Career 01 (Sep 08 - Mar 10)

[kennynah]

ask not what the employer can do for you, but what you can do for the employer


must be the mantra of every young employee....if u ask me

[RidingOnTop]

How true.. For a young person, going the extra mile and constantly thinking about what you can do for your employer is the sure way to get ahead in your company. If you think of yourself as just one of many "contract service provider" to your employer, you will constantly create "activity/ sales funnel" for your bosses, without thinking of them as "extra" but as "value-added after sale service"! I always think of the initial interview as a "sales meeting", with me being the product.

All contacts i meet after getting the job are potential future clients, with current job as potential "success stories" for future product presentation.

[winston]

Is Your Ego Bigger Than Your Skill Set? By MaryEllen Tribby

I hired "Inga" early in her career. Because I knew she was a rising superstar, I spent a great deal of time mentoring her as well as introducing her to other people in the industry.

When she was ready to move on, I recommended her to an industry legend who was starting a new business. He hired her and she excelled there as well.

But then she left that position to start her own little consulting company. And the "buzz" in the industry has been that she is not always delivering assignments on time and is getting increasingly harder to deal with.

We hadn't communicated since she went off on her own. Then, about a month ago, I received an e-mail from her.

She asked if we could have lunch so she could pick my brain regarding her consulting business. Because we both have busy schedules, we had to set the date for three weeks down the road.

Two days before our scheduled lunch, I e-mailed her to say I was looking forward to seeing her and to confirm the time and place.

I was shocked by her response. She had forgotten all about it. She said she was too busy, and asked if we could please meet the following day instead.

I couldn't make it the following day. And I was understandably miffed, because I'd had to re-schedule several appointments to free up the day and time we'd originally set. As I tried to explain this to her, I felt suddenly sad. Here was someone whose ego had surpassed her talent.

Whether you are working in a corporate environment or on your own, you should always be building relationships. Relationships with your customers, your competitors, and certainly with your current and previous mentors. If you take these people for granted... and start putting yourself ahead of them... you'll be burning valuable bridges. And doing that leads to the demise of any business.

[kennynah]

i have sadly come across too many of such poor "customer" and "vendor" relationships, where the customer employees' do not realize their haughty attitudes usually return to haunt them later on in their careers.... these usually are again the younger people...

what goes around, do come around....

[winston]

Do what you like and the money will come later ...

That is what all the Positive Thinking and Motivational Gurus say..

Is it really true ?

Example:-

You really like to trade stocks. Can you really quit your job to do what you really like ?

Or maybe you really like to paint ? Can you really make a living of your paintings ?

Or perhaps you really like to play golf everyday ? Can you really quit your job and become a full time professional ?

[helios]

well ...

there are lawyers, bankers, accountants, engineers who quitted from the rat race, and become Çhef ...

[winston]

I think we need to think of how many people who did it and were really successful.

There could be 100 people who did it and maybe only 5 really succeeded..

Those are the 5 that you read about in newspapers, magazines, featured on TV and are quoted by the Motivational Gurus...

I think we have to think in terms of probability ...

[Aspellian]

and some of those bankers, lawyers, accountants who became chef probably can afford to do so after accumulating sufficient wealth to be financially independent.

They may not earn as much as their previous professions, but it doesnt matter to them as they are "pursuing their passion" and they are not highly dependent on the "chef's income".

[HengHeng]

my dream was to be a loafer all my life ..

But in order to do that i go to work damn hard just to loaf .. abit paradox leh like that..

[sidney]

My peak career position in life would be printed "rich bum" on my business card:)