What you can do to stay competitive..

The old days of “Slow and steady wins the race” are gone .This is the era of crazy competition and the toughest challenge we are facing today is the challenge of being in the race. Yes, that’s right…. Its’ not just about winning, rather staying in the game itself is demanding.

When I was faced with the choice of moving from India to Canada, I did an extensive research on job prospects, HR opportunities, and qualification requirements etc before deciding to make the move. Things would be tough I knew, but I was eager to explore new opportunities. The game was difficult, staying in was challenging but the experience (good so far) has taught me a few tips to survive and remain competitive, I call it – ATES.

Attention – Keeping yourself update is the surest way of staying competitive. We are fortunate to have ample sources of information to keep us aware. Any move from one job to another, one country to another or one industry to another becomes much easier is you are well-informed and updated about the trends and happenings in and around it.

Technology sufficiency– Technology is no more limited to the IT professionals. Whatever be your field customer service, sales & marketing, writing, HR or freelancing, technology is dominant everywhere. New gadgets, devices and software are in rise and if you are still living with limited “know-how” when it comes to technology, it’s a big limitation. Work towards making yourself technology sufficient (on the personal front ofcourse)

Expertise– While knowledge is beneficial, it’s the expertise that actually pays. Whatever be your profession or job profile, explore it to the core. Establish yourself as an expert in your subject area. Job market is flooded with candidates and companies are looking to hire the best talent that can add to their credibility and profits, if you wish to stay ahead, develop expertise.

Social media– For long, social media for me was known personal connections on Facebook and limited professional connections on LinkedIn(it was more of a job hunting tool for me). I was late to realize this(I still regret) and If you are doing the same mistake, take this as the “wake up” call. Social media is not only about marketing, it’s a strong extension of your personality and profession, if maintained well. Devote time to develop and nurture social media connections, it’s worth the effort.

Like they say, strong preparation yields better results…