you and your life. In this process, you will be able to consolidate your plan and remain on rails for years and years hereafter. Issues like working hours and fresh experience being gained should always be on your radar screen.

· Resolve whatever you want your life to be:  This essentially implies discerning whatever makes you feel exultant and contented. In consideration of these aspects, you should deliberate if you need to continue with your present organisation or seek a lateral transfer. You may like to become an entrepreneur and hence it is essential that you do some introspection and internal contemplation.  In this context, it will be appropriate to delve back to your years at high school and recall something that you aspired to do but was prevented from doing so. Perhaps, now it is the time to take off from that point.

· Plan & strategize for your future:  You could have been neglecting your career plan and not had time to add on additional qualifications. Or perhaps all these years you have been a bit too extravagant and not saved much for a rainy day. You need to formulate a concrete line of action for your future; this would compulsorily entail interacting with people in fields of your interest and discerning what all does such an effort involve. You will be amazed to learn that you may be suffering from fallacies and wrong notions with regard to various qualitative requirements; and that given your current qualifications, you can still get into a field of work that inspires you.

· Get going with all earnestness:  You should get into a dynamic mode and move ahead in small steps in attaining your objectives. All that you need to do is give yourself an undertaking and simply work hard to live up to your pledge.     

In your quest for happiness at work, you should constantly refer to your hopefulness and vision. Do not ever reflect on your exasperation; instead think of your unexploited abilities. But remember that anything that is worthwhile is achievable only through hard work and there is no substitute for it.

Career advancement in a ‘flat’ organisation

Modern workplaces are more or less ‘flat’ – shortened pecking orders, reduced number of designations and an absence of traditional offices at the end of a corridor. The general working environment in a flat organisation is democratic and quite a few people enjoy and succeed in it. There are others who are invariably support promotion policies, system of appointments and designation and other requirements of a vertical workplace; they are generally very apprehensive and lose sleep over the issue of their own career progression.

Any worry related to career advancement in a flat organisation is unjustified. Even though there are limited people at the apex, people down the ladder can still increase their knowledge base so that their job prospects stand facilitated. The catch lies in looking beyond the gratifications obtainable by performing well and also making efforts to acquire newer skills, realizing aspirations and heightening your value. To be able to do this, you need to:

· Be an expert in your own field: There are several flat organisations who do not waste time in promoting people, particularly in managerial positions. On the contrary, the work-force is divided into teams who have no restrictions on managing themselves. While a team leader is necessary to coordinate matters, the appointment per se is on a rotational basis, thereby affording a chance for exposure to everybody. In most ‘vertical’ organisations, high performers get to hold managerial positions, which, in fact, drifts them away from their forte. In flat organisations, high performers are compensated with responsibilities to lead additional projects so that a feeling of ownership is instilled in them. The emphasis is thus on becoming an experienced specialist rather than a simple manager. The opportunities afforded help in monumental expansion of knowledge base so that mastery over job is attained. While this may not be akin to ascending the career ladder in the true sense of the word, however, the expertise acquired stands a person in good stead in the years to follow.

· Be the supposed person above you:  Flat organisations are conspicuous by the absence of any person in charge to manage affairs, traditional pecking orders, stipulated work timings or conventional salary grades. All arrangements are free, open and unrestricted with equal opportunities for everyone. All employees are in the decision-making loop in some form or the other, including those related to individual benefits. The mantle of responsibility and headship automatically falls on an individual who happens to be an active player at that time. In the light of the foregoing, everybody gets a chance to conceive, plan, implement and steer projects. Every individual thus serves to galvanise others and be at the wheels of their own destiny.

· Be an advisor and guide simultaneously:  Flat organisations may not have conventional hierarchies, nevertheless beginners and underlings will still need people whom they can look up to. Pecking orders are thus substituted by working relationship – whether in the same team or outside it. By advising and guiding others, besides sharing your knowledge, bolstering of skills and display of dynamism are achieved. You also tend to derive immense contentment when you bring about a change in the life of fellow-workers.

· Grasp whatever you can & retain the option to branch off: The best method to affect career advancement in a flat organisation is by laying emphasis on acquisition of additional skills and if windows of opportunities are available, grasp them to begin a fresh venture. The pertinent point is that irrespective of whether an individual assumes greater responsibility within an organisation or decides to embark upon a new venture, cordiality of relationships is maintained in so such so that even post-departure is cordial, people look up to old associates for guidance. This manifests the fact that there are immense prospects for career advancement beyond old but time-tested and customary pecking orders.

Things have changed in the current times. Today, the only thing that is power is knowledge because it organises, directs and influences opportunity and progress. A flat organisation encourages you to take on assignments outside your specific charter of duties and facilitates participation in collaborative ones with other employees in different departments. It therefore, affords you knowledge and helps you to work to become, that is, advance forward. You work habitually more than what is expected of you and do not regard your past as your potential; since opportunities come your way, you can always elect to liberate your future. You get to climb the ladder of success by stepping on the rungs of opportunity

Getting into a career that is great for you

We all have different interests and aspirations. If that be so, it is not possible to pinpoint a career that goes with everybody. Therefore, the vexed question is, ‘How do you choose a career that is great for you?’ Here is what you should deliberate upon while making this vital choice:

· Intrinsic abilities: Everybody possesses some inherent skills and as clock keeps ticking, there will be bouquets to reward our capacities. It is important to know where your inherent skills lie because they have a significant influence on selecting a career. There will be a horde of other fields where one can acquit well, but then the efforts involved could be colossal. You should identify tasks that you derive pleasure from and then figure out how your intrinsic abilities can be applied to make them more interesting.

· Approach to & method of working:  One may acknowledge it or not, every individual prefers to do work in a particular manner. This methodology of doing things can interfere intensely with your career selection. You should be clear about the work & workplace that goes well with you so that you can experience superior satisfaction.

· Location of work:  You may like to work from a location that appeals to you the most – it could well be an office at the end of a corridor on the top floor of a multi-storeyed building in commercial hubs or a small premises in an uptown locality. It is possible that jobs involving plenty of travel are not made for you. Hence, your work-location will influence your career selection.

· Affability & sociability:  You may be a loner and feel comfortable remaining aloof. It is possible that appreciate team-functioning and get inspired by the requirements of others and your capability to resolve issues. Identification and cognizance of your preferences is important and will help you in selecting an appropriate career. 

· Work-life balance: This is all contingent on your outlook and personal inclinations; and the priorities that you attach to various contributory factors. In case you seek a career that will afford you more time for your domestic issues and leisure, jobs that have fixed timings are great for you.

· Perennial spotlight: There are some careers that let the spotlight remain on you, you enjoy intense public interaction and acceptance. Such careers bestow renown on you; you should understand the ramifications of being in the limelight 24/7 and be clear about the effect on you – whether as a responsibility, compulsion or prospect. Your preference in this context should be a deciding factor in selecting a career.

· Coping with work pressures:  There are many people who want to remain in the loop and like to flourish on monumental aims and cut-offs. The environment places great reliance on you for your capacity to work and withstand related pressures. In case you are one who is anxious to do something in a stipulated manner and with strict deadlines, you will acquit yourself well in high-pressure jobs. But in case you seek to be relaxed, you will have to search for other options.  

 

· Remuneration expected: When you move ahead in your life and career, your expectations vis-à-vis your salary package will undergo a change. You will have a family to look after and with passage of time, your obligations will increase. It is likely that your spouse may be working and in the bargain, you have a dual income. However, you will have to take a call on whether it is alright to settle for less income or earn more by conceding on other aspects of your life. You must take on a career that goes with your desire for more or less money.

It is possible that you may not be able to decide on a career at the current juncture. You have an alternative at hand – embark upon a track that is perceived as correct by making an appropriate judgement with elbow room to change it subsequently. In the current times, you need not continue with one pursuit lifelong; all that you need to do is to make a clever choice today and plan to take stock of things five or ten years hence in consonance with the ultimate targets that you have set for yourself.

You must acknowledge the fact that you will change with time and so will your requirements of finances, freedom, balance and recognition. However, for the present, you ought to reflect on various issues highlighted above and there will be no difficulty in selecting a career that is great for you.

Our job market vogues

Whatever existed in the job market about a decade ago has not changed much. The same old phenomenon that prevailed then is relevant even today – Number of candidates are much more than the number of jobs available. It is therefore, no wonder that companies and hirers have a vast choice to exercise and even negotiate the pay packets of employees on their own terms and conditions.

The state of affairs being what it is, employees who struggle to gain a position of relative permanency in a company have no option but to accept whatever compensation package the company decides to offer. While this may not be truly pertinent to the senior lot, the management of companies understand that the organisational backbone is the lower and middle cadres. However, the actual progress is contingent on the indisputably talented lot of individuals who comprise the top rung and whose requests and contentions for higher compensation packages or terms of engagement are accepted without a hum.

Some main job market trends in vogue are:

· Organisational focus is on output:  Practically all companies have altered their operational methodologies; this has been a result of technological advancements including communication facilities, changes in the pattern of education and a shift in the value system. However, with all the societal and infrastructure changes that are taking place, organisational focus on productivity and output is not compromised.

· Good performance is expected & not bargained:  Companies want their employees to adhere to new work codes and which call for a flexible approach so that organisational objectives are attained. There is no place for non-performers; in fact the barometer for loyalty is optimal efforts to achieve maximum productivity. The conventional notion of loyalty is no more valid with continued employment being contingent on productivity.

· You get paid for what you actually do:  There has been a marked shift in the compensation modality with no time-bound increments. You get rewarded for what you do and that is why the compensation packages are a confidential matter. People who are new entrants can draw more salary than those who have been working for more years. If somebody draws a higher salary, it is because of his superior managerial or technical skills.

· Everybody is expected to display initiative & leadership qualities:  Every single employee is made to believe that he is a functional part of the organisational hierarchy and hence is accountable for supporting the representation and foresight of the company. The hitherto fore responsibilities related to superintendence alone are things of the past. Everybody is expected to play the role of a leader and in the process, alter their disposition as also acquire newer expertise to fulfil organisational obligations. 

· Weightage on people skills vis-à-vis academic qualifications:  If your college grades are unable to find you a good job, it is largely because weightage is given on other attributes as well. Dual or even triple trades are in and versatility of appointments is much sought. Aspects like understanding and moderating responses, good communication skills, relationship building and capability for productive interactions are given equal weightage. A person has to be self-assured, have an upbeat disposition and prone to work under pressure. Such qualities manifest dynamism and have to be part of demonstrated performance.

The above notwithstanding, the Indian industry is abounding with opportunities. There is scope for everyone to gain employment. In recent times, there has been a spurt in the growth of automobile, aviation, telecommunication, biotechnology, infrastructure development and information technology sectors; with the trend likely to continue, opportunities abound, particularly for technical graduates. For people who are not technologically qualified, sectors like banking, hospitality, media, retail, marketing and even BPO or KPO have good openings. In fact, the sky is the limit as every business pursuit requires people who are willing to learn and contribute. You simply have to possess some basic skills and with appropriate initiative and training, you can easily get a job based on your proclivity.

It goes without saying that metros and larger cities afford greater job prospects. Surveys conducted have revealed that Mumbai and Gurgaon top the list with around forty five per cent share. Delhi surprising has approximately twelve per cent to its credit with Bengaluru close behind with ten percent. Cities like Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kolkata are fast emerging as job hubs too with their share ranging between six and nine percent.    

  There is no security in life, only opportunity. Remember that anybody who comes in this world and genuinely aspire to excel have to be up and going; and look for circumstances they want. In case they are unable to find them, they must create them. So, move on and actuate a meaningful life and career for yourself.

Making an informed career change

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

- George Bernard Shaw

Today, the career mosaic is in a state of flux with even landscape is changing and so are the practices and methods that support a successful career change. Till a decade back, the very discernment of what implied a good career entailed pursuing professions and progressively moving up in a phased manner to become an expert in your concerned field. Even parents had to toil so that the academic activities of their children did not suffer and they joined professions like engineering, medicine, law and business management, etc. However, the world and everything in it is as also people aspirations as related to their work lives.

There are primarily three prime causes that brought about this change in career perception:

· Technical advancements that have changed our work routine in that it is now possible to work from almost and effectively any corner of the world.

· The death of the join-and-superannuate job in view of the changed environment on account of outsourcing and contractual assignments; and resultantly availability of reduced strength of manpower in establishments.

· A distinct change in outlooks and mind-sets wherein people are not bothered much about their prestige and social standing. Instead, the emphasis is on accomplishment, contentment, denotation and rationale.

In the light of the above, when you contemplate over making a career change, you need to introspect and query yourself on the following issues:

· Where do I want to be and how do I want to utilise your time? In essence, you should be able to discern what ought to be your aspired work and workplace – whether it is at an office or outdoors, in company or sans it. If at all possible, a career change should facilitate getting into a job that you would adore and delight in. If you apply your expertise in a field of work that happens to be your area of fascination or appeal, you will derive happiness and satisfaction. The degree of your fulfilment will rise if the overall work atmosphere is congenial, otherwise it will be a classic example of trying to combine two things that are neither compatible nor desirable. Therefore, it is essential that you research and investigate work atmospheres that go with you.

· What are the life and learning encounters that I am seeking?  It is necessary that you are cognizant of your approaches, outlooks and spirits related to your work; and how they need to be accorded precedence. More often than not, people designate whatever they seek to gain but miss out on the experience that they need to possess for the purpose. In fact, you should be able to enunciate where precisely you ought to be in about half a decade from now. A discernment of the experience that you should inescapably have about problems related to clarity of research and various actions to be initiated by you will facilitate gaining that experience. An insight of the experience considered good will result in an open mind and you will be able to evaluate various options that could possibly lead you to gaining it.  

· What is that actually concerns me? You should mull over how you can infuse zeal in others and bequeath something to others behind you. An urge to perform is great and serves as an impelling factor. Any work that you take pleasure in doing will invariably be close to your heart. Moreover, such work also seems right and appropriate; and in the bargain, you will get to identify and know the surplus of prospects and liberty at your disposal. You will be able acquit yourself confidently and generate a rationale for your life. In doing so, you will stay motivated too.

Remember that every single moment of the day provides you opportunities to make collective use of your urges for the benefit of others. There will be some pursuits that you simply cannot afford to miss; and they would necessarily entail some conduct on your part, which will by themselves be highly enriching, stimulating and inspiring. The happiness that you long for and the rationale that you want to come in your life will consequently be reinforced. You will emerge a stimulated individual and better geared to decide on the career change that you seek. 

It is important that you make no attempt to live your life backwards. Rather than trying to have more resources to possess what you seek, your maiden effort should be to become your true self and then move ahead to get whatever you seek.

Generalist or specialist – what do you want to be?

You must place your skills under a magnifying glass for checking if you are a generalist or a specialist. Whatever you discern of yourself notwithstanding, it has been proven that over fifty per cent of employees who are otherwise deemed to be specialists regard themselves as generalists though they were originally hired for their forte to perform specific and expert roles.

If the above phenomena persists, there will this great perilous possibility of having a cohort of generalists. And regrettably, it will result in serious hurdles in personal career advancement and eventually cause immense damage to individual, organisational and national capacity to participate effectually in an international or multinational environment.

In the light of the above, when you set out to find a fresh responsibility for yourself, will it be advantageous to be a generalist or a specialist.

Generalists, as the term implies, possess a very wide-ranging and all-encompassing expertise and familiarity in an equally broad spectrum of branches of learning but within the gamut of their line of work. On the other hand, specialists would have transformed their reputation to becoming a should-visit-for-consultation person. Evidently, the specialist would have invested both their wealth and time to acquire that status. For example, a TV anchor may possess the requisite experience and communication skills to host shows, an electronic media political analyst would be adept at dealing with any point that may crop up during a discussion on political affairs.

CV drafters have always counselled job seekers to desist from sounding excessively generalist in their resumes. This is largely because of the fact that special expertise is highly appreciated and sought after on account of the difficulties involved in teaching them. However, a number of professionals opine that such a trend is set to be altered as companies increasingly resort to employees well-versed in dual disciplines. The net outcome is that more and more people are being assigned generalist tasks as well and which has resulted in placing increased reliance on outsourcing for specialist work. Companies also save money in following this route.

People who are standing at the threshold of their careers as generalists perhaps seek to validate various alternatives available to them before they become specialists. They would be able to discern precisely what their ideal charter ought to be, given their experience and skills. Specializing in a particular field would be a later option. To illustrate the point, graduates joining a company would initially be required to work in rotation in various departments of different verticals prior to being selected for employment in a specific field of work.

The opposite spectrum of any career would inevitably have people with skills and outlook,   typical of generalists. And at that level, they would be beneficial too. Research has proved that as one climbs the career ladder, the requirement of general and managerial expertise is enhanced. If you were to follow and apply them during the early stages of your career with adroitness, the prospects of you being elevated to a different level will be heightened tremendously.      

How do you then play your cards well? You should understand that eventually, you will stand to gain if your wide skill-sets have inherent peppering of some expert knowledge. While this would be workable for the large majority, some people who are inclined to delve into the details of a matter may have to stripe and grapple with their jobs and careers. Specialists however, can still enhance their perspectives and acquire ascendancy if they participate in projects, become members of steering outfits, engage in social service activities with the intended objective of gaining practical acquaintances. The necessity to comprehend the requirement to alter your outlook to make it more open and attempt to even alter it needs no emphasis. It will remain the bottom line for sure and an experience of delight for certain.

They say that intellectually curious men become generalists and intellectually lazy men settle for being specialists. There is a seduction to being an expert, an assumption in society that credibility relies on deep (and narrow) know-hows and capabilities. However, for people operating at the edges, intersections and overlaps where novelty flourishes, being a generalist is definitely more powerful. And the responsibilities involved are tougher than ever before despite their powerful role in business & innovation. But there is a word of caution here – you may be able to put across novel ideas but the requirement to obtain prior acquiescence of the specialists should not be seen as an impediment.