Friday, June 07, 2013

Career Planning : Learning, Unlearing...Relearning!! ( Part Two)

Turbocharge YOUR Career Workshop

This was an event I conducted last Saturday! Let me confess I thoroughly enjoyed the session -and you can look forward to some regular events like these soon-but the greater learning has been the run up of events that led to it :)!

For posterity, let me share my original concept.

The 4 hour workshop is meant for Professionals-with atleast 5+ years of experience in the industry-who wish to change gears and take charge of their careers -and prepare for Leadership Roles in India and abroad.

All participants are required to bring their own laptop and a data card, so that we spend atleast a couple of hours, hands on, and leverage on building one's professional network using Linkedin, staying abreast with the best practices globally.

Some of the topics we will dive deep into include :

1) An interactive discussion on "Careers as an Asset"

As one has seen the industrial economy give way to an intellectual economy, globalisation has impacted the way businesses have had to evolve...making it imperative for professionals to take another look at their careers, and stay ahead of the learning curve-as a new economy is on the horizon.

2)Taking inventory of a new set of skills that are more relevant than what was evident in a pyramidical organisation.

There has been a paradigm shift in the expectations from a professional in the same role -as companies shift gears in the lifecycle of change...and get to the next level.

3)Thinking beyond job security and career growth...and sharpen one's USP.

At the end of the session, you would be all set to embark on a road map to your professional growth-building a brand equity for yourself-and be the 'go-to-person' that you have always wanted to be!

Well, I expected to restrict the gathering to about 15 persons to ensure some personal connect.

As the event came closer - yes, thanks to the social media buzz, a lot of well wishers encouraged me-and a lot more called me to ascertain if the event would help them get the job they desired. Was there an opportunity if I could some way guarantee some instant gratification ? 

I had to let quite a few enquiries pass-as the emphasis was on careers..and beyond merely the next job!And so -for better focus to a particular segment of middle managers - the event was tweaked to exclude professionals below 8years.

Here are the takeaways for me:

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-I am grateful that the handful who came -had a quality interaction -and vindicated that this was indeed much beyond a transaction, and the beginning of leveraging on a potential network of connections -and build relationships on their way to their personal & professional goals. We are now part of a small online community that would be sharing and learning together about the best practices.

- There were another set of senior professionals -who for reasons of confidentiality and sensitivity reached out for seeking one-one 'closed door ' sessions tailor made for them. 

-There is scope for special focus workshops-for different levels of professionals- and the sensitivities related at each level is different.  And separately for Sales professionals. And entrepreneurs. The needs of a budding recruiter too seem to be unique from those-as she/he would need to be a 'subject matter expert' to be able to attract the right profiles.

So, please standby, we are likely to conjure up more events in future..perhaps a monthly one!!

PS: there were some interesting asides too...as more than one aspirant-questioned the cost of training. Reminding me of a master quote from none other than the Management Guru Peter Drucker-"If you think training is expensive, try ignorance”.  Unquote.

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