On staying relevant and marketable even if you are still looking for employment
https://www.linkedin.com/in/halalisani-ngema-698895105/
Things can change you in a second, today you have a job or a business that breathes life into your finances and keeps you motivated and the next thing you don't. That is how fast things can change up on you. And the new technological advancements are not making things any easier for the working class and small businesses.
Just a tip or two below may help keep you two steps ahead so that you do not get taken by surprise, better yet these tips may even help you take the world (not the whole world of course) by surprise.
It does not matter how old you are, learning can have tremendous benefits for both your career and business. And even for your personal life. You do not have to read 100 pages per day for you to learn daily, you do not even have to take that much time. Pick up a book and read as much as you can, if you do not like reading, you may listen to books or watch videos. But the point is to grow daily.
2. Give yourself a chance to practise what you have learned
Part of learning is practising what you have learned. Depending on what you decide to read or learn about, another thing that will enhance your growth and make you or your business marketable, is to practise. You can do volunteer work or freelance work, to sharpen your skills and get your growth ball rolling.
You may say that this is the same as learning or reading, not it is not. This is the point where you check yourself against popular(useful) trends. Do not be that guy who says “I do not watch the news”, you do have to be a news watcher or have a list of your favourite websites that you do not go a day without reading. But check in on what is happening out there, because, at the end of the day, you do not want to be a business that offers products that are out of style or be a worker that uses old outdated methods of performing your work.
4. Have personal projects that you are working on
Personal projects may involve long-term, slow-paced projects that you are doing as a hobby that also pertain to the kind of business you are in or work you are involved in. This can help you have a way out should you tomorrow wake up without a job. It will keep you marketable and interesting the your field. Employers and investors like a person or business that is always working on something new.
5. Attend events relating to your line of work
This could be another best way to stay ahead and keep yourself updated on the industry trends. In this way, you will know before everyone else the direction your line of work and industry is taking. This is one of the best ways to expand your network of friends in a similar field and get yourself known. Imagine going to an interview and being interviewed by a guy who recognises you from a business conference you attended together. Would that not better your chances of being hired?
6. Be open to positive and negative feedback
Feedback from other people is the only way for you to know if you are in sync with the rest of the world. You are serving others after all and what better way to find out if you are doing well, than getting feedback from other people? And the most important thing about the ability to take feedback is that you must never take any feedback personally.
In the case of positive feedback, do not over-celebrate and grown egotistic to
the point of losing interest in finding ways to better your services.
In the case of negative feedback, you must never think that the responder
to your services has something against you. Take feedback and think of
ways to better your services or the ways you interact with your customers.
Negative feedback can in most times save your business or career.
7. Being led and mentored
This is another blue pill that can sky-rocket your effectiveness as a worker or an entrepreneur. Not only do you get regular feedback on how you are doing in your current line of work, but you also place yourself in a space where you have to be accountable to someone in terms of the choices you have made in your business or career.
The world is truly unpredictable in many forms and no days are the same. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, things can change in a minute. And now you at least have a few pointers to nudge you to take action instead of sitting around waiting for things to get better in your career. Things will not get better unless you decide to get ready and better for things. Be the guy or girl who seems to survive every revolution.
