I am a bit of a "maverick" when it comes to "careers". Seven years in sales, seven years in "human resources management" and now just completed two years in the "market research and consulting" business.
With about 25 years of active work life still ahead of me, I am kind of approaching the midpoint of my career, so I thought it will be worthwhile, to crystallise some of my key observations and learning's (it's not an exhaustive list and is presented in no particular order of priority). So let's start with the fun part:
Managers are interesting specimens
Their key role is to ensure that the company gets the expected returns on the investment they have made on you. Each one will tell you how different and unique they are compared to the rest. Some inspire you; some closely watch over your shoulders whilst others plainly speaking, annoy you.
In my first job, as a sales representative, one of the harrowing tasks of my manager was to get me excited about the annual sales targets (which we all know, grows well above the industry average and is quite achievable, because the company only hires the best people from the market)
Work-life balance is really not that complicated...
...as long as you are able to work the stipulated 40 to 45 hours/week. How you manage the extra work load, whenever and as often that comes, without disturbing your daily routine or weekends is balancing work and life.
The company's gymnasiums & other sport facilities, if you are in the IT industry are generally used by those who are in between projects because the others have little time for it. The number of statutory annual leaves as applicable in any country has been thoughtfully provisioned, so that we can maintain our sanity, so please avail of it, to ensure you remain productive and relevant to your organisation.
When you see colleagues regularly sending office emails at 2am or on weekends, it is not rocket science to realise that they have been asked to do more than what can be done in a 40 hour week. My simple advise, don't get into the rat race, be human and fully alive, you will not regret that decision ever, and what's more important, you won't die as a rat.
Cost of living always grows faster than your earnings
Income tax, rentals, interest rates, and in general, the overall cost of living grows faster than the annual pay raise the company can afford. We are told that our success is tied to the success of the organisation but very often, when the company does actually succeed, the distribution of wealth created is inequitable.
For example, India now has nearly 7% of the world's 1,000 or so billionaires. The total wealth of Indian billionaires is more than 20% of the nation's GDP (estimated by IMF at US$1.67 trillion in 2011). However, the appalling truth is that about 456 million Indians (37.8%) of the total population still live below the poverty line earning under US$1.25 per day.
So get over thinking that you are being paid below market rates, if you are so good then go ahead and make the shift, you will soon realise what your market rate is.
Now let's turn our attention to how we can creatively manage our careers:
You are solely responsible for enhancing your market value
Success is not an accident; it is always the outcome of careful planning and goal setting. I cannot emphasise this enough. If you don't know where you want to go, any road will take you there.
If leveraging your skills/competencies in your areas of strengths shifts from low to high as we move right on the X axis and job satisfaction/fulfillment moves northward from low to high on the Y axis, then the top right hand quadrant is where we all must be operating from or at least try getting there. People operating in that quadrant will always be in high demand. After studying nearly 500 years of success literature, Steven Covey rightly identified, "beginning with the end in mind" as the second habit of highly effective people, "being proactive" is the first.
Invest time/effort/money in your professional skills development/education
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| Winning the first place at the Toastmasters' International Speech Contest at the Area Level in March 2012 |
It is never too late to learn new skills, it just requires focused attention. Skills development does not end with graduation or post graduation, that is only the basic foundation. We must avail every opportunity to learn and develop new skills to keep from stagnating. Envisioning the ideal characteristics for each of your aspirational roles and understanding what areas you need to work on is a critical success factor for career progression.
Work is not just about earning money
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| Picture Courtesy: U&I, Bangalore, India |
I think the greatest responsibility of being well educated, is to be able to make a meaning and constructive contribution back to the broader society that we are part of. Undoubtedly, we have to be profitable to the organisations we work for and there is absolutely nothing wrong to make profits and create wealth ethically.
It is the Lord our God who gives us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
However, there is a higher purpose in the respective vocations that we serve in, one which is fundamentally very important.
It is the Lord our God who gives us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
However, there is a higher purpose in the respective vocations that we serve in, one which is fundamentally very important.
God is shaping the history of our generation through ordinary people like you and I. Wherever we are and whatever we have been called to do, our work is our ministry to our community and society. Apart from excelling in our work and professions, we must step out and be a "catalyst" of change in building an equitable society based on the principles of universal brotherhood, justice, love and peace.
