1. WHAT NEVER WORKS WHILE JOB HUNTING…
Desperation does not work in the Job Market. Build your network before you need it. Just as you will be offered a loan in high amounts when you do not need it – you will be offered good jobs when you do not need one. Grab one when you are at the top.
2. WHY LOYALTY TO YOUR EMPLOYER IS CAREER SUICIDE.
Are you a loyal employee to the company? Yes? Then you are an idiot. The only loyalty you must have – is to yourself and your brand. Remember this much – the day you are useless – you will be replaced. If you are good – you will be kept as an star employee forever.
3. PEOPLE TALK NEGATIVELY ABOUT YOU? GOOD! HERE IS WHY!
What do you think your Boss & your Colleagues would really say about you behind your back? That is the reality the world speaks about you.
4. WHAT IS YOUR WOW-FACTOR?
Tell me – What is your WOW Factor? Now. Right Away. Right this moment. And then elaborate on it for the next 5 minutes. If you cannot or could not do this – chances are – you are fooling everyone including yourself that you can sell yourself.
5. IMAGINE YOUR CHILD HAD AN ACCIDENT…
If you want to make an evolve – it will only happen if it takes place with a sense of urgency and importance. Want proof? Lets assume – your child met with an accident. What would you do? Would you give excuses? Would you say you ‘do not know’ what to do? Would you ask others for their opinion? Would you simply plan things out? Or would just ‘get things done’? Compare the same with how you are approaching the most important goal of your life – your career, what you earn and how much you earn per month.
6. ARE YOU #1 AMONG 4000?
In the Middle East – In any given week – for a given vacancy, around 4,000 people apply for the position. Ask yourself – out of 4,000 people who are competing for the same position, package and promise – where do I stand? If you are not number 1 – then it is a game of lottery winning.
7. WHEN SHOULD YOU START JOB HUNTING?
Get a new job before you get into shaky grounds with your old employer. The best time to being – is when you are at your peak in the existing job. The only other time I would recommend is – Now.
8. STAY UPDATED OR GET OUTDATED
Make sure the image, updates, personal & professional information and photographs Online & on Social Media is the one you want your potential employer to notice. Also – Update your Resume & LinkedIn Profile regularly.
9. FOLLOW THE ’10’ PRINCIPLE AND BECOME AN INDUSTRY EXPERT!
Make sure you read the top 10 publications of your industry, network with the top 10 clients of your industry, make friends with the top 10 experts in your industry, make sure that the top 10 decision makers have your Resume and yes, you make 10 new contacts every year related to your industry!
10. WANT TO BE A LEADER? DO THIS!
Learn the art of writing articles, offering suggestions & ideas on LinkedIn & its various groups. How can you become a leader if you cannot communicate your ideas both verbally and in writing?
11. LINKEDIN IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FACEBOOK.
Most people spend more time on Facebook than on LinkedIn. Guess where do Industry Professionals spend more time on? Also – ensure LinkedIn is your advertising platform through the value you offer its readers, users and viewers.
12. UPDATE YOUR CONTACT LIST
Update your professional contacts frequently. Do you know that within a span of 12 months – anything from 10% to 20% of all your contacts have either changed their jobs or are not longer available on the same contact details?
13. KILL THOSE YOU LOVE
It may sound rude – but do away with people who are useless and time wasters – even if they are members of your own family. Surround yourself with only those who add value to your life. Remember this much – sometimes the ones who are the closest to us – become the reasons for our success. Or failure.
14. HAVE AND MAINTAIN THE A-LIST!
Have an A-List of contacts whom you get in touch with at least once a month. It’s who you know and not what you know that would bring opportunities into your life.
15. KEEP IT FRESH
Make & Network with new contacts every single month. The more ‘right’ people you know – the better it is for you. There are countless possibilities and probabilities. You do not know what you are missing – until you go out there!
16. YOU = KEY-WORDS
Ensure you use keywords in LinkedIn to describe you, market you and promote you. They become the foundation on which others connect with you. What are your keywords?
17. YOU ARE SMARTER THAN THE SYSTEM? REALLY REALLY?
Don’t think you can outsmart the system with shortcuts. People assume by just re-creating their Resume at the last minute or putting in some fluffy words or just trying to squeeze in a Resume at a job opening will land them a super-high paying job. Wrong. Think again buddy!
18. DO WHAT KIM KARDASHIAN DOES!
Ensure you can grab people’s attention all the while. Everyone is competing to be noticed. So in a crowded competitive room of professional- how noticeable are you? Remember – it is better to be noticed, than to be ignored!
19. ENSURE THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME!
Ensure people endorse you and recommend you. BUT here is a thumb rule! The bigger the names, the bigger the positions, the bigger the brand – the more valuable your Profile becomes. For instance – getting 3 recommendations from the CEO of 5 different multinational companies would do more wonders than getting 50 recommendations from middle line managers.
20. DARE TO DO THIS…
Dare to do things differently – in every possible area and avenue of your life (Dress Sense to how you use Social Media).
21. THIS WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SECRETS OF MY SUCCESS!
Get yourself a Professional Mentor & Coach. I wish someone had told me this secret when I was just 7 years old. The magic I have achieved in 6 years – imagine what more could I have done had I been practicing the amazing techniques all my life! Self-Study does help. Self-Help to a certain limit. But there is nothing in the world that can replace being guided by a Professional Mentor!
22. THE MOST AMAZING TRAIT YOU MUST INCULCATE!
Read and Educate Yourself with the latest Industry Trends. The more you read, the more it opens your mind to what is happening around. Can’t read?. Fine. You can watch YouTube videos? You can listen to MP3’s instead of listening to the nonsense that plays on the Radio? Today the oppotunities to study and learn are endless. Stop giving excuses.
23. THE 3 IMPORTANT SKILLS OF BEING NOTICED!
Practice 3 Key Skills – Self-Marketing, Self-Promotion & Self-Sell. However, keep in mind – there is a way in how you do that. It is not just about posting photographs and pictures of yourself online or being limited to smart posts and quotations that you get from the Internet. Do you know what the Gift Economy Is? Read and find out!
24. WANT TO LEARN HOW TO CLOSE A DEAL?
Communication (which includes listening as well) & Negotiation are two key skills that will help you anywhere and everywhere where connecting and making the deal is concerned.
25. NETWORKING 101
If you go into a room filled with 60 people and you have 2 hours – do you know what has to be done? Do you know how to break the ice with strangers? Do you know how to get the information you are looking for? Do you know how to make the guy listening to you or meeting you for the first time – want to know you more? If you don’t – its time to learn this skill now.
26. EUREKA! YOU FINALLY GOT THE BILLION DOLLAR IDEA?
Forget it. Ideas are worthless. And if you wonder why no one else is implementing your idea -chances are – many already did it and it didn’t work out. Want something better? Take an existing idea or product – and make it better. If in doubt – remember Steve Jobs, the iPod, iPad and iPhone.
27. STICK AND STONE BREAK BONES!
Remember the quote “Stick and Stones may break my bone but words never hurt me?” Between thinking of a great idea and implementing an not so good idea – Implementation is everything. It’s only when you start doing or working your idea – will you come to know what works & what doesn’t. And yes, how you can improve on it.
28. DO WHAT EVERYONE DOES – RIGHT?
Wrong! The Grass is always Greener on the other side. So remind yourself this when you assume that changing country or company will solve all your problems. Most probably – the biggest problem – is YOU. And yeah – just because people are doing something in large numbers – doesn’t mean they are probably right. I don’t want to get into any controversies here – but think of all the Atrocities committed throughout history. You will always see people committing these crimes in large numbers!
29. THE KEY TO SURVIVAL!
Evolution is the key. How have you evolved since the last year? Or the year before? Or the year before that?
30. BHAG!
Do you have a BHAG? (Big Hairy Audacious Goal courtesy James Collins and Jerry Porras). If not – set one up.
31. THE P’S & P’S
Keep in mind everything is a process. And every process has procedures. However, if you are smart enough – you would know where the loopholes are and how to maximize on them.
32. THIS TRAIT CAUSES THE WORLD TO GO AROUND!
Likability is a key factor when being selected. So when you are facing unfair competition from those who are even more attractive than you – focus on this Trait! So the question is simply this – On a scale of 1 to 10 – How likeable are you?
33. GET NOTICED OR GET LOST!
At the Red Carpet Event, every single celebrity tries to outdo the other in some crazy way or another. It can be an amazing dress, almost naked dress, crazy dress or something as ridiculous as what Shia Labeouf did one evening on the 12th of February 2014. He sported on a paper back stating “I Am Not Famous Anymore”. Uniqueness is what would help you get noticed. Although I wouldn’t recommend you to follow what Mr. Shia Labeouf did, I would recommend you stand out always. So – Do you stand out from the rest of the crowd?
34. THE BILLION DOLLAR QUESTION
Personal branding is what would help you position yourself. Are you a Brand? Do you know how to make yourself one? In fact, do you even know what is a Personal Brand? If not, you better get to speed with reality!
35. IT MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH?
As human beings, temptation is what makes us finally cave into what we shouldn’t. That is why no matter how hard people try – McDonald’s with its burgers, Snickers with its Chocolate Bar, and even Nike with its over-priced Shoes – ensure its customers keeping spending their hard earned money on stuff they don’t actually need. The message = Desirability. It is what you should communicate to the potential employer. Do you know how to make yourself desirable like these amazing brands?
36. THE 4-7-30-3 PRINCIPLE
Sell-ability is what makes you from being ’employed’ to ’employable’. Do you know how to sell yourself? I train my students how to do it in 4 Seconds, 7 seconds, 30 seconds & 3 minutes – time slots. Why? Because that is what works in order to succeed!
37. THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION?
How well do you know the art of Blogging, Video Blogging & Social Media Marketing? This skill alone will make or break your brand.
38. WHO ARE YOU?
How well do you know yourself? Rather let me rephrase it. How well do you know yourself to market yourself to stand out from the rest of the crowd so that when the employer hears about you – he jumps the gun and immediately decides – you are the one he must employ. Do you know yourself that well? If no is the answer – you seriously better stop everything and learn this skill first!
39. WALK IN MY SHOES!
Do you know the art of how to think, communicate and negotiate from the Employers point of view? Almost every employee or job search candidate thinks from his point of view. If you can walk in the shoes of those whom you are dealing with – you will always succeed no matter what happens!
40. SIMPLE QUESTION FOR WHICH MANY SAY NO…
Have you practised, rehearsed and absolutely mastered the art of the interview? Now before you become Dirty Harry and get ready to fire bullets of confidence in my direction – ask yourself this simple question – is your presentation so good that you could absolutely impress Mark Cuban or Sunder Pichai to employ you immediately? If your answer is still a resounding yes – Trust me – I would want to contact you for tips!
41. HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A PERFECT RESUME?
Is your Resume perfect? Let me give you a method to evaluate if your Resume is perfect or not. Do this – Ask yourself – what is the salary that would keep you happy? Once you get this amount – Multiply this amount with 12 (12 months in a year). So for instance – if the salary you are looking for is USD $10,000, then multiply this with 12 months = USD $120,000. So now ask yourself – is this Resume that you are using to promote yourself – worth being paid USD $120,000?
42. THE MAGIC WORD – VASTAA
In the Middle East, especially the United Arab Emirates, there is a magic word. It is called “Vastaa”. All it means is knowing the ‘God-Father’ who can help you get you what you want – anything from the job of your dreams to the promotion you assumed you deserve. So what is the point I am trying to make here? Simply this – Do you know the right contacts i.e. the decision makers who can make a decision and ensure you get the job right now? If you have only 5 – you will never be unemployed in your life. However, even after knowing 5, if you are still unemployed – it means you are unemployable.
43. THE MASTERMIND GROUP
Do you have a circle of trust worthy, like-minded people who can add value to your brand? If not, create one. They are what Napoleon Hill once called ‘The Mastermind Group’. Here is an article by FORBES that would shed some light into what The Mastermind Group is all about.
44. SHARPEN THE SAW
Do you dedicate at least 1 hour a day Sharpening a Key Skill that will make you employable? Don’t know what that means? Read Stephen Covey’s Sharpening Your Saw Principle.
45. STEVE JOBS, STEPHEN HAWKINGS & SUPERMAN HAD THIS SUPER POWER…
What am I talking about? The ability to be absolutely and totally Obsessed about something. Now I am pretty aware that this would be looked upon in a negative light. After all – don’t we preach having a ‘balanced life’ and ‘keeping life in balance’? Fine. No arguments there. Do you assume any of the great legends of our world had such a luxury? Well, I have to be the bearer of bad news. It doesn’t work. So the question here is – Are you totally and absolutely obsessed about your Professional Growth? On a Scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) where do you rate yourself? And now – where do you think you should rate yourself if you had to get the job of your dreams?
46. TAKE A NEW KIND OF A VACATION…
When was the last time you took a Professional Wellness Vacation – To Focus Strictly on your Professional Growth and Development? When will you plan to take it? What will you choose to develop during that time?
47. FIND OUT THE WEAKEST LINK IN THE CHAIN…
No matter how strong a chain – do you know where it breaks off during pressure and stress? At its weakest link. Do you know the 3 key areas that need the most development and growth – the ones that can literally break you and cause hindrance to your career growth? (or are you assuming you know?)
48. YOUR BIGGEST FRIEND OR GREATEST ENEMY
Are you aware of the fact that Your Immediate Boss can make or break your career prospects in your company? So is he on your side? Or rather – ask yourself – Is your boss someone whom you would like to be – one day? If not – you better change your boss and your company!
49. IS YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL YOUR COFFIN?
Study your company management structure, hierarchy and history. Do you think there is a place for you to move, grow and evolve into? Or are you wasting your time for the next many years in the same position with the same package? And no matter how hard you work or how many hours you put in, the reality is – you will never grow further? If so, better change jobs and change it fast!
50. BE PRACTICAL
Hope is NOT a strategy. In the same way Praying, doing Charity, or lighting candles to your favorite gods may give you a spiritual sense of fulfilment. However, it is NOT what will work in the real world. Be practical.
51. YOU THINK YOU ARE GOOD? REALLY? TRY THIS…
Do you assume you are really good? Then apply to the top 5 competitors of your company and see their response. If they are ready to employ you and your services without a moment’s hesitation – you are indeed an Industry Leader. However, if they report you to your employer – chances are, no one wants to employ your sorry behind!
52. MONEY IS EVERYTHING!
How much money do you have stored for a bad day? The thumb rule is to have 12 months salary kept in your bank account untouched – so that if and when you do lose your job – you can sit back, relax and regroup yourself after being laid off. And only after you have relaxed for a few days or weeks – go into an all out assault to finding your new job and position. They say money is not everything? Yeah Right. On the day you are without a job – you will take refuge knowing you have enough and more money resting in the bank for your access!
53. READ THIS SENTENCE 10 TIMES A DAY!
Remember the key rule – Its not what you know. Its who you know. Read this again and again and again!
54.THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU DO NOT KNOW!
Do you know how to Mass Unfollow everyone on Twitter? Do you know how to remove ALL your inactive friends on Facebook with a single click? Do you know how to increase your Google rankings in relation to your blog? Ask yourself – how much more you do not know – which you should be spending time learning!
55. IS THIS THE JOB OF YOUR DREAMS?
Do you REALLY seriously, absolutely and vehemently love your job and what you do? If you don’t – PLEASE do yourself a favor – make a change. You just have one life to live. Stop living it doing what you do not love.
56. PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH?
Its tempting to save money and redesign your Resume by yourself, practice interview skills by yourself and learn new skills by yourself. Right? Good strategy to save money – right? If Usain Bolt needs a Coach, If Floyd Mayweather needs a coach, If Mark Zuckerberg needs an Advisory Board – what about you? Oh yeah, I get the argument – you do not want to be “so great” like the rest. Then, please do me a favor. Stop reading this article all together and be happy being mediocre. Just as your job as a professional cannot be done by an amateur – stop assuming that you can suddenly wear the hat of being an Industry Professional that too in an industry you have no experience or expertise in.
57. BELIEVING YOUR OWN BS?
Affirmations, Assertions, Positive Thinking – yes, this helps to a limit. However, when it crosses a certain limit – then it becomes an absolute liability. It serve no purpose being negative. Its okay to be positive. However, you must be realistic! An honest assessment of your situtation is very important. Stop lying to yourself. If wanting to change and improve is just a hope, wish, dream but you do not have the drive, desire and determination to do whatever it takes to put thought into action – then all you are tying to do – really hard – is create an illusion of change and feel good about it.
58. 3+3 COMBO!
Time. Money. Effort. Three things you need to make change happen. Oh yes, did I mention Strategy, Consistency & Coaching?
59. DO WHAT THE BIG BOYS DO!
Why do Global Brands need to constantly reinvent themselves? Why do Software Companies keep updating their software? Why does Facebook, Google and YouTube keep coming out with new features, products and services? Think about it. And then ask yourself – what about you? What new products or services can you come out with that will make you relevant to the market?
60. YOUR REAL COMPETITION… GET READY TO BE SURPRISED!
Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat – None of these must-have necessary addictions existed in your college days. Today’s youngsters are being introduced to this world as young as 6 years old. So the question here begets – how future proof are you for the next 5 years? 10 years? 15 years? Are you ready to face tomorrow’s generation when they compete with you head along?
61. THE MASTERY YOU NEED!
Social Media & Software Mastery – Do you have it? No? Seriously No? OMG! Are you for real? Given that today our entire lives are under the microscopic lens of the world – how can you choose to ignore this avenue?
62. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS = PPPRRRTTTTBBBBBB!
Proud Of Your Educational Qualifications & Degrees? Really? Go show them to a few potential employers and ask them – “Hey Boss – Isn’t this impressive? Based on this – how much salary increase or promotions can I get?”… Remember – Unless of course it is from an Ivy League School – The answer your potential employers will give you – will give you a reality check you need.
63. MAKE GOOGLE YOUR BEST FRIEND!
Want to know how searchable or noticeable you are? Google your name. See what you get. If someone cannot find you easily and in large numbers – how exactly would be you noticeable or credible?
64. LAW OF AVERAGES!
Follow the law of averages. If you connect with 100 new contacts – chances are 5 to 10 will become the pivotal reason for your success. So what is your current target per month?
65. WE ARE A PRODUCT OF OUR HABITS!
Look at your past – say for the past 5 years or 10 years in any particular endeavor and evaluate yourself. Chances are, you will repeat the same pattern for the rest of your life.
66. HOW VALUABLE YOU ARE TO YOUR COMPANY – THE ACID TEST!
If you were to resign from your company – would your employer accept it or fight & negotiate with you to ensure you stay? The answer to this question would show how important you are to the Industry at large. Or in a micro sense – how valuable you are to your own company.
67. CHANGE IS PAINFUL, POWERFUL & A PLUS POINT!
Maybe you need to change everything about and I mean everything. Have you thought about how that can impact your life – if you changed everything? However, keep this in mind – its not just external that has to change – you from inside also must.
68. YOUR VALUES – ARE THEY GOOD FOR YOU?
They say – Live your life according to your values. However, if you are not happy with your life right now – its time you had a serious look into your own life and ask yourself – which values you need to change.
69. WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE WRESTLERS!
Have you noticed the World Wresting Entertainment? For every Undertaker, there is a John Sena, for ever HHH, there is The Rock. Did you notice – all of them have a different costume, walk-in music, storyline, finishing move, style of doing this and presentation? Ever asked yourself why? The day you get the answer to this question – and yes, implement the answer – you will become the most successful person in your industry.
70. THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME OF YOUR LIFE
The 1st 3 hours of your life after you wake up – are the most productive ones in your life. How do you spend the 1st 3 hours of the morning after waking up? Dressing Up + Staying stuck in Traffic + Reading Emails? And you expect amazing changes to take place in your life?
71. WHAT ARE YOUR S.M.A.R.T GOALS?
Do you have a target for yourself this year? Do you have a master goal? Have you broken this goal for the next 12 months into breakable, achievable chunks? In fact – do you know what you are supposed to achieve this week? If not – what are you doing? Where are you headed? What do you want in life? Can you quantify it, measure it and evaluate it?
72. TAKING SMALL RISKS AND FREQUENT ONES!
Practice taking small risks early on in life and take them frequently. The more risks you take, the better you will be at knowing what works and doesn’t work. Never ever ever be happy just being and doing the same.
73. CONSTANT AND NEVER ENDING IMPROVEMENT
This year I have invested in one of the top online coaches for my online presence, Graphic Designing Course to learn how to digitally animate my photographs (which I use rampantly on Social Media), Video Animation Course (as I use YouTube frequently) and also enrolled for a language school in Koh Samui to learn Thai. All this cost me a lot of money. So what are you striving to learn? How much money are you planning to invest?
74. SACRIFICE (NOT THE ELTON JOHN ONE)
Without Sacrifices you can achieve nothing. With prioritising your time to focus on your goals – you cannot achieve anything. So what are you ready to prioritise and sacrifice in order to reach your goals?
75. THE BEST ADVICE I EVER RECEIVED!
My friend Dave Ross (1991 World Champion of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International) said this one quote “I will never let anyone outwork me.” This is a principle I have followed to heart which has been the foundation to my success. Apply it and trust me – it will work wonders for you.
76. WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID THIS…
Never Ever Ever Ever Ever Ever Ever Give Up. When you keep at something – you will succeed at some point. Agreed there will be ups and downs – but if you are truly committed to achieving your goal – chances are – you will succeed it at.
77. THE DANGERS OF EARLY SUCCESSES
There is one danger I must warn you about – Early Success. Or Succeeding in itself. It can give you a false sense of confidence and infallibility. I have seen it happen to many people. Do not assume that just because you have succeed once or a few times or in a particular endeavor – you will succeed at everything or always.
78. SALARY IS IMPORTANT… HOWEVER
Remember – when choosing a job, salary is only one part of the equation. The other factors may make or break you completely. Most importantly – read in between the fine lines. Especially – when things don’t go so well. In fact, evaluate the place where you are planning to work or apply – check out the people who work there. Evaluate them. Check out and find out what happened to those who left. Most probably – the same story may repeat itself with you.
79. SO WHAT NEXT?
What key decisions have you taken after reading this article? If you have read it all the way to this point – it means you surely want to change and improve. So now the question remains – what will you do, when will you do it and how will you do it?