Every time we talk about job market, crossing with qualification, one of the first references that come to our minds used to be competitiveness. Nowadays, facing a dynamic reality in which changes outdistance each other and are often raised and abandoned at the same time or adopted with breathtaking speed – staying competitive is something that demands not only sharp strategy, but creativity, continuous effort and the ability to keep yourself connected to market trends in order to understand in the twinkling of an eye (at the click of a mouse speed – to translate it into a modern parlace) what are the expectations from the companies – what means from the market itself represented by the professionals doing their businesses in given economical sectors on a daily basis.
Competitiveness is something natural and inevitable that since always has been contributing in a positive manner to the market. On the one hand being competitive fosters professional development letting business practitioners be constantly aware of the latest best practices that are in the game and also giving them the huge head start in supplying the demands of work. On the other hand, competitiveness (in other terms market competition) fertilizes global process of keeping business running and creating new market niches (not to mention cutting-edge technologies), naturally and by consequence, recruiting these growing in numbers and well oriented professionals to fulfill emerging vacancies.
In the old times probably a typing course and some good referral could be enough to grant a very positive perspective to start a new career in some company but how it would be to present yourself for a job interview this way, today?
Focus & Assiduity vs Supply & Demand
Way more than the disposition to find a good job, a professional willing to come to the fore on the job market requires today to be held on focus, capacitation and determination to develop a good curriculum reconciling theoretical knowledge allied with practical experience.
To build a winning a favor of the head hunters curriculum demands focus within assiduity. Shape it not only by gathering practical experience from casual jobs but also by investing precious time in a wide range of studies from university degree to post-graduation, technical specializations, certifications, free courses and a long list of offers available.
The other thing is supply and demand curve helping to better manage expectations on ever-changing job offering market – since very often, the math of lots of professionals available divided by fewer job opportunities usually leads to lower salary offers and a very strong competition scenario.
Successfully manage this reality in long term perspective is something crucial in the process of building a career – having sometimes financial loss in one side, but earning professional value on other anyway. Therefore, balance is possible – but only if the professional keeps the radar on and remains resilient to keep working and seeking for a new know-how. Not falling behind is no longer a matter of “maintenance“ (learning how to operate a new tool at work for example), but necessitates to be genuinely committed to expand circles in its ways-of-working and being ready for the constant changes.
According to SEBRAE (Brazilian Entity to support Companies), approximately 1.4 million new jobs were created in 2017, in which 55% of these lead by small businesses (<100 employees) and the remaining by middle (<500 employees) and big (more than 500 employees) companies. Looking on the first job offers creation, statistics shows that 7 out of 10 new employees is less than 24 years old and comes fully loaded of expectations for joining the job market and develop their careers sooner, eager to do it as fast as possible. Most of these students come from technical schools (in short, with some business or technical background already in place) doing their studies in parallel and in their spare time improvement courses looking for personal and professional development.
The number of people seeking for a higher degree is something which reflects how competitiveness influences everyone in pursuit of excellence and differentials. From 2006 to 2016, according to INEP (National Institute of Educational Research in Brazil), people looking for professional upgrade increased by 63% and since then, it has been linearly growing 5 to 10% per year – forming every year about 1.1 million new qualified professionals in the most variable fields of study.
Fig. 1. Higher Degree subscription rate from 2006-2016
Source: CAGED-BRAZIL (2017)
Remember that typing machine course as a differential in the past? Just forget about sitting and waiting. You are now officially responsible for your own success and shaping your career.
The old good Darwin wins
It becomes evident that the most sought-after professional challenge himself with different scenarios, learn new technologies and keep his eagle eye on trends that endlessly renew itself. Professional adaptation and constant evolution: more Darwinian, impossible.
But being employed and and being granted a diploma degree is enough? Earning a lot of certifications does not necessarily validates someone as a Subject Matter Expert. The same applies to someone working for decades in a single area what does not elect him necessarily as the new Jedi on that given area.
Agile matters more than ever
In the beginnings of PMI foundation (1969) if someone would have raised the hand and suggested a model as we have in Agile-based frameworks (performing iterative deliveries instead of being focused on the scope and uptight timeline like in waterfall method), probably the whole concept would be discarded immediately.
Fig. 2. Comparison between Project Management methodologies Waterfall (traditional) versus Agile
Source: Segue Technologies
Today we have dynamic project environment with frequent changes in scope and fast evolving technologies being involved – a background that fuels Agile development and adoption on a fedback loop basis.
Never let it be said that there is no room to experiment new management approaches and hybrid techniques which are being more and more tailored according to local habits, transregional tastes or global demands.
In this context competitiveness which I would like to rename now as reinventiveness represents an important factor to foster and renew far-reaching perspectives and let’s hope entail unknown promissing implications. Here is my personal message: Stay optimistic and set our goals high!
And the last but not least: Stay Agile or you will be left behind!
Trilingual Senior Project Manager for Business and Technology with 13 years experience leading strategic Global projects in Private and Public Companies of Services (Banking and Education), Chemical (Dermocosmetics and Sanitary) and Industrial (Technology, Food and Automotive Parts) for Multinational Companies such like HSBC, Dell, Pearson, IBM, Unilever, Goodyear and more. Academic background presents a Higher Degree in Communication and post-graduations in MBA in Project Management, MBA in Business Strategy and Management and also MBA in Marketing plus CSM, SFC, SFPC and DEPC Certifications. Brazilian by Heart and a World citizen, undertakes to manage projects with Excellence to turn life better through Good Practices, Harmony and Good & Assertive communication suitable for all. His Mission in Life is to build a good Legacy to the World.