What one can do to be employable in this ever changing world? This question is on everyone's mind experienced professionals or the young professionals just out of college. With technology changing the space every day and touching upon every life; for me there are 5 actions possible for anyone to be employable.
This begins by deciding what one wants to do?
What drives me is and will always be different from what drives someone else. Whether it is technology, managing others, entrepreneurship or being creative; is a factor of my liking. Edger Schein, MIT Sloan School of Management, in 1970s said there are 9 career anchors what drives any individual. More or less these are valid even today. What gets added is the speed of technology with which the workplace is changing even for those who were not in technical roles. Every company whether IT or not is a technology company today. Manufacturing companies have completely or partially automated their plants and robots run around everywhere in parallel to human at the work place. We just need to decide faster than those robots as to what would motive us to do better when these machines are picking up our work.
By Doing Extra!
Is it really extra or is it extra ordinary is left to us. Who gets noticed in the world is the one who goes beyond what is the normal course and like it is said there is no traffic when you go extra mile.
The certifications along with studies (most of time self-funded and not waiting for institution to decide which one); helping and working voluntarily for say start-ups with a selfish motive of just gaining the experience, may not be earning; learning a language; picking up programs and contributing in white papers; being creative and coming up with 'something different' in short is what will set one apartfrom others.
By Branding oneself
The responsibility of how world should look at us lies with us. Branding oneself is a huge responsibility and need to be done right in order to get the right opportunity. Identifying our strengths and working consciously towards utilizing those strengths gives the starting point to branding self. Jeff Bezoz of Amazon says that, Your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room. How they should think about you is a conscious journey of doing things consistently and leaving a message behind which should be a planned process. It is not only how you look or talk but is now your social image and your contributions in the society at large. Thus, one needs to work on what I call XYZ method of Branding self; "Identify you 'X' factor, decide w'Y'y this is your factor and then go all out" and create a buz'Z' around it. Tell the world that you are best at it! because, if you don't brand yourself people will!
By Networking with one and all
Best of opportunities have landed in the kitty of those who reached out to right set of folks with opportunities. Is there any mantra of finding the right guy for you; I would say it is only to keep meeting more and more folks whether thru social channels or thru personal connect. Keep your Elevator Pitch ready at all times as one never knows when that right guy will be reached thru the network to sell yourself well for the opportunity you have always been looking for.
And Finally letting the world Know
Go Social is the message. Leverage any social platform available today but of course with the content that can fetch the right Opportunity as the world can see it all. Always remember that once on internet forever on internet. Corporate world also has norms of social media usage thus be cautious of what gets posted. Post well and let the world know that you have arrived.
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