Our society is in a state of constant change and so is our career, which affects our personal life. Each of us must always be ready and willing to open one door as we close another. If today we are employed, tomorrow we may be downsized; or perhaps, we come to realise we are decidedly the wrong fit in our current position and are considering making a change. If we are dissatisfied in any way, the good news is that if we have the courage and dedication to open the doors and if we educate ourselves about the true dynamics of the employee-employer relationship, we can dramatically manage them in our favour to transform a currently unacceptable situation into a welcome opportunity for career advancement.
Is it possible to reach the position of our dreams without competing? Dr Barro puts forward a very compelling approach to attain personal success and satisfaction not only in one'sjob but also in life. She rightly begins by pointing out the truth that our culture has taught us to believe that we invariably tend to ask the comparison questions: Which is the best car? Who is you best friend in college? Whom do you like best? The problem with this approach is that it presumes that there is only a single and identifiable ?best?, when in fact the ?best? is utterly dependent on related criteria: Best for whom? Best for achieving which goal? Best for how long?
Dr Barro, a career coach and search-and-placement consultant, shows how to ask a completely different question ? a question which is radical and life-changing, yet at the same time wonderfully straightforward. Her fundamental question is founded on standards or criteria and utterly focused on finding what she calls ?right fit?. The employer should not concern himself with which position is ?best? for a candidate or which candidate is ?best? for a particular employer. The author says that for career success, the employer'ssole concern should be to find an exquisite fit between the two, ?like the interlocking pieces of a puzzle?.
In the right-fit method, when comparison is eliminated, competition against others gets eliminated and helps in achieving our goals every time. In the right-fit method, we forget about the ?best? and focus instead on finding the perfect match. It is a compelling professional identity we present to the employer with whom we are carefully determined to work and in doing so, we learn how to move our career and our life forward in dramatic new ways. Instead of focusing on our competitors, we learn to focus on ourselves. We learn how to implement the right-fix method to set a standard against which no one can compete.
In the new millennium, we are no longer bound by the methods and practices of the past, particularly when fresh strategies can replace the dog-eat-dog approach to hiring and career management and when sane, civilised and successful new systems offer such a welcome alternative.
The book is divided into four major parts:
* Setting the stage (warming up)
* How the right-fit method works (nuts and bolts)
* Applying the right-fit method (let'sdo it)
* The right-fit method and you
The first three acts focus on our professional life and the fourth on our personal life. A total balance between our professional life in relating to our personal life finally finds the roadmap to happiness while leaving all stress behind.
When a prospective employee goes out in search of a job, the author says it is critical for the consultant to find the core identity of the job-seeker ? what are her professional competencies, personality and goals with which the prospective employee defines herself and creates her career path. Does she decide to pursue the career in real-estate law that her educational qualifications have prepared her for? Would a career in another area of law suit her better? Does she want to work for herself, rather than a large firm? With this core identity method the consultant is able to suggest the right sort of job for her.
The next step is to create a ?roadmap? that will lead her towards the successful implementation of her balanced core identity ? branding herself as one who is schooled in both law and business. Once the opportunity which, on its surface at least, seems attractive and just right, has been identified, a blueprint of the stated specifications for the advertised position is developed.
The next step is to ?package to pitch?, that is, the prospective job-seeker has to be polished to get enough insight, eloquence and self-confidence and when this is accomplished, the candidate is ready for her interview.
This is a subject-specific book not meant for all readers.
(Macmillan India Ltd, 2/10 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110 002.)
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