How to Do Better - in Business or Employment

We all know that unemployment levels are higher than ideal; but there are a lot more problems in the employment market than just that.
Even if you can get work, it is:

• more likely to be part time or casual than in the past
• less likely to be secure and long term
• more likely to change over time (the type of work involved is likely to keep changing as the employer is forced to keep adapting to change) 
  
  

Today's world is bigger, bolder, faster and more interconnected than ever before. In the past, people only competed for work with others in their local area because it was inconceivable for a customer, client or employer to consider doing business with someone on the other side of the world. That has changed. People now shop for clothes (and everything else) online. Offices outsource their administration and marketing services to places in other countries. Manufacturers may invent and design things in developed countries, but often outsource the actual manufacturing to countries where labour costs are far cheaper. These are real examples of a much bigger trend which is "globalisation". Globalisation brings opportunities to access much bigger markets than ever before; but it also creates far more competition - particularly for people in countries where cost of labour and income expectations are higher.

If you want to have a good income, secure employment and a sustainable career, you need to recognise what has changed in the world of employment, and adjust.

Key Things You Must Recognise:

• Old ideas are redundant - The concept of getting any sort of formal qualification and being guaranteed a successful career is redundant! Learning is still important, but qualifications don't guarantee anything today!
  
  
• Scarcity will always be in demand - Offer something that is uncommon, yet still in demand. People want want they can't have; and anyone who can offer a product or service that is not readily available will have a far greater chance of dong business or finding employment.
  
  
• Attitude and visibility are everything - In a world where there are always thousands of people competing for a job, success is more likely to go to the person who is noticed most, and who has an attitude that is most attractive to the employer. If you over-inflate your own value when you start, you may never get a start. If you under value your worth later in your career, you may be exploited, and never get your potential remuneration. Both are traps that many fall into.
  
  
• Be realistic about money - People who expect to be paid beyond their value to an employer simply don't get and keep getting work. It isn't a matter of what you think you are worth. It is more about your value to an employer or client, and what the market is paying for your skill set.
  
  
• Develop your ability to do the work - Every industry has a collection of fundamentals that underpin it; and if you learn properly, and develop a very solid foundation, you then have an ability to build on that foundation as the industry changes and develops into the future. A first course (whether at college or university) should give you that foundation. Learning should never stop though, particularly in today's fast changing world. It doesn't matter if ongoing learning is formal or informal. More often than not, it is a combination of both (ie. further studies, work experience, interacting with peers and colleagues, informal research and reading, etc).
  
  

The most common career mistake today is to assume that being able to do a job, entitles you to do that job. Some people make this mistake, recognise their error and move beyond; but many do not. They can often struggle through their careers, sometimes feeling bitter and cheated that opportunities have passed them by. If you stop and think though; having 100 graduates in something that only offers the work for 10 graduates is bound to leave some people feeling cheated.

If you are looking toward doing studies - choose to study a mix of subjects that are both useful and likely to give you a mix of knowledge and skills that few other people have.

If you are looking to establish a business, look for opportunities where demand is high and likely to be remain high; but also where others are not meeting that demand and less likely to meet that demand. Package your product or service to make it different, and raise your visibility of what you offer to a level that is difficult for others to compete with in any way that might be profitable for them.

Finally; in today's increasingly automated world; more work is being done with less people; and the reality of this situation is that many people may never have sustainable careers unless they are self employed. Self employment may not suit the personality or circumstances of many people, but it may be your only option.