CAREER SUCCESS
There is a prevailing mind set out there, that sees life as a very complex and difficult adventure…………however, the introduction of principles simplifies life.
Understanding life’s principles makes a principality out of a man and that is why these particular Principles are focused on making you the “MOST WANTED” in your career.
By reason of these life-long proven principles of career success which will be delivered to you, you will see the other side of it………..THAT IT IS EASY……..you can make it irrespective of the present state of your career or the economy.
It is pertinent that some terminologies be defined explicitly as they would re-occur several times.
The terminologies to be defined include:
• Career,
• Success, and
• Career Success.
CAREER.
What does it mean to you to have a career? Is it just your job? Is it something you do to make a living? Is it what you do for money? Is it your work?
A career is a long-term pattern of work, usually across multiple jobs.
A career implies professional development to build skill over a period of time, where one moves from novice to expert within a particular field.
It can defined as a job or profession especially one with opportunity and process.
However, I would argue that a career must be consciously chosen…….even with an exertion of influence from others, you must still ultimately choose to become a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant.
If a conscious choice was not OR has not been made at some point, I would then say you have a job but not a career.
……..though there might be a few exceptions.
SUCCESS
Various definitions of success exists based on differing perceptions by the definers…….
……….however, all the different definitions of success has two things in common “accomplishment” and “fulfillment”.
True success must be portable and this means that it can be reproduced irrespective of where the individual is.
This goes to establish the fact that …….success must be a PRODUCT of who YOU ARE and the INVESTMENT YOU have made in YOURSELF.
 Good success is one that lasts because it is built on principles, which are portable.
 It is not one sided as both parties enjoy the dividends.
 It does not compromise value and your faith for material benefits or gain.
 It includes the prosperity of your soul.
 It affects your environment and the people around you.
CAREER SUCCESS
This is a little bit challenging to define, because if you are “succeeding” in your career at the expense of family, health, relationships etc, then there is a problem.
Career success is much more than finding a job and not being fired. You are actually successful in your career when it is being felt positively in every area of your life.
True career success combines skills, motivation, determination and personality to create a livelihood that is fulfilling as well as financially rewarding.
Importance/ Benefits
There are 3 fundamental benefits of a successful career and these are:
 Financial reward
 Fulfillment
 Relevance

The Principles/ Secrets
These are referred to as a “secrets” because if it was available everywhere and to everyone, then everybody should be successful in their respective careers….however, this is not so.
The understanding and uninterrupted practice of these principles will produce success. Remember that just knowing it will not produce the desired result but consistent practice will……
THE PRINCIPLE OF VISION (Defining a career path).
Having a mental picture of your actual future is a major requirement for success in every area of life, and this is vision.
Vision can be defined as the ability to see the preferred future….to answer the question, “What sort of career do you want to do?”
You need to write out a plan, mapping out logical steps from where you are now, to where you expect to be in the future. This ensures that your present predicament does not rob you of your future splendor.
Another importance of early discovery is that, it narrows your resources on specific areas. Thus time is not wasted on things that are not necessary
Lack of vision is one of the monsters that have produced frustration in the career path of many.
The presence of vision (predetermined career path) creates courage, confidence, and drive and builds strong self esteem… it is actually the mother of all big establishments.
The following questions will help narrow down your vision:
THE PRINCIPLE OF PREPARATION.
Preparation entails deliberate investment made on yourself to enhance your performance, productivity, skill, personal worth and relevance with respect to pursuing a successful career.
You need to sit down, search for and learn relevant information that will empower your skill and personal productivity, attend trainings & seminars, set goals for yourself, write professional exams relevant to your career, and further your education when necessary.
….this is a life time process because the day you stop learning you start losing your relevance.
THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTORSHIP.
This is another very fundamental principle in building a successful career.
There is no achievement you aspire to accomplish which nobody has done before…. therefore, it is imperative that you find someone who has already done exactly what you want to do (or something similar) and model yours after his.
Three (3) attributes to look out for in a mentor:
 Longevity
 Productivity
 Integrity
THE PRINCIPLE OF ATTITUDE (Developing The Right Attitude Towards Work).
Attitude is really about how a person is that over flows into how he acts. Your attitude towards work determines how you will respond to work and your response determines the result you will get from it!
Most times the difference between success and failure is attitude not even competence.
The right attitude towards work is to see it as a privilege and medium to express your God-given potentials and tenets
THE PRINCIPLE OF ATTITUDE (Developing the Right Attitude towards Work).
Some wrong attitudes people have include:
 Work seen as punishment
 Making excuses
 Lateness to work/appointment
 Procrastination
 Avoiding responsibility
 Rebellion
 Hardware is an old language
 Putting gains before relationship
 Laziness

THE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIONSHIPS (Developing Effective Personal and Interpersonal Relationship Skills).
Someone once said that no matter how you see it “in the corporate world, loyalty is more powerful than competence”.
Since you will see yourself working in teams, it is imperative to learn how to build collaborative relationships that emphasize trust and respect. Learn to listen and foster cross-cultural understanding in your workplace.
Your ability to mange the relationships that come your way, determines the level of influence you will have as “nobody wants to know how much you know until they know how much you care”
Many people believe that they cannot influence others unless they are in-charge, this perception is totally wrong….the concept of leading from the middle makes it possible.
This concept categorizes people that come your way into 3 groups (1. those above you, 2. your mates and 3. your subordinates) and it teaches you how to manage and influence each of these groups.
The concept of contribution is another powerful concept which can be used to manage and influence people even in your work place. It teaches to always be on the giving side.
THE PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION (Developing Effective Communication Skills -Written & Spoken)).
This is very important because this is one of the skills that help you express and sell yourself, especially if you must stay at the top.
10 Tactics for Career Management
1. TAKE YOUR CAREER TEMPERATURE.
In order to consistently maintain consistent drive, the following are the thermometer that can be used to check your career temperature:
 Have you developed any new skills of in the last 3 months?
 Are you willing to step outside your comfort zone, take a lateral move in your company and a new part of the business?
 Have you become a real problem solver?
 Have you saved your company money lately?
 Can you or have you discovered an unmet need in your company and volunteered to fill it?
 Do you know what your colleagues and customers think of you?
 Are you aware of who your major competitors are and how they’re doing?
Are you developing your project management skills?
2. DEVELOP A TWO-YEAR CAREER PLAN IN LINE WITH YOUR CAREER VISION.
 Identify your next career steps.
 Write down your goals and objectives to clarify it.
 Make it flexible enough to adapt to today’s economic reality.
 Consider getting all necessary equipment needed to achieve it.
 Identify the possible obstacles and prepare for it.
3. DEVISE A PLAN B
 Have a backup plan in case of job loss.
 Start saving money you would use for investment
 Spread your tentacles and maintain your network of friends.
 If possible, set up a business that can be operated independently
4. BUILD YOUR “PERSONAL BRAND.
Personal branding identifies your strengths, skills, expertise, management style and unique characteristics. Package this into a powerful identity thus distinguishing you from every other person.
Remember your relevance in the marketplace is a function of uniqueness and contribution. The core of your personal brand is based on your authenticity.
Your personal brand influences how people perceive you, engenders trust and attracts promotion in your career. It serves as a foundation of becoming a successful and effective free agent.
5. BUILD AND NURTURE A STRONG EFFECTIVE NETWORK OF FRIENDS AND PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS COLLEAGUES.
 Make a list of names and keep contact information current.
 Keep it simple.
 Contact each at least once a month
In your network, give freely of yourself, especially to those who are in a tough spot. It will come back to you in spades when you’re in a similar position.
6. FIGURE OUT THE INFORMAL POWER BASE IN YOUR COMPANY.
Make every effort to know and build solid relationships with the people who use their informal power – i.e. the executive assistant, human resource personnel, finance staff etc. – and those who have been in the company for a long time.
7. IDENTIFY EXPERTS IN YOUR INDUSTRY AND TRY TO GET TO KNOW THEM.
 Create ways to meet them.
 Volunteer to participate in one of their more challenging projects.
 Study the work they have done.
 Learn to compliment them.
 Find out which professional organization these experts belong to and join if possible.
8. DETERMINE THE MOST PRESTIGOUS PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATION IN YOUR INDUSTRY AND JOIN.
 Review the admission requirement.
 If you can’t afford to join, go to your boss and make a case for your membership.
 Explain how it can help the entire team if you participate in the organization.
 Offer to share what you’ve learned with your teammates.
9. COMPOSE A TWO-MINTUE COMMERCIAL ON YOURSELF.
 Who you are.
 What your objective is.
 What you can do. Your work history, successes, professional strengths, skill and unique characteristics.
 Compose and rehearse it until you are blue in the face, especially if you are looking for a new position.
 Be prepared to share it with anyone at anytime……it’s a great way to market yourself.
10. CONSTRUCT A CUTTING-EDGE RESUME AND KEEP IT CURRENT.
 Quantify your accomplishments using a number….Naira amount.
 Cite examples of how you saved the company money…or added value to the organization.
 Stress your problem-solving ability because this reveals worth/ value.
 Update the resume with your accomplishments every few months.
The 4th Dimension Thing.
This might sound religious but it can give you 80% of the result that you need to become successful in your career, because it practically makes God a major player in your career pursuit.
 Just like tax is paid to the government, God expects you to pay a particular percentage of your income to him -10%.
 The first fruit… all about giving God your first income for any new job, new business, new year, after a promotion. This gives you divine backing to consolidate that new thing that has come your way.
 Other spiritual principles that guarantees speed in your career pursuit are:
 Principle of Prayer
 Principle of Integrity
 Principle of faith
 Principle of service.

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