Career Management

How did you find your job? Did you have a divine calling? Did you choose your career because that’s what one of your parents did? Did you pick it because you thought that’s where the money would be? Or, are you still looking for the right niche?

Aside from the “divine calling” scenario, too many people pick a career for the wrong reasons. Those mistakes can be costly, both in terms of money wasted on the wrong college major, time wasted changing careers, or putting off other life experiences like marriage or parenthood.

It is no secret that job volatility for managers poses some special challenges in these days of globalization. The specific skills of the job all too frequently call for new kinds of cultural awareness and sensitivity, enhanced strategic thinking, responsiveness to a less forgiving marketplace, the complexities of investing wisely and some very difficult decisions regarding staffing.

If you do not know what you want from your life and work you will feel life is not fair. And this is especially true if you are looking for a job in a new country. Here the help of professionals comes. I knew about employment psychological assessments but I thought that I did not need it as I knew about myself better than any on else. But why was I so frustrated with my life and work?

The most challenging clients with whom I meet are those who have been released for cause, for some reason that is not related to downsizing or restructuring. These are clients that tend to be angry and bitter and view their termination as being without justice or valid reason. My belief is that as a career counselor I am presented with both an ethical quandary and an extremely difficult task in developing a strategy that is truly helpful.

The primary principle is to think of yourself as a brand, and separate yourself in ways that stand out from the competition.

There are two societal trends that drive the idea of creating a personal brand

1. The new world of work – In the past work included loyalty and reliance on a stable work force. Today the drivers are competition, globalization, internet. Companies value innovation and innovation comes from creativity. This creativity comes from each of us contributing our unique gifts, the value of strengths

I do not know, nor am I going to speculate whether or not we are about to enter a recession. Certainly, recent employment data is not encouraging. However, I am sure that we are entering a time that is especially uncertain. Therefore, I wanted to know what employment experts thought about how employees might deal with the uncertain times, and what recommendations we should make. The good news is the professional community generally agrees on some fundamentals and I would like to share them with you.

In previous articles I discussed how the dynamics of our economic system presents enormous challenges in coping with change as we move forward professionally. At the same time I pointed out some simple steps job changers can take to begin coping with change, and I noted that we all possess significant capabilities that are transferable. However, I was focusing on those whose job situation made some sort of change imperative, and those whose personal situation dictated career change as an important option for consideration.

It is a never-ending saga as each day another firm announces a buyout, a downsizing, a reorganization. With new accounting rules, companies are often forced to re-examine and restate earnings, trouble for any organization. Competitive pressures force organizations to continually evaluate strategy and adjust accordingly. On top of that, the question of management ethics keeps raising its ugly head.

Most of what you read in magazines about financial planning is wrong. Those formulas where you subtract your age from 100 to get your suggested stock allocation? The asset pie charts that will supposedly shepherd you safely through your golden years? They ignore the most important element shaping your finances—something that should be factored into every aspect of your investment strategy: your career, or what financial types loosely call human capital. After all, for most people their job is their largest financial asset, and a salary provides the bulk of their wealth.

MBA seems to be the most sought after post graduation option nowadays. So, if you are a doctor you must have contemplated this choice while thinking of MD or MS. There are many management specializations for medical students. If you are confused whether to change your profession as a doctor and become a manager then you should follow your aptitude. If you are very good as a doctor then you should pursue a MD or MS in the area of your interest. Or else, if you have good managerial skills then very well go for MBA where there is a lot of scope for you.