Most Common Career Concern of Students !!
THEY DON’T FEEL READY.
College is supposed to prepare you for SURVIVING and THRIVING in the world of work.But the world of work has CHANGED and Stable career paths are DISAPPEARING.
COMPETITION can come from anywhere the world continues to CHANGE at a relentless pace.
In an ever-changing world, managing your career is a LIFELONG PROCESS.
In an ever-changing world, managing your career is a LIFELONG PROCESS.
There are at least THREE THINGS that successful students eventually figure out about their careers :
1. COMPETITION
"How do I bring my DIFFERENT INTERESTS together into a career?"
"What should I do if I DON’T KNOW what I like?"
"How do I choose between so many DIFFERENT PASSIONS?"
All of these are variations of the CLASSIC CAREER QUESTION...
"What should I DO with my life?"
Among other things, these questions focus the attention on YOU instead of the most important factor...EVERY ONE ELSE. Many people WANT your dream job. For anything desirable, there's COMPETITION. To beat the competition, you need to develop a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. But what is a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE made of ? It’s comprised of three things:
• ASSETS
• ASPIRATIONS
• MARKET REALITIES
• ASPIRATIONS
• MARKET REALITIES
Your ASSETS are what you have going for you now. Your ASPIRATIONS are where you might like to go in the future. And the MARKET REALITIES are what people will actually pay you for. The best career has you pursuing worthy ASPIRATIONS, using your ASSETS, while navigating the MARKET REALITIES.
Fulfill needs. Solve problems. And you CHANGE THE WORLD.
2. NETWORKS
In college, you had dorms, student organizations, classes...Building relationships was EASY.But in the real world, you have to learn to PROACTIVELY build your network. Relationships matter because every job boils down to interacting with PEOPLE. PEOPLE control resources, opportunities, and information. If you're looking for an OPPORTUNITY, you're really looking for a PERSON.
The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are ALREADY THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE.In other words, it’s likely that SOMEONE YOU ALREADY KNOW knows someone who could help you.
The people you spend time with shape WHO YOU ARE and WHO YOU BECOME.
3. RISKS
Our education system penalizes students for MAKING MISTAKES. But in the real world, you don't know what the best plan is until you DO IT. And making mistakes is part of that LEARNING PROCESS. Learn by DOING.
Not sure if you can break into the manufacturing industry ? Spend six months interning at BAJAJ for a low stipend and making connections and SEE WHAT HAPPENS. ACTIONS help you discover where you want to go and how to get there.
Rather than avoid risk, TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS. It will give you a competitive edge.For example, do not dismiss jobs that PAY LESS IN CASH but offer TREMENDOUS LEARNING. Prioritize plans that offer the best chance at LEARNING about yourself and the world.Do not dismiss a career path just because you keep hearing HOW RISKY IT IS. It probably isn’t as risky as most believe, which means there’s LESS COMPETITION for landing the opportunity.Take intelligent risks and you will find THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHERS MISS.
Ironically, in a changing world, PLAYING IT SAFE is one of the riskiest things you can do.
CONCLUSION
We are all WORKS-IN-PROGRESS. Each day presents an opportunity to LEARN MORE, DO MORE, BE MORE in our lives and careers. In the world of work, EVERY DAY IS EXAM DAY.
If you’re not GROWING, you’re CONTRACTING. If you’re not moving FORWARD, you’re moving BACKWARD. Develop your COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. Build your NETWORK. And takeINTELLIGENT RISKS.
If not START NOW THEN WHEN ??
Author thanks - Reid Hoffman for his key insights which alllowed him to compile this writeup.
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