Jay's Career Advice

I am not an expert on giving career advice. But as someone who has also lived through life, who's taken and rolled with life's punches, here's a few things I've learned.

But first, a few lines from two experts:

1) Ernie Cecilia – Chairman, Industrial Relations Committee, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; President & CEO, EC Business Solutions and Career Center

Dear Jay, It's 3:35 in the morning as I read your email. I will write you a better and longer reply sometime this week or next week. Meantime, I have some quick tips for you: 1. Know what you really want to be in your life, say five or 10 years from now. 2. If what you're doing is not going to get you closer to what you want to be, then find other paths. If it will, stick with it for a while until you find a better situation. 3. Outsourcing is a reality these days elsewhere in many parts of the world. Regular employment is just one career path. There are others. Regular employment or outsourcing can be your tool or your path to what you want in life. Definitely, they are not your destination. You are in a journey towards something more significant. 4. You always have a choice, but each choice has consequences. Understand the possible effects of decisions you make today. 5. Never compromise your happiness. To me, it boils down to "Love it or leave it." But again, you have to be ready for the effects you cause when you choose one way or the other. Ernie

2) Roel Andag – Career Consultant and Trainer on Call

Hi Jay Michael! Thank you for reading my article and taking time to write. Work- and talent-wise, I can discern two patterns: 1) your work exposure has been in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in sales and corporate communications, and 2) you write well. Based on these, you may want to explore working in the fields of sales, customer relations and corporate communications in a pharmaceutical company, a company that specializes in fast-moving consumer goods or related industries. There is also an emerging trend inclined towards corporate social responsibility -- companies engaging in community service. Do not wait for job vacancies to be advertised because advertising is sometimes just mere compliance with regulations. Be proactive in your job search: visit company websites, visit corporate offices to gather information, network with people who may be able to help you in your job search, peruse directories, call up the HR department to inquire, submit your applications and never tire. I don't know with you but job security has never really been my primary concern. Because if it was, I would have been in for major frustrations. I worked as Program and Communications Manager for a multinational pharmaceutical company, which was later bought by a competitor. My colleagues stayed on until the moment that they were eased out of the company while I bolted early to focus on my consulting career.

Be reminded that players in the pharmaceutical industry is predicted to merge and merge until only four companies will remain - the result of continuous mergers. What matters most really is not lifetime employment but lifetime employability.

You have to ensure your marketability in an ever-shifting career landscape. How? Be clear about your talents and skills, continue to learn new ones, define yourself so that you stand apart from the competition and make sure that you offer value. But first things first: what do you envision yourself to be in the short-, mid- and long-term? Establish your vision and proceed therefrom. Last but not least: reformat your resume because it looks sloppy and confusing, not the type that captivates the eye of the beholder. (note: I have reformatted my resume and its now just a one-pager, if you want to learn how, email me) I hope this helps. Cheers!Roel

Key things why I chose to highlight the advice of these two experts:

1) First, its really very important and I cannot emphasize it enough, you really have to follow your heart (Let me repeat it: FOLLOW YOUR HEART). FOLLOW YOUR HEART...FOLLOW YOUR HEART... FOLLOW YOUR HEART... You get it.. =)

You should ONLY pursue what interests you, what you're passionate about. Now, let me tell you why this is important.

I've worked for four companies in four years, that's almost a year per company. Yes, it doesn't look good on one's resume. One thing I found out and which I've known all along is that I want to write. I write everyday. And that's why I have honed it to a level that I'm really proud of. That's probably why I like Marketing and Corporate Communications because I like writing stuff. I'm also a people person that's why I like Sales. But all along I refused to take my writing passion seriously. And that's probably why I keep looking for the right job.

But you know what, despite what happened, I still love it. Why?

Because of the following:

1. It allowed me to meet a lot of people. Consider this: Company 1 (pharmaceutical sales and marketing, 1,200 employees), Company 2 (retail sales/consumer goods, 30 employees, 70 outsourced merchandisers), Company 3 (bank/credit cards, 700 employees), Company 4 (consumer goods, 200 employees). I have built a very large network of people from all walks of life, from different fields and disciplines, people who can help me when I'm out cold, isn't that nice? If I just worked for one company, I may not have met a ton of amazing people who have incidentally become my friends. (see notes in page 5)

2. It allowed me to really find my passion. They say life is tough. And nothing can be tougher than trying to find what you want to do for the rest of your life. My search has really led me through a lot of ups and downs. But you know what, we all need to be challenged, we all need to fail, to make mistakes and most important of all, to learn the lessons. My experience has allowed me to come out of it, stronger, better and more knowledgeable. I wouldn't be able to write this if I just went along.

3. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. Can you imagine all the things that I can connect from having been able to work in pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, retial sales and a bank? It allowed me to see how every industry can really learn from one another. It also allowed me to see that business fundamentals never change, no matter what industry you are in. (more on that on another paper)

4. It gave me freedom and knowledge. I am now more discerning in choosing which company to associate it. And what to look for. How to read the signs. How to read the culture of one company just by looking at the office environment, by how the receptionist smiles (or doesn't) when you come in, or how the security guard lets you in.

5. It gave me confidence. I am now good in handling interviews. I have gone to almost 100 interviews already including taking tests. I can handle any interview including the times when the interviewer appears hostile to you (yes, there are a few of them). And also I learned that there's really such a thing as walking away. There are really companies out there you don't deserve to work for. They suck at it, by “it,” I mean in developing their people.

2) Secondly, I realized one very important thing – Roel's line “What matters most really is not lifetime employment but lifetime employability” is very much true. Most experts today point out that the average worker would have worked for 6 companies during their lifetime. And this is even a moderate assumption. Gone are the days where you will work for one company until you die or retire. Tom Peters in his groundbreaking book “Re-Imagine” goes even further, he posits that instead of jobs, we look at it as gigs. We are CEOs of our own companies, that is, our brand in the job marketplace. We are CEOs of Me, Inc. And it might be that, for now, we are doing it with Nestle or Unilever or San Miguel.

This is an important realization for me. Because all along I thought my objective should be to choose a career that will give me lifetime employment – to join a company that I will be working for the rest of my life. But those days are gone. Companies will always choose what's best for the business, they've started outsourcing and sooner or later, some jobs are also going to be automated. So we have to move up in the value chain. We have to “re-imagine” ourselves, our jobs. We have to build a portfolio of WOW projects as Tom Peters suggests. Those WOW projects are gigs at the companies where we worked at.

The average lifespan of companies, even for the big ones, is also getting shorter. And that's why we need to prepare on this. The speed of an upstart company to suddenly disrupt and win the market is getting faster, in effect, we can no longer count on big companies on staying on top and surviving forever. There will be exceptions but it will get harder. Tom Peters cites an example of the Fortune 100 list which was started in 1917, out of that list in 1917, 18 survived after 70 years, out of the 18 survivors only two companies outperformed the market. And today only one remains.

3) Lastly, their advice has helped me. So I guess it might also help you.

If you are wondering what happened to me. I just joined my dad in our hardware business while I'm also doing my writing gig on the side. My book is about to be published. (more on that in another article)

I am in love with social media and how it affects our lives. I just got appointed to lead someone's election campaign on the digital front. So life as they say it has a way of surprising us on the unlikeliest times. I'm loving what I do now but who knows, I might just accept that Facebook gig.

So there you go it, lessons learned during 4 years of corporate life. To summarize:

• Follow Your Heart. It's as simple as that. Follow your heart so that as Howard Schultz in Starbucks you can Pour Your Heart Into It.

• Manage your career as if you are CEO. Throw the old mind-set. You are really the CEO of your life. So manage it well. List down your personal goals and things you want employers and people to think of you. Then live your Brand.

• “Re-Imagine.” Turn every project or assignment into a WOW project. A WOW Project according to Tom Peters is... a project that makes a difference, that changes the world, that makes a dent in the universe. WOW! (steps outlined by Tom in his book)

• Develop Talent. If you are in a position of authority, develop your people. The ultimate goal of leadership is to develop more leaders not make more followers.

• Network. Life is a team effort. And that includes work as well. You will need mentors or experts who will give you advice and guide you. You will need friends to make the journey a little bit enjoyable. You will need partners who will let you in on the latest trends, technology or news. And people-in-the-know who will help you get that coveted job you want.

I sincerely hope YOU found this helpful and that you find the job, the career that will allow you to truly make use of all your gifts and potential. Good luck!

Thanks for reading.

P.S.

One other thing, a quick note on FOCUS. I learned this from the Pied Piper of Facebook, Mari Smith, FOCUS means Following One Course Until Successful. This simply means when you follow your heart and have decided a course, follow through it until you reach the level of success that you want. But be sure it is the level you're comfortable with. Success is pretty subjective. So don't judge your SUCCESS by other people's standards (it's not their life!), judge it by your standards. You alone know what makes you happy, what you love, what you enjoy.

Notes:

Company 1 – Pharmaceutical Sales and MarketingI delivered on a WOW Project there – I led the team that implemented the first ever sales productivity measurement system. I was the department mascot. I really became the brand here. Unfortunately, the company closed down.

Company 2 – Consumer Goods Retail SalesI delivered a WOW Project there too – I led the team that reinvented 200 sari-sari stores. We won as Best In Class Customer Team. Unfortunately, I was a third-party agent there and I was still grappling with a stupid mindset of mine because I felt like a second-class citizen. And so I left. I have come to grips with the reality of outsourcing now and why it is vital for businesses to adapt it. (I heard the account was closed after one year so my move was probably a good move.)

Company 3 – Banking/Credit CardsI delivered WOW Projects here and there. I was part of a management training program so I got to explore all facets of the business. I had an amazing time but after the training, they sort of forget us. And then a great deal drop by and so I took it.

Company 4 – Consumer Goods Sales and MarketingThey offered me a deal I cannot refuse. I got greedy. Then I didn't like how my boss wanted me to sell. It was like being trained to be a robot and an idiot. Can you imagine suggesting that we change our competitor's pricing on customer shelves? I sincerely believe we can only do our jobs well if our creativity is allowed to flourish. Growing any business is a personal affair. You cannot copy the step-by-step management style of other successful businessmen, you learn on the job! But I did grow the business 5x. A WOW Project. Left the company to join our business.

Company 5 – My Own Gig – Hardware + Writing/Book Publishing + Social Media MarketingThe jury is still out on this one.