Would you like have a large repertoire of skills, get to choose which skills you want to get paid for and how much you get paid, who you want to work with, which projects you want to work on and when? Well, then you must be “employable”. In other words, you need to have the knowledge, the skills, and personal attributes to not only get the job, but get hold the job, to thrive in it and make your career your life’s work.
Now, this isn’t something you can only achieve after quite a bit of work experience, it is possible to get there even before you graduate. Follow this step-by-step (and fun) guide to get there.
1. Study Yourself
Having a good understanding of you – your strengths, values and passion is the starting point. This is not a one-time task, doing a self-assessment periodically (ideally every semester), will give you more clarity and help you leverage your skills. According to Drucker, “It takes far less energy to move from first-rate performance to excellence than it does to move from incompetence to mediocrity.” This step is crucial to your success because it serves as your compass.
2. Immerse yourself in a suitable environment
Identify a suitable environment to provide you with the exposure to develop your skills and personality. You could enroll in one of the best colleges in Bangalore such as Garden City University that offers great curricular and extracurricular activities. Apart from this, you have got to take the initiative and be in the driver’s seat (of your career). You can start as a volunteer or an intern, you could move on to working part time or on weekends or even do freelance work. This enables you to apply your learning in the (real-life) work context.
3. Update yourself
Know about the advancements in your field, current and future trends. Keeping track of these will give you an indication of how you can put your skills to use in creative ways and the new skills you can learn. Identify the absolute best in your field and learn from them, subscribe to their channels, follow them on social media etc. In short, become the go-to person for any updates in your field among the other students in your department.
4. Develop Yourself
Being committed to improving your mind and body daily is the way to the top. Read, listen and exercise every single day. An often-overlooked aspect is striking a healthy balance between work and play. Travel as much as possible, play sports, expand your circle to seniors, faculty member and cultivate contacts in your preferred industry. You could also get guidance from a mentor.
5. Teach yourself
Look for the opportunity to learn from everyone and everything around you. Try to look at things from a different perspective until you find one or more things to appreciate. The ability to learn quickly is one of the most valuable skills. Devote some time every day (for at least a month) to learn and practice a new skill. For example, making presentations, digital marketing, using accounting software etc.
6. Market yourself
It is imperative to showcase your talents and skills and build your personal brand not only to present and position yourself but also to be visible in the job market. This has become easier than the olden days, thanks to social media as it opens up a world of opportunity because everyone is online – employers, recruiters and everyone who would benefit from what you have to offer. So, from Day 1 build your portfolio – a record of your work and your achievements.
7. Reward Yourself
Getting to world-class takes deliberate focus and you can get there only by focusing on one step at a time. Take a big jar and some colorful strips of paper, every time you read an article, listen to a podcast, attend a webinar etc write it on a strip of paper and place it in the jar. Appreciating yourself for the effort and having micro-celebrations along the way, makes the journey enjoyable and keeps you invested in the process. You don’t need to wait for your mark sheet or your campus placement to know if you have put in the necessary effort.
In these fun ways, you will have developed the skills that provide you the choice to select a job that’s a good fit for you, enabling you to create the career you love. Develop them further and you are on your way to being the best in your industry.
You are the most important project you will ever work on. Get started!