CAREER SPECIAL...Get ready for career progression

Are you equipped with the skills to deal with paradigm shifts?
We always like to do what we are good at, what we had been always acclaimed for, what our talents often got rewarded for, what we are more comfortable with centered in a safe zone and then stay in it. A stable company, a good brand, established products, consistent past trends. What happens if things are suddenly dynamic, markets alter and paradigms change?
What about activities that one had a yearning to do, but no matter how frequently one practiced, and no matter how much fun one had doing them, no matter how great one felt when one is done with them, one never probably seemed to get any better. Passion is important, but it needs to be broad based. We need to try and learn to capture and clarify our strength (talent) and then complement it with skill and knowledge.
The real question is not whether extraordinary people have natural talent but what happens that allows them to bring that talent to deliver. It is about willingness to make personal sacrifices in pursuit of a dream.
There is always something about the person as a learner, as a taker of opportunities, as an absorber of experience that makes the "difference".
We do need to have reasonable clarity as what do we want to achieve? Where do we want to be? How do we want to be seen over time? And therefore what kind of experience, exposure or education we might need to achieve all of it. The career path today is more self directed and less organisation driven. The traditional linear career path of progressing through prescribed career stages within a single company is becoming an exception than a rule today. One has to take increased responsibility for their personal and professional development. It is becoming increasingly relevant that employees need to take initiative to manage their own careers, rather than relying on their employers or HR to manage their careers. This includes:

1. Use of Self – Self analysis and development of self
2. Continuous learning experiences – engage in visible career enhancing practices
3. Reading relevant papers/publications/journals
4. Extensive networking - Social networking
5. Membership of professional organisations
6. Mentoring/Coaching relationships within or outside the organisation

"Employability" and not "Employment"
The trend will be to leverage earlier job experiences and continuous education (study circles) in conjunction to enhance personal skill and knowledge sets, thereby making one self more marketable to future employers. Proactive individuals are most likely to succeed in a boundaryless career. The future will be defined by one's own self than the past. One should be able to make a choice between jobs, companies and assignments. College degrees are going out of date at a fast rate. Life of companies is becoming shorter for different reasons. It's not about what we feel good now but what the end game is.
The author is Sanjay Mitra, VP - HR & People Development, GlobalLogic