Managing your career
There was a time, shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs, when you would join a company fresh out of school or university and not leave until you retired 40-odd years later. If you worked hard, or were successfully obsequious, you could work your way up the company into a respectable position. If you were passed over, you accepted that as your lot in life and simply trudged on. You essentially trusted your career to your company, to deal with as they saw fit.
Those days are long gone, and while a sentimental few may long for the past, many are more than happy to embrace the new individualisation of careers. Pessimists say that the new attitude has resulted in employers and employees acting in their own best interests only, and ignoring the greater good. They say that many companies treat their employees callously, not really considering their welfare or happiness. Usually this means that job security has gone the way of the dodo, as employers won't hesitate to hire or fire staff based on performance. Simply put, if you don't meet expectations, you're shown the door to make space for someone else who might make the grade.
Conversely, employees are only out to get what they can from their employers, and once they feel they can go no further, they leave for greener pastures, taking all their knowledge, experience and possibly a few pens and notebooks with them. They have no interest in upholding the company's reputation or doing any more than is expected of them. So long as they keep getting their salaries at the end of each month, they're not terribly concerned with much else.
But the situation is hardly as dire as that. Managing you career means that you have more control over the direction that your career takes, but it also means that you have to take responsibility for the mistakes that you make. If you don't achieve your goals, you can no longer blame your place of employment. Instead, you should probably look more closely at your work ethic. You need to take control of your own development and continuing education, rather than relying on your employer to do that for you. By doing this you signal your commitment and dedication to the job, and you also demonstrate your willingness to learn, grow and branch out into new directions.
These days many people make money out of the concept of career management. It has become an umbrella term that includes career consultants who help you plan your career. They offer advice on the steps necessary to achieve your goals, as well as difficult decisions that you may have to make. It also includes recruitment companies who specialise in finding the right fit for both employers and prospective employees. Even CV services fall under the auspices of career management. So while managing your career is ultimately your responsibility, there is no reason why you should have to shoulder it alone.
Recommended sites:
[http://www.theageadvantage.com/careercounsel.html#career]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_management
Those days are long gone, and while a sentimental few may long for the past, many are more than happy to embrace the new individualisation of careers. Pessimists say that the new attitude has resulted in employers and employees acting in their own best interests only, and ignoring the greater good. They say that many companies treat their employees callously, not really considering their welfare or happiness. Usually this means that job security has gone the way of the dodo, as employers won't hesitate to hire or fire staff based on performance. Simply put, if you don't meet expectations, you're shown the door to make space for someone else who might make the grade.
Conversely, employees are only out to get what they can from their employers, and once they feel they can go no further, they leave for greener pastures, taking all their knowledge, experience and possibly a few pens and notebooks with them. They have no interest in upholding the company's reputation or doing any more than is expected of them. So long as they keep getting their salaries at the end of each month, they're not terribly concerned with much else.
But the situation is hardly as dire as that. Managing you career means that you have more control over the direction that your career takes, but it also means that you have to take responsibility for the mistakes that you make. If you don't achieve your goals, you can no longer blame your place of employment. Instead, you should probably look more closely at your work ethic. You need to take control of your own development and continuing education, rather than relying on your employer to do that for you. By doing this you signal your commitment and dedication to the job, and you also demonstrate your willingness to learn, grow and branch out into new directions.
These days many people make money out of the concept of career management. It has become an umbrella term that includes career consultants who help you plan your career. They offer advice on the steps necessary to achieve your goals, as well as difficult decisions that you may have to make. It also includes recruitment companies who specialise in finding the right fit for both employers and prospective employees. Even CV services fall under the auspices of career management. So while managing your career is ultimately your responsibility, there is no reason why you should have to shoulder it alone.
Recommended sites:
[http://www.theageadvantage.com/careercounsel.html#career]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_management
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