Some thoughts on how to be extremely successful in the Job in ANY sector:
1) Education [Masters, PHD etc] is a mere springboard. No employer will keep you long just because you are highly educated.
2) Job is a simple byproduct of business. Those who do something which increases business is ultimatly valuable for the organization. One should contribute in below [either or both] to be highly successful:
a) To generate more sales, new deals
b) Do something to increase the bottomline - Get the job done by junior people[low salary], Find ways to increase the productivity etc.
3) Sales staff will always have a more say in the business decisons. All others like Finance, Delivery etc are mere support functions for the sales team. Successful execution enables sales team to negotiate better with the customer. All high flyers [aka Phanesh Murthy of INFY] in business usually originate from sales team in any sector. People from execution team has to travel a longer path to reach the op [yes, its true IN GENERAL!].
4) Among all the skills its the communication skills [written and verbal] which matters the most. In today's demanding business one gets a very small window with a customer to make a point and same with internal management too for internal issues. If one fails to articulate the issue in this small window then results are pathetic. This is where many intelligent people fail. Such people could be damn good in what they do but lack of articulation to business leaders does not make them look smart.
5) Networking matters the most, its the phone connection not e-mail connection which is important here. In middle/higher management layer, one is in the job not for one's domain skill alone but TO MAKE things moving in the system.
5) As one grows in the ladder, it's the strategic thinking is what diffrentiates from others. Ability to envision, articulate the strategy ad evenutually successfull execution of it is what all employers look for. BUT its very tough to do hence we have very few leaders in any organization.
6) Biggest tragedy of the life is that all those who are in job are more focussed on doing safer things than to take risky decisons. Our education system is very cerebral and teaches well defined patterns while business requires dealing with randomness which even many great mind failed to catch up.
Risky decisons are often rewarding but needs strong conviction. So better to search for the companies which provides such flexibility and do not punish leaders who take the risk.
7) Charecter matters a lot. In long run people tend to follow you if and only if you have the solutions for business problems and you are observed to trustworthy and honest. For example Mr. Premji has never seen indulging into printing Wipro Annual Calender with hot babes, Partying till late night with cronies till wee hours etc. It is said that for him money is essnetial but its the business success which inspires him him to do great things. He has a charcter and infectious energy which motivates others.
8) MOST IMPORTANT - Quoting the greatest of great investor Mr. Buffete here
a) It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.
b)
Main Theorem: When a management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.
Corollary: Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks :-))
Quit asap if you find yourself in the wrong sector.
Hope it helps...
Edited by manish_okhade - 01/Jun/2012 at 9:56am