7 Tips on Career Development

For some people, career development starts earlier than usual, for others, it begins after college graduation. Whatever path you choose, there are some fundamental tips you need to adopt to speed up career development. Waiting too long in one position does no one good. Read these tips carefully, you might have to go back to it again….and again.

1. Be clear about what you want: If you have been following previous posts, you would realise that we have been laying emphasis on knowing what you want, the path to self discovery. Knowing who you are and what you want is the beginning of every worthwhile journey. The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going (David Starr Jordan). How can you proceed on a journey without having in mind where you are heading and why? When you are considering a leap in your career, it is important you have already started off on the right note. Whether you are opting for developing your career as an employee in an organisation or a personal business, you have to proactively determine what you want. The ability to maximize your strengths and distinguish what should stay at ‘hobby or leisure level’ and those that should be ‘career focused’ makes the journey easier and faster.
2. Have an end in mind: Having clarified what you want to focus on, you need to have a target you are aiming at. What would you consider as the Peak of your career? Then begin to set achievable goals and develop the strategies that would serve as a compass for your career development pursuit. The best way to predict the future is to create it (Abraham Lincoln). Have a sense of direction, many careers are broken because for lack of direction.
3. Improve yourself on a daily basis: Today’s victory becomes tomorrow’s history. Don’t dwell on the achievements of yesterday, let your history be up to date. Strive for improvement on a daily basis, this is made possible when you set goals and make plans towards achieving them. If you already have a Bachelor’s degree, don’t dwell on the title of being a graduate, go for professional courses. Attend certified training programs and seminars, educate yourself by reading books that are in line with your chosen field. Have an open mind towards learning.
4. Learn from those who have been there: It is not good enough to learn from your mistakes, the wisest thing is learning from other people’s mistakes and take note of their strong points. Believe me, someone has done, or on the path to whatever it is you are building a career in. Be humble enough to get all the knowledge and application you can.
   
   
5.  Go the Extra Mile: Going the extra mile is what distinguishes the average person from the champions. I can never forget a line I ones read from a textbook in High School, ‘the courage to fail is very cheap, every fool can afford to fail’ that has become my mantra. A speaker once narrated how he was in a plane with the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote. While everyone was sleeping and chatting away, he was busy all through the flight working on his computer. This singular experience sums it up, no wonder he keeps coming up as one of the most influential people in the world. It is going that little extra that makes the difference. Winning in business or in personal life is all about inches: going small distances successfully, then going farther still.
   6. Believe in yourself: Aiming for the upper position in any endeavor requires self believe especially when you hit a roadblock or dead end. You need to keep on persevering and go on with shear doggedness. Sometimes the position you are aiming at might seem almost improbably, but you need to keep at it.

         Want it bad enough: Imagine what we would do if we don’t have other options? If you want anything bad enough, you will get it regardless. This is what achievers have   in common. Although career development does not happen overnight, wanting it bad enough sets your mind in motion and equips you with the will-power to get keep through towards achieving your career goals.

5 Reasons Graduates are Unemployed

Graduate Unemployment has become today’s menace! Everyone is talking about it, and YES, we are as well; but this time we are directing it to the reasons why YOU are unemployed as a graduate. You will need to thank me later.

Here are 5 major reasons you are unemployed as a graduate.

1.     You have not developed your soft skills: This is also called employability skills. If you have ever heard when they say it is not all in the grades, this is the reason. Hard skills would get you to the interview, but your soft skills would get you the job. Studies have shown that employers are looking beyond what is on your CV, they need to see how well you can prove it and would rather higher someone who has a balance in both hard skills and soft skills. Soft skills made the guy who is always playful in school get the job and you didn’t. Being able to balance your academic grades with skills such as communication skills, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills is a sure-fire way of getting a job.

2.      You went to the interview with the wrong mindset: Believe it or not, your disposition will determine the atmosphere of the interview. Having a wrong mindset about will find its expression in the way you communicate with the employer who would be quick to notice the wrong vibes you are sending. Your employer knows you need the raise in financial status that comes with the new job, but don’t come across as desperate, this is a turn off, instead convince the employer you are there to add value and you should be hired for that. Do not start narrating how you have been searching for job since the last two years you graduated from the University. Have a positive attitude from start to finish at the interview no matter what.

3.      Your CV is not well constructed for the job position: If your CV could say it all, there wouldn’t be a need for interviews and tests. A well constructed CV will determine the tone of the interview. A CV should not be more than one or two pages because you only have to include information that are necessary for the job position and what the organisation can relate with. Researching about the organisation and their needs will better enable you construct your CV accordingly.

4.      You have not developed yourself to suit the job: It is okay to know what you want, but you have to build your capacity in order to land your dream job. Take those low paying jobs for the experiences and develop yourself while at it. Apply for internships, take professional courses and go for trainings. The more you develop yourself, the more valuable you become.

5.      Ignorance of available job opportunities: There are tones of job opportunities out there you probably don’t know about. Do more researches and follow organisations of your interest, this would enable you get updates on available vacancies. Network with people and let them know what you can offer.