How to Make Yourself an In-Demand Candidate in the Job Market

“The only thing constant in life is change.” This is an oft-used quote but how true it is! The crux of this is that everyone should get this fact imprinted in their minds. More particularly, job aspirants who are looking to begin their career on a strong footing should understand it and change their ways accordingly. The pain you, as a job aspirant, may experience when your candidature is rejected by employers can certainly be vexatious. But if you adopt a few steps and be willing to change according to the circumstances, you will not face such rejections. On top of it, you can land a job more quickly as well. Let us find out the steps you must adopt.

1. The job market has never been more alive and hence, you must keep taking persistent action.

Cynics may say that there are no jobs. You should not blindly endorse their view because this is complete misinformation that is worthy of being dumped into the dustbin. In reality, the job market is very much alive for those who possess real skills. Companies are ready to hire such people and pay them heftily also. This means your primary focus must be to constantly improve your skills. Improving skills can not be a one-time affair. You should constantly finetune and update your skills. Otherwise, you may soon become a misfit in the job market.

2. Certain sectors are growing faster than in other industries. Therefore, choose a fast-growing field.

Thanks to the population explosion, demand in almost all the industries is on the rise. But certain sectors are witnessing more growth than other fields. There is sufficient evidence to prove this. To quote an example, the growth in the E-commerce field is beyond imagination. In 2014, the quantum of retail sales on e-commerce platforms was $1.3 trillion. In 2021, the figures are expected to go up to $4.9 trillion. This shows that there is a paradigm shift in the perception of people. In fact, the way people buy the goods they need has undergone a complete transformation. So, if you hone your skills in digital marketing or selling, you stand a bright chance in landing a very good job in this field.

3. Become an idea machine. 

Not all people have the gift of creating new ideas. If you possess such a creative ability, you can become an idea machine. There are several companies that are looking for great ideas. For example, if you sit before the television and closely watch the advertisements, you will find that there is a complete dearth of ideas. Almost all the advertisements, barring a few, are dull. In fact, most of the advertisements do not have relevance to the products or services that the companies are trying to sell. In this context, if you have the gift of creativity, you can command very high remuneration for the ideas you provide to these companies. You and your employers can develop a participatory relationship as well. 

Even if you are not willing to work in this field, you can be useful to the employers who hire you. Whenever tasks are entrusted to you, you should delve deep to find out the various ways of carrying them out. Remember that there can be different ways of doing a task. You should choose the most efficient and cost-effective idea. By displaying such an insightful approach, you can prove your worth to your employers.  

4. Distances are not at all an impediment. So, be ready to shift base.

Earlier, people were hesitant to move out of their places. But thanks to the connectivity and transportation facilities that are available now, you can relocate to other parts of your country or even to the other hemisphere of the globe. In other words, you must be willing to shift base, if there is a necessity.  

5. Become a magnet.

How can you become a magnet so that companies will flock to you seeking your services? Of course, this is easier said than done. You have to constantly strive and improve your skills. There should never be any let-up in this aspect. You must be proactively active and keep taking all the required steps for attracting employers. 

6. Be focused.

Never lose your focus. Pick a particular field and keep working constantly to hone your skills in the field.

If you implement these steps, you will land a fabulous job very soon.

Do You Want to Advance in Your Life or Career? Adopt These Habits.

If you think that you have to be very smart and highly talented, and should work very hard for long hours for succeeding in your life or career, you can not be more wrong. In fact, some of the millionaires throughout the world are not smart and do not possess huge talents at all. Nor do they work for long hours. But what factors have helped them achieve the success you are struggling to achieve?

According to a study, those who have seen huge success in their lives have certain traits in common. So, if you cultivate these habits, you can increase the chances of your success significantly. Let us find out more about these habits.

1. Successful people always ensure to plan ahead.

If you observe successful people, you will find that they plan ahead. They not only plan their daily tasks but plan ahead for the coming weeks as well. Some of them plan for the coming months also. By planning ahead, they prevent hurdles such as temptations and distractions. For example, if a millionaire has planned to visit the manufacturing facility she owns in another town, she will not allow other tasks, temptations, or distractions to supersede her plan. 

Planning is necessary because it will help in reaching the destination you have chosen. Without a plan, your life will be chaotic and you will not know where you are heading.

2. They know their strength and focus on it.

Successful people know their strengths and focus only on them. Remember that one can not be an expert in everything. It is the same with successful people as well. That is the reason they do not try to do everything themselves. They will delegate other tasks to those who have skills in them.  If a person keeps on changing her area of strength, she can never acquire skills in any area. So, you should also try to find your area of strength and focus on it. If you acquire the appropriate skills in that particular area, it will go a long way in helping you advance in your life or career. 

3. They know their magic hours and use those hours optimally.

That every person is different and unique is an undeniable fact. Some people can bring out the maximum output during the morning hours. A few others are "nocturnal birds" and they will be highly productive during nights. Successful people find out what their magic hours are and try to do the maximum during those hours. You must also find your magic hours and use those hours optimally and purposefully. Especially, if your ambition is to grow in your career, you should choose these hours for acquiring the required knowledge or skills.

4. Successful people are highly decisive.

Successful people never delay their decisions if they have all the information they need. Once they make their decisions, they do not vacillate also. At the same time, they are never after "perfect" decisions. They are aware that no decision can be perfect. They also know that decisions can be changed or improved upon as they move along. On the other hand, those who are not able to achieve quick success in their life always vacillate. Once, when asked how he was able to make quick decisions, Colin Powell, former Secretary of State of the USA, said that he always followed the 40/70 rule. If he had only 40% of the required information, he would do further study or would ask for more information before making a decision. But if he had 70% of the information he required, he would go ahead and make a decision. 

5. Successful people control their environment.

The most important factor that helps successful people in their accomplishments is that they do not allow the environment to control them. To elaborate on this, they do not allow negative-minded people or those who can distract or discourage them to control their time or work. As a person with ambitions, you should control your environment also and keep away from such "bad" elements.

By imbibing these habits and putting them to practice, you can accomplish great feats. You can achieve stupendous success in your career or life also.

How to Beat the Competition on the Career Front

If you think that experts are exaggerating the competition on the career front, you are fooling yourself. In fact, they are passing on a blunt message and nothing can be more true than it. Due to such competition, every job aspirant or every employee who wishes to grow in his or her career is facing uncertain times. So, if job aspirants and those who aspire to grow in their career take inadequate steps, they may have to endure long waits. Let us now look at some of the steps these folks have to take to beat the prevailing competition.

1. Never stop taking action.

Just because there is acute competition, some people may become victims of "the devil of inertia," the hyperbolic name experts have given to inaction. But by not taking any purposeful action, these job aspirants or employees will become their own enemies. They will ultimately remain in the same spot where they have begun. 

The points that are being emphasized here are underestimating the competition is an unwise mistake and allowing "action paralysis" to creep in is a greater blunder. The main result of these mistakes is they will rob their courage. So, these folks should keep focusing on those things they can control. They must not waste their energy and time on things that are not under their control. Their focus should only be on finding the right resources that will strengthen their position. 

At the same time, they should be flexible enough in their pursuit as well. By this, it is meant that in the tough times that are prevalent now, these folks cannot dictate terms. They should grab opportunities that come their way. Once they land jobs, they can relentlessly push themselves forward for improving themselves and climbing the career ladder.

2. Have an “Opti-Realistic” attitude. 

If you are a job aspirant or an employee who wishes for speedy career growth, there is no doubt that you should be optimistic. But at the same time, you should be realistic as well. The prevailing competition may be hitting you hard. You should, therefore, NOT ignore the competition that is threatening you. The foremost step you should take is to double your preparations. Look for resources that will improve your knowledge and creativity and use them to the optimum. 

3. Study, study, study and keep studying.

Keep studying on a continuous basis and improving your skills. Such skills will help you land jobs or grow in your career. Such skills will help you also in adding value to the organization that has hired you. Never forget the fact that the management has a thousand eyes and ears. Hence, the top managers will certainly come to know your skills very soon.

4. Keep expanding your network. 

You should aggressively keep expanding your network. Your network will help you a lot because you can tap influential people in the network for landing jobs. Ensure to stay connected with them in the right manner. At the same time, do not be selfish. Try to offer whatever little help you can to everyone in your network. Even a sincere compliment or a word of praise to their actions will go a long way in helping you land a suitable job.

Habits You Should Get Rid Of For Climbing Your Career Ladder

If you think that the habits you have are ingrained ones and you can not get rid of them, you are deceiving yourself. Especially, if these habits are so toxic that they do not allow you to grow in your career, you should dispense with them forthwith. Maybe your habits are very strong but if you do not break them, they may become harder and it may become more difficult for you to get rid of them.

There is another issue as well. There are people who are emotionally attached to their negative habits. In fact, these people are stuck in these habits because these habits bring them some type of short-term comfort. For example, those who are addicted to apps such as Whatsapp, etc. or to watching the television incessantly may get comfort in the short term but these habits may bring them unimaginably huge losses in the long term. Unfortunately, these folks defend their habits. They do not realize that they are moving away from the process of breaking them. This means that unless they admit their mistakes, they cannot get rid of their toxic habits. Let us now look into those habits that will not allow you to climb your career ladder.

1. Stop daydreaming; Start taking action. 

You may have been working in a particular field for the last several years. But this does not bestow on you the privilege of getting promotions. Remember that it is a dangerous ignorance if you have an expectation based on your bias. The question is: Have you been taking steps to improve yourself? Have you acquired enough knowledge to make your management think that you are fit to be promoted? If you have not acquired enough knowledge and if you keep daydreaming that you will become another Bill Gates, you will continue to remain in the same spot. It is true that nothing can be more delicious than daydreaming. But if you want to climb the career ladder, stop daydreaming and start acquiring more and more knowledge. Develop an innovative mindset and come out with great suggestions that can lift your company's fortunes or that can save a lot for the organization for which you are working. Knowledge and knowledge alone will make your management consider you for higher positions. 

2. Is there any use of whining or worrying?

If you are a person who hits the panic button quite often, you should understand that this can be a big impediment to your career growth. How can you bring out the best output when you whine and worry about anything and everything? Let us assume that your management decides to promote someone else instead of promoting you, though you and everyone else in your organization know that you are more capable and qualified than the other person. You may start whining that you will be working under someone who is less knowledgeable, less capable, and less experienced than you.

There are only two ways to tackle this situation. You can put in your papers and walk out. But you cannot be certain of landing a job that will satisfy you fully. Another way is to accept reality and work so sincerely, of course, without whining or worrying, that the management cannot ignore your ability and the quality of your output. In such a situation, they cannot refuse a promotion to you. 

 

Never forget the fact that things may not work out the way you think. Reality has a strange trait. It may quite often collide with expectations. So, there is no point in worrying or whining. When unpalatable things happen, try and find out how you should get over them instead of crumbling. The wise words written in the book "Consolations of Philosophy," authored by Alain de Botton, are worth remembering. The author writes like this: "Though the terrain of frustration may be vast — from a stubbed toe to an untimely death — at the heart of every frustration lies a basic structure: the collision of a wish with an unyielding reality.

The collisions begin in earliest infancy, with the discovery that the sources of our satisfaction lie beyond our control and that the world does not reliably conform to our desires."

3. Never be pessimistic.

Nothing in life is worthy of assuming that the world is coming to an end. Things may look bad now but they can get better at any time. You may say that they may get worse also. But if you always keep adopting such a doomsday mindset, you will be accelerating the worsening process. You should, therefore, be resilient in your approach and move ahead. When bad things happen, use them as a tremendous opportunity to improve yourself, instead of adopting a pessimistic attitude. 

If you get rid of these toxic habits, you can certainly fast-track your career growth.

How Much Loyal Should You Be to Your Employers?

Many people consider their company as their friend. For example, if you join a new company, you may also tend to think like this because during the process of interviewing and selecting you, everyone right from the HR manager of the company who may sound like an all-knowing Oracle to the manager of the department for working in which you have been chosen, may have talked to you sweetly. Thanks to such "a friendly treatment", you may think that you are special to the company. You may also assume that the company will be putting your career on the highway and so, you will be climbing your career rungs at hyper speed.

But only after the honeymoon period is over, the light bulb above your head will light up and you will realize that you have been terribly wrong in thinking that your company is your friend. Though it is wrong to assume that all companies will be like this, companies that really are empathetic towards their employees are becoming very rare.

The intention of most of the companies is to earn as much as possible with the help of their employees. If they think that you are not of any use to them or that you are not generating as much income for them as they want to have, they will not hesitate to throw you out.

You need not do a lot of research on the Internet or in the library to realize this bitter fact. But some elaboration may be worth its weight in gold.

A simple fact you should remember is that you, as an employee, is an asset or a resource to your company. This is perhaps the reason why you and all those who co-work with you are called "human resources." Any company will try to make the best use of its resources and assets so that they can generate the maximum profits. This means they will try to get the maximum out of you. This also means that wages and salaries your company pays to you are liabilities for them.

If you work hard and generate good profits for your company, the company keeps growing. But do not assume that since you are generating optimal profits for your company, you will be paid a higher salary. Even at the time of appraisal and even when you are due for a salary increase, you may be considered for a hike of only about 2 to 4% even if your company is earning 20, 30 or 40% or even more, thanks to your committed work.

That is the reason you are advised to reciprocate the same treatment to your company. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO YOUR WORK SINCERELY. But limit your output just to what is required. In other words, your main and foremost focus should be on your welfare and on the welfare of your family.

While carrying out your tasks, ensure that you do not do in excess of what is required. At the same time, you must always look for opportunities for networking, self-improvement and outside learning. "For me, it will be kaizen – constant and never-ending improvement – until my last breath” - These were the words an expert uttered at a business summit. Etch these words in your memory and keep improving yourself.

Simply put, it is not wise to attach a lot of value to your loyalty towards your company because the company is not loyal to you. Remember that employees like you are tiny pieces in the commercial galaxy where competition rules the roost. If you are not able to generate as much income as they expect, they will not hesitate to send you out.

Also, remember that the company will view you as their asset until you keep generating more revenue for them. But the moment they realize that the cost they incur on you is more than the income you generate for them, they will show you the door. To put it differently, if their liability towards your salaries or wages is more than the value you bring to them, they will not hesitate to ask you to leave the company.

So, you are always advised to keep looking for greener pastures. Keep expanding your network and have conversations with those who may have opportunities for you or who may guide you towards better opportunities. This type of "flirting for career growth" will certainly pay off at a later date.

But is there someone whom you can believe? Yes. But it is you and you alone whom you can believe. Never ignore the fact that your company or every other similar commercial enterprise adopts double standards. For instance, if you want to put in your papers, you have to give sufficient notice to your company. On the contrary, if the company decides to lay you off, they can ask you to leave immediately.

You may argue that the HR department of your company will protect your interests. But what does the HR department of companies do? They ensure to prepare the pay bills on time and make sure that the employees do their work efficiently.

If there are problems between one employee and another employee, the department may intervene and try to solve the problem. In other words, the HR department of any company will always be inclined to ensure that the interests of the company and not those of the employees are protected. Even the so-called HR policies are formulated in such a manner that they protect only the interests of the company and not your interest.

To summarize, know your company fully well and understand that your company is not your friend. This knowledge will help you tremendously in charting your own career course. In short, be sincere to your company but as far as loyalty is concerned, it should be more focused on yourself, your career, and your family than on your company.

Do You Need a Huge Amount to Start on Your Own?

Every person is unique. Some people may want to land in good jobs and earn. A few others may have entrepreneurial ambitions. If you belong to the latter group and if you want to start your own venture, do you need to invest heavily? Experts are of the firm opinion that it is enough if you have a small capital to begin your own venture. But they quickly add that you should have the skills that are required for launching the business, running it, and more importantly, sustaining in it. Simply put, lack of funds should not be and is not an impediment for starting on your own. On the contrary, the lack of skills required will prove to be a very big handicap. Let us delve a little deep into this.

Be a specialist.

If you think that superficial knowledge in your field is enough for launching your business, you cannot be more wrong. Apart from failing in the venture, you may land in various types of troubles that may include falling into a debt-trap, earning a bad reputation, not being able to fulfill promises and mental anguish due to the disappointments you will be experiencing in your venture. 

There is a distinct advantage of being a specialist. The world will certainly and very soon come to know of a specialist. Of course, you can take a few steps as well for letting the world know that you are a specialist. Once this happens, you will not face issues for mobilizing funds for launching your business. In fact, investors will flock to you and lure you by offering very attractive terms. In short, the problem of dearth for funds will not be there if you are a specialist.

You can earn more.

As a specialist, you can dictate your own terms including those that pertain to your income. In fact, your clients will be ready to pay you much more than what they will pay for generalists or non-specialists.  

Becoming a specialist is easier than being a jack of all trades.

Some people think that they should have all-round knowledge. They should realize the fact that by being informed or by having all-round knowledge, they are not going to derive any benefit at all. The only benefit, if you can call it so, is they can be good conversationalists and with their limited knowledge, they can talk superficially on any subject. Of course, their lack of in-depth knowledge will be exposed very soon. 

On the other hand, there are a few others who delve deep into their favorite subject. You are advised to emulate them and become a specialist in your field. In fact, making efforts to become a specialist is easy because you will be more focused than those folks who want to gain all-round knowledge. Such a strong focus will help you remain determined. You will, therefore, keep persevering to quench your thirst for specialized knowledge. 

In view of the foregoing, you are advised to become a specialist in your field. This alone is enough for starting on your own. There is no need for you to worry that you do not have huge funds for launching your business.

Never Underestimate Yourself

That there are a number of people who do not realize their own potential is a bitter fact. You may also belong to this group. Though there may be many reasons for this, the foremost among them is that you are afraid of failure. Ironically, there are people who are afraid of success as well. But regardless of these reasons, the fact remains that you are not able to realize your potential because you do not try anything new and you do not want to take risks. Read this sentence once again. YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL BECAUSE YOU DO NOT TRY ANYTHING NEW AND DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RISKS. You tread along the same path day in and day out. You are neither willing nor ready to break your stereotyped mindset, effect a change in what you do, how you think, or how you look at things. That is the reason you are not able to spot your potential, not to speak of putting your skills to use optimally. What does this situation lead to? Obviously, the biggest "Catch 22" is you will be underestimating yourself. But how to overcome this attitude of underestimating yourself? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Remember that you have been hired by your employers because you have some of the skills they require. But since you have been using these skills as a routine, you tend to forget that you have them with you. Therefore, while putting your skills to use, do not act like a "robot." Put your heart and soul into the tasks. Try to find if there are smarter ways to work. Provide insights to your peers and supervisors. This is how those with self-confidence act.

2. Read a lot. It is not that you should read whatever you lay hands on. Remember that some of the most successful titans like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are voracious readers. It is said that Warren Buffett reads 600 plus pages daily and he is choosy about what he reads. He reads only those books that can make him better in his field. This means you should also be more focused while choosing what you read. You must read only those materials and books that are related to your field. This habit alone will make you an expert and boost your confidence. There are two other distinct advantages by developing the habit of reading. In the present-day context, every bit of information is rapidly getting obsolete. By keeping abreast of the latest information in your field, you can defy what is known as the process of being pushed into the "old-timers group." Secondly, reading will expand your horizons and help you in performing better than others. You can run the race with the new generation as well. The result is you will be revered by your employers, supervisors, peers, and subordinates. 

3. Stress and anxiety are two important factors that lower your performance and productivity. This can happen despite your knowledge and expertise in your field. When your performance and productivity dip, you automatically start denigrating yourself. You will slowly begin underestimating your potential. But why will you experience stress and anxiety in spite of your expertise? It is mainly because you try to do all the tasks yourself. You do not delegate. Even if you delegate, you try to micro-manage and hand-hold those to whom you have entrusted the tasks. This approach is certain to increase your stress levels. Further, micro-managing the tasks of others kills their creativity. The only way to overcome this issue is to choose the right people, repose faith in them, and entrust the tasks that can be delegated to them. This will ultimately improve your performance and boost your confidence. 

To summarize, underestimating yourself is certainly an issue that can hamper the process of realizing your potential. You should, therefore, take steps to surmount this issue by pushing boundaries in order to grow in your career and progress in your life.