Rarely does a day go by without a friend or former colleague calling up to ask for a job. He’s either been asked to go or simply wants to quit because “the writing is on the wall”. And I tell them all to be patient. I also request them to take time off, plan their expenses and invest – not in stocks or real estate or gold; but invest in themselves.
How?! How does one invest in oneself?
So, be patient. And read on…
Yesterday, The Economic Times reported “India’s second-biggest software exporter, Infosys Technologies, has postponed its hiring plans for engineering graduates this year by almost six months, as the company seeks to cope with a lower demand for software services in its top markets of US and Europe. Next fiscal, Infosys will be interviewing potential employees by visiting top engineering colleges during eighth semester, and not sixth semester as before.”
Nothing new, you’ll say. This is the kind of bad news that appears every day and makes us want to stop reading the papers: ironical, isn’t it, that the pink dailies keep telling us our economy is in anything but the pink of health? But, think about it - isn’t there another message here that’s obvious if you choose to read between the lines? Isn’t it true that half-empty glasses are also half-full?
If Infosys and a hundred other sure-shot employers are going to defer their recruitment plans and then get really selective about who they’ll eventually hire, it means that life is going to get even tougher. Because it means that being good is no longer enough – to convert a CV into an appointment letter, you have to be the best. You have to be better trained, smarter, more confident. Actually, if you go deeper, you'll find Infosys saying so as well: read what they have to say in the part on Enhancing Human Capital here.
You have to invest in yourself - right now. Simple.
It may sound paradoxical but the best time to study and retrain yourself, upgrade your skills is now – when jobs are scarce. When the pressure of meeting deadlines, screaming bosses and political-minded, back-stabbing colleagues isn’t there. Take advantage of this time and do something productive – you’ll find that the return on this investment will last a lifetime. And when Infosys comes calling, you’ll be ahead of the queue ☺
And there are many ways to do it: enroll for a course at a physical centre/university. Or prepare for stuff like IT Certification online without losing the flexibility and free-time you have.
After all, the darker the cloud, the more silver there is in the lining.
Cheers!
How?! How does one invest in oneself?
So, be patient. And read on…
Yesterday, The Economic Times reported “India’s second-biggest software exporter, Infosys Technologies, has postponed its hiring plans for engineering graduates this year by almost six months, as the company seeks to cope with a lower demand for software services in its top markets of US and Europe. Next fiscal, Infosys will be interviewing potential employees by visiting top engineering colleges during eighth semester, and not sixth semester as before.”
Nothing new, you’ll say. This is the kind of bad news that appears every day and makes us want to stop reading the papers: ironical, isn’t it, that the pink dailies keep telling us our economy is in anything but the pink of health? But, think about it - isn’t there another message here that’s obvious if you choose to read between the lines? Isn’t it true that half-empty glasses are also half-full?
If Infosys and a hundred other sure-shot employers are going to defer their recruitment plans and then get really selective about who they’ll eventually hire, it means that life is going to get even tougher. Because it means that being good is no longer enough – to convert a CV into an appointment letter, you have to be the best. You have to be better trained, smarter, more confident. Actually, if you go deeper, you'll find Infosys saying so as well: read what they have to say in the part on Enhancing Human Capital here.
You have to invest in yourself - right now. Simple.
It may sound paradoxical but the best time to study and retrain yourself, upgrade your skills is now – when jobs are scarce. When the pressure of meeting deadlines, screaming bosses and political-minded, back-stabbing colleagues isn’t there. Take advantage of this time and do something productive – you’ll find that the return on this investment will last a lifetime. And when Infosys comes calling, you’ll be ahead of the queue ☺
And there are many ways to do it: enroll for a course at a physical centre/university. Or prepare for stuff like IT Certification online without losing the flexibility and free-time you have.
After all, the darker the cloud, the more silver there is in the lining.
Cheers!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment