Career Management 101

1. Play to strengths

2. Do work that you enjoy

3. Work in an environment that suits your style and values

4. Make your work compliment your overall lifestyle

5. Do something of value instead of just chasing the money

6. Build and cultivate a strong personal brand

7. Remember that you're in the (self) marketing business every day (not just when job searching)

8. Network, Network, Network

9. Learn, Learn, Learn

10. Laugh, Smile and Occasionally cry (you're human, not a machine) 

 

What have I missed…?

By Sital Ruparelia

@SitalRuparelia

Comments

[Melissa]

All great pieces of advice, but I think #5 is a big one. If you are in something just for the money, people will see through you and then go to someone who really cares about what they are doing/who they are serving.

Another tip I would add: admit your weaknesses, and then find ways to compensate to minimize their impact.

[David Krueger]

I agree while money is an important factor, enjoying your job and what you do should be more important.

[BlogVacancy]

That's how you can manage your career in the greatest pleasure. Do some network, relationship, an environment.

[LButts]

You missed the fact that there are 6.4 applicants for every job opening.

[Sital]

thank you all for the comments

LButts - Sure I could have done. But that's just stating the problem. I'd rather share solutions as it's much more valuable in helping readers make progress and standing out from the crowd

for example if you focussed on playing to number 1) playing to strengths 6) building a strong personal brand,8) network, and 9) learn new ways to find work (by using all the advice on this site) you'd be ahead of the other 5.4 people

[RADHIKA GUPTA]

thanks for providing such valuable advices . i am sure it will help everyone.

best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LButts]

I am involved everyday with real people who need real jobs. I am not saying that everything on your list of 10 are not useful. Networking and learning are something that I talk about all the time. But things like, "Make your work compliment your overall lifestyle" - What does this mean exactly? With millions of people looking for jobs (many for extended periods) - advice like this is down right silly. If I told a group of job seekers to "Do something of value instead of just chasing the money" - I would be laughed out of the room. When you are losing your house and your unemployment is nearly exhausted, the last thing you want to hear is "Work in an environment that suits your style and values!" This job market calls for hard nosed realism - not weak platitudes. Your list of 10 might make career counselors nod their heads in agreement - but they do little to help a real job seeker.

[Jen]

Dear LButts,

Not everyone who reads this blog is out of work. People like me read career websites to keep us going and inspired.

Like many people, I'm fed up with my career and job. Partly because of point number 1 above (it doesn't play to my strengths) and partly because of number 4 - my career doesn't compliment my lifestyle.

Since you don't think the lifestyle aspect is important, let me ask you a question: have you ever had to juggle long working hours whilst bringing up 3 kids and also caring for an elderly parent?

If you have, you'll know that when you're in this position, the thing that you crave the most is time and space. And yes, as silly as it sounds to you, I really need a career which compliments my lifestyle instead of constantly competing with it like it does now. Which is why a light bulb went on in my head when I read this post.

So whilst I feel extremely sorry for people who have lost jobs and am truly grateful to be working and earning, I think it's very presumptuous to suggest that every article on this site needs to be about "hard nosed" job searching advice. If you check the stats, you'll see that there are far more people in this country stuck in jobs they hate, than there are job seekers out of work. And far more of us that need to follow these 10 tips than you may think....

[Sital Ruparelia]

@Jen thanks for commenting

@LButt thanks again for taking the time come back and comment

Just to clarify:-

1. I'm NOT a career counsellor that sits around all day writing articles and pontificating.

Like you, I'm in the trenches helping real people find work in the toughest job market in 70 years. Here in the UK we are a long way off an economic turnaround and conditions in the job market changing radically. So much of my advice is based on helping real people deal with a dire job market

2. "Stop chasing the money"

Yes, many people have serious financial challenges whilst being out of work. But not everyone who is out of work is in this position. Having lost their jobs, many people are taking a close look at what they want from their careers and lives. And many of them are realising that chasing after promotions and pay rises isn't it.

Don't take my word for it, go and read Dan Pink's latest book 'Drive' which is a fact based, intensely researched book on what motivates people in the modern work place (...here's a clue: it's not money). Or watch his recent presentation at the TED talk on YouTube

3. This article above covers 10 tips on "Career Management" NOT "Job Searching"

So it covers broad themes to be successful over the lifetime of your career. Not every point applies to everyone at every stage of their career. Some points will resonate with you, some won't.

Take a look at the article I posted yesterday titled "Job Searching 101" - and feel free to comment if you think I'm off the mark

http://www.careerhubblog.com/main/2010/02/job-searching-101.html

4. Hard nosed advice Vs 'Fluff'

I've written close to 100 articles on this site over the last 12 months. Search my name in the box to the right of this page and you'll see that most of them are based on practical job search tips and advice rather than meaningless statements

We can agree to disagree (hey, that's what blogs and comments section are for). But I think you'll find that we're on the same page. I don't in any shape or form mean to dish out 'weak platitudes.' If that's how this article was received, then my apologies...

thanks again

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