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Archive for the ‘Career Building’ Category

In this article I am presenting five proven strategies for career building which most of the really successful people are applying. You might find that it is just common sense, but I assure you that applying these strategies skyrocket your chances of developing successfully your career. These are the five strategies:

1. Define a Career Target.

The first step in the career building process is defining a concrete career target. What do you like to change in your career? Where do you want to be in two and in five years? Defining a career target can mean for some people trying to get to the next step on the career ladder, for other people it might signify doing something completely different. In any case, you should make a decision in order to actively develop your career instead of leaving your career development just to luck or the humor of your boss or other circumstances. By deciding first what you want, you can actively take part in this process and you will more rapidly and easily find opportunities that take you to the subsequent career level and a higher life quality.

2. Build up your Personal Network.

It is a reality that most of the job vacancies are never posted in journals, newspapers or on-line and you only find them using your personal or business contacts - your “Network”. This also sometimes is called the “hidden job market”. Building your personal network is a long-term process, so start as soon as possible with people within your own organization which are the most easy to reach and meet. Building up a network is not making hundreds of contacts in a record time but to concentrate on developing relationships. Find ways to build on your connections by setting up an informational interview, inviting them to another event you are attending or talking to them in a more personal atmosphere (e.g. during lunch time or coffee break). If you are following these advises you will open the most precious resource you have in finding the job you want.

3. Use new Online Social Network Tool

When you’re seeking employment, Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter are some of the most used social networks that you can use to build up your personal network. Many people for instance are using with success Twitter as networking tool. Used in conjunction with LinkedIn, job search engines, and other job sites, Twitter can help you make connections, find job listings, and build a personal brand that will help boost your career and speed up your job search. I recommend also using Facebook to build up your network. The fact that Facebook has more than 300 million active users is a good enough reason to use it as a job search and networking tool.  For active job searchers this network is probably beside Linkedin the most important communication platform as many recruiters are constantly scouring these two social networking sites to reach out to potential candidates. 

4. Maintain yourself Up-to-Date

Keep current on your job skills in technical and non-technical skills, like project management, language skills, leadership and conflict resolution, etc. You never should see your career as something static but as part of a continuous learning process. Most professions require training as routine part of their license requirements, while other professions might not; nevertheless, for all professions it is just common sense to keep track with new trends and technologies if they are serious about your career.

5.  Develop your Personal Brand

Your personal Reputation or your Personal Brand is a critical career issue and managing this intangible asset is vital for today’s forward-looking individuals and for your career development. As you advance in your career, more and more people know your skills and expertise and you become an expert on your field. You can accelerate and enhance this personal brand formation process by doing some public speaking at trade exhibitions, specialized conferences or other platforms where you can share your experience with people working in the same field. A very powerful technique is writing an article in your corporate newsletter or in a trade publication about your experience, industry branch or profession. The ideal situation is if you are over time considered as a real expert in your business, not only as information source, but also for new career opportunities when they come to pass.

Searching a Job is a short-term pursuit of a position that matches your financial and career goals. Career Planning and Building is much more than this. It is a long, progressive process of choosing education, training, and jobs that fit your interests and skills. Don’t do just your job, go the “extra mile” and think about what you really want in your career, build your personal network and develop your personal brand as expert in your field. If you wait until you are unemployed you’re going to loose too much time and finding a new job will be really hard work.

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This article was written to offer some hope for frustrated capable employees on the one hand and frustrated unqualified employees on the other hand.

Career building can be defined as progress into higher ranking jobs with different and more challenging responsibilities, what is known as job enrichment. It can also mean progress into another job where the match between personality traits and job requirements is a better fit, what is known as job rotation. Sometimes such career building can go along with promotion and higher remuneration.

Career building is normally possible in three ways.

If you are already a working adult, it means you have some sort of scholastic qualification, a certificate of proficiency, a degree or a technical artisan qualification. In other words we can say that you are proficient in some or other occupational discipline either through study, experience or both. If you want to stay in your present discipline like for instance marketing, finance or fitter and turner, the only way for career building upward, is into supervisory and managerial positions. To achieve this type of career building, you must improve your supervisory, managerial and leadership skills. We call this vertical career building. If you already have these skills, vertical career building can be achieved by grasping career opportunities that may come along, either in your present employer organization or in another organization.

Career building can also take place by moving from one discipline to another more lucrative or desirable discipline. This means you will have to learn new theories and practices to comply with the new job requirements. We call this horizontal career building. This move is desirable if you can get a better fit for your personal talents or interests.

Such a career change strategy will require good planning and effort to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills base for your horizontal career building. After your career change move, vertical career opportunities will again only be possible by learning the skills of supervision, management and leadership.

The third way to achieve career building is to start your own business. If it proofs to be a success and you can remain in business, the only way to grow and expand is to employ other experts to handle the work load. Again you will have to apply the principles of supervision, management and leadership and hopefully provide career opportunities to others, who may join your business.

So, it seems that whatever way you choose for career building, you cannot escape from skills training in supervision, management and leadership; not even if you are professionally qualified as a dentist, medical doctor or lawyer. Even if you operate a one-man business, you must interact with suppliers and customers, where you are going to need a lot of this knowledge to treat them to your own ultimate benefit.

Some people achieve career building through the application of nepotism (appointment of unqualified favoured friends and family members) or politically motivated appointments, which normally turns out into frustration for the job holder, subordinates and superiors, if job requirements cannot be met by the job holder.

If you want to be good in your job, whatever job that may be, you must also have the skills of supervision, management and leadership. Even the lowest level job need the application of the principles of supervision, as they apply to all jobs.

However, gaining the necessary skills is only one half of the recipe for rapid career building, as the most important ingredient must yet follow, by proving the results of learning through a high level of performance. A high level of performance in job key performance areas, as revealed by measurements of the job key performance indicators against targets or standards, will be the ultimate proof of job maturity and job satisfaction. This is also called performance management. Performance in a job can in itself also lead to career opportunities opening for you.

Normally, in order to comply with the law, you must earn a relevant driver license to drive a vehicle on a public road in any country. If you want to become a doctor, you must first earn the relevant qualifications to get your license to apply your skills in the medical profession. Likewise, if you want to become an engineer or lawyer you must first earn your qualifications by formal studies and pass certain minimum standards, before the relevant degree can be bestowed on you, as your license to operate in your particular sphere of expertise. If you aspire to become a Supervisor, Manager or Top Level Manager, you must also earn your relevant license to operate in such positions, the same way that the drivers, doctors, engineers and lawyers do. Otherwise, you can never claim to be a career professional as a Supervisor, Manager or Top Level Manager, as you will be trying to drive a section, department or organization without a proper license. This license is your key to career building.

Career building even starts at the youngest of ages. Yes, with your children. You can help them profoundly by triggering their interest in hobbies, crafts, sport, music and nature. The earlier they can discover their talents, the earlier they can start to develop it. If you give attention to this aspect of Child Career Building, they will be in a better position to choose their careers according to their interests and talents, when that time of imminent choice-making arrives. It will provide them with better career opportunities according to their best talents.

Above all, if you want to be successful with raising your kids and ensure that they become successful and the best possible world citizens, you are going to need some parenting skills as well.

Child Career Building is not a sole responsibility of schools and teachers. Children are far more influenced by parents than by teachers. Parental influence is the single most important factor in Child Career Building, especially so in the early stages of Child Career Building.

Child cognitive, intellectual and psychological building can be a culmination of genes, circumstances, environment and parental influence, of which parental influence is the most dominant and critical factor to impact on Child Career Building and behavior. With the right knowledge, parental influence can also be the easiest to apply for the beneficial building of cognitive, intellectual and psychological processes in children. Parents must fulfill their parental duty and prepare their children for the best career opportunities.
Most adults who end up as World Class Heroes and Champions started building their talents from an early childhood age.

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