How to build a great career? 6 specific tips

Ganesh Samarthyam www.designsmells.com

Stuck in a rut?

Facing a dead-end?

Career leading you nowhere?

Give it a try

What is the easiest and most comfortable way to grow in my career?

Comfort Zone

Growth

New Comfort

Zone

Tip #1: Grow out of your comfort zone

What is the key to grow big and succeed?

Other organizations

Your organization

Tip #2: Gradually expand your circle of influence

Your departmentYour team

The world

Some ways to expand your

circle of influence

Give talks (conference, workshop…)

Write articles, books, white papers, …

Organize meet-ups,

training programs, …

Contribute to process,

quality, and cost-saving

initiatives

Generalist Specialistvs.

Should I be a generalist or a specialist to grow in my career?

GeneralistSpecialist

Tip #3: Be a generalist and a specialist!

Should I gain more “hard skills” or “soft skills”?

Tip #4: Focus on gaining more soft skills!

Leading

Managing

Doing

Softs

kills

Hard

skills

How do I know where to focus for growing in my career?

Tip #5: Focus where your interests, skills, and market needs overlap

Your interests

Your skills

Market need

Your ideal focus

How do I survive and thrive in this chaotic & ever changing world?

Tip #6: Adapt and exploit change!

6 Tips for Building a Great Career

1. Grow out of your comfort zone

2. Gradually expand your circle of influence

3. Be a generalist and a specialist

4. Focus on gaining more soft skills

5. Focus where your interests, skills, and market needs overlap

6. Adapt and exploit change!

Image credits• http://mindgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/stuck-in-a-rut.jpg

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• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Insanity_Occupy_Sign.jpg

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ganesh.samarthyam@gmail.com @GSamarthyam www.designsmells.com