How to start a Successful Career

What we mean “Career”?

By “Career” we mean the ongoing and

evolutionary path of an employee in the

professional field and the labor market

Preparation

1. Identify your qualifications: In

which field(s) you are

distinguished?

To effectively design your studies and your

career path, we advise you to try and find out

what you are good to

or what you could learn to do.

2. Choose the appropriate occupation (for now…)

Preparation – Identify your qualifications

Transferable competencies (Generic skills, employability skills, enterprise skills, course skills, key skills,

self-reliance skills) usually are:

problem solving

learning ability

flexibility

communication skill

old formula = the degree

«new» formula = degree + transferable competencies + experience

Successful Career Path Formula

Eleonora Karassavidou, Deputy Professor Economics Sector of Aristotle University Thessaloniki

future formula = «new» formula + career management competencies

...and therefore

subject to

personal will

and choice!

Degree: Enforces or discourages?

Below the degree choices of

some of the most known CEOs:

There are no degree choices to guaranty success!!!

Michael Eisner - Walt Disney, CEO

Michael Dell - Dell Computers, Ιδρσηής & CEO

Carly Fiorina - Hewlett Packard, CEO (former)

Literature and Theatre

Biology

Medieval History

«Only 15% of USA CEOs studied Business Administration…»

USA Today, Adrienne Lewis - Career Resource Center

I should be careful about selecting my profession,

since I will do that for the rest of my life

Usual Delusions for the Successful Career Path

Careerscope, Norman Amundson, Gray R. Poehnell, Mark Pattern

RIGHT OR WRONG

Commitment for ever: In the past, many people used to choose a job

and remained in this for the rest of their life. Most probably, you will

change many jobs/companies during you professional life.

Your beliefs on career path will affect you during the process of discovering who

you are and what you are able to do.

I have to find the right job to be happy

RIGHT OR WRONG

Complete satisfaction: People usually expect to find satisfaction through their job.

Even if satisfaction deriving from the job is something we should always pursue,

job is only one of the factors which offers happiness. You can live a happy life

even if your job is not perfect.

Usual Delusions for the Successful Career Path

Πηγή: Careerscope, Norman Amundson, Gray R. Poehnell, Mark Pattern

To manage and find a job in a large, credible company,

this is a guarantee for the rest of my life.

RIGHT OR WRONG

Guaranteed Future: In the past, the appropriate educational background used

to result to a safe job opportunity. This does not apply today. You can do

assumptions for eventual opportunities, but there will always be

uncertainness! Try to pursue the type of studies and job that reflect better

your personality and the current job opportunities.

Usual Delusions for the Successful Career Path

Careerscope, Norman Amundson, Gray R. Poehnell, Mark Pattern

Εmployers examine only educational background

and professional experience when they hire

RIGHT OR WRONG

Old formula = the degree

Future formula = «new» formula + career management skills

«new» formula = degree + transferable competencies + experience

Usual Delusions for the Successful Career Path

Source: Careerscope, Norman Amundson, Gray R. Poehnell, Mark Pattern

The best way to start looking for a job, is to send a lot of Curriculum.

RIGHT OR WRONG

Curriculum is a basic tool to search for a job, even though sending curriculum

to every single company, is not the most efficient way of job searching any

more.

Usual Delusions for the Successful Career Path

Πηγή: Careerscope, Norman Amundson, Gray R. Poehnell, Mark Pattern

There is no need to dedicate much time and effort to set my professional goals

RIGHT OR WRONG

There are no “easy victories”. To accomplish your dreams, you might have to

put effort into activities that could seem boring or time consuming, such as

personal evaluation, companies research, etc.

Usual Delusions for the Successful Career Path

Careerscope, Norman Amundson, Gray R. Poehnell, Mark Pattern

What should I do?

• Choose:

what I possibly like to do?

does it fit to my knowledge and my personality?

Preparation – Choose the Appropriate Job

Lee Iacocca : (former) Chairman of Chrysler Corporation

Famous for : Turning around the troubled American car manufacturer Chrysler

Corporation and being a respected business leader.

What is it that you like

doing? If you don’t like it,

get out of it, because

you’ll be lousy at it. You

don’t have to stay with a

job for the rest of your life,

because if you don’t like it

you’ll never be successful

in it.

Every profession demands a specific

combination of characteristics. Employees who

are satisfied and happy, usually have this set of

characteristics.

What should I do?

•Find adequate information

Are there any relevant job postings and of what kind? (qualifications, etc)

Different business sectors and their job opportunities

Which are the companies which are considered the in their sector best to

seek a career path?

• Become aware of the competitive advantages

Preparation– Choose the Appropriate Job

Company vs Personal

Culture, vision and values

Preparation– Choose the Appropriate Job

Therefore, it is important to have your values identified when you design

your career path and wonder what you really want in your career.

Company culture refer to a sense of collective identity of the company ,

created by a system of common values and beliefs. Such a system

shapes certain patterns of behavior which drive individual activities.

Values refer to beliefs and feelings which drive individual actions. They express

what really counts. Even if you might not have realized it, your most critical

decisions, including the selection of your job, are usually basically on your values.

Set your professional

goals and design the

strategy of your goals

achievement

Learn how to live with

constant changes and

uncertainness

Continuously improve your

competencies, know-how and way

of thinking

Act and be always informed and trained on

issues affecting your career

Try to approach

companies that can

provide you training and

development

Do not content yourself! Take

your “Career” in your hands!

Acting

Be aware of the

technological

evolutions

Acting

1. Set your professional goals and design the strategy of your goals achievement

You goals should be realistic and

ambitious

They should be re-examined on

a yearly basis

In this way you will be better adapted

to the dynamic conditions of the market

2. Learn how to live with constant changes and uncertainness

Acting

E-business is expected to change the companies’

existing organization and function

Consequently each new candidate should feel

“comfortable” with the modern technologies

In the contemporary world of business, there is no stability

or certainty (amortizations, mergers etc). Continuous

mergers lead to new dynamic opportunities.

3. Continuously improve your competencies, know-how and update your

way of thinking according to what the companies ask today

Action

The most valuable competencies today are:

• Communication

• Integrity

• Team-working

• Interpersonal skills

• Initiative

• Ethic principles

• Analytical skills

• Ευελιξία

• P/C skills

• Organizational skills

National Association of Colleges & Employers, Job Outlook 2006

Have I developed the above competencies in an

adequate level?

4 & 5. Act and be always informed and trained on issues affecting your

career. Be on top of the technological evolutions

Action

Be informed

On the evolutions of your area of expertise

On the evolutions of the business environment in general

Full time job is expected to be reduced seriously

High technology companies are key leaders in the market

6. Try to approach and choose companies that can offer you an interesting

job as well as training and development, even if they do not offer the

required compensation

Action

According to a research in which over half million of employees in 300 companies participated, the

top ten reasons people remain in the companies are:

1. Professional growth, learning and development

2. Job that offers enthusiasm and challenge

3. “Substantial” job, offering the sense of difference and conrinution

4. Collaboration with interesting people

5. Sense of team playing

6. Good relations with the superiors

7. Recognition of results

8. Autonomy, sense of control

9. Flexibility in the working schedule and dress code

10. Fair compensation and benefits

Πηγή: Έρευνα Hay Group, 1999

Action

The main objective of the first (and next) job research should be a position

which offers:

Commercial

Competitiveness

Competitive

Advantage

Better position/

Better company

Better remuneration

package

Continuous learning

Professional

Growth

Know-How

Do not content yourself! Take your “Career” in your hands!

Action

Continuous changes in the wider business, economical and social environment as

well as the strong competition between μεταξύ executives, make career path

design and implementation more difficult…

Therefore, candidates who are continuously alert, focused on their

professional goals and willing to gain and retain competitive advantage will

do well

Do not content yourself! Take your Career in your hands!

Εκηέλεζη

Walter Chrysler : Chrysler Corporation Founder

Famous for : Being the founder of the Chrysler Corporation

I feel sorry for the

person who can't get

genuinely excited about

his work. Not only will he

never be satisfied, but

he will never achieve

anything worthwhile.

Getting a Competitive Advantage

Mobility

The availability of one employee to be transferred within Greece or abroad offers

more chances for quicker development with mutual benefits for both parties

The employee gains:

Know-how

Experience

Professional Recognition

Future Development

Networking

Financial benefits

The company gains:

spread its culture, values, systems and procedures

teach know-how to the new colleagues

become more flexible as far as the decision making is concerned

Invests in business

Invests in mobility personnel

Has the chance to keep and develop High flyers

Career atWIND

An example from the Commercial sector:

Hired in 1997

Until 1999 – Sales Net, Support Coordinator

1999-2000 Retail Area Manager

2000-2002 Field Sales Director

2002-2005 Telestet Centers Director

2005 -2007: WIND Stores Director

From November 2007 until 2009: Sales

Executive Director

From 2009 until today

Sales & Customer Service Mobile Executive

Director

Mr. Vaios Karantinos

Καριέρα ζηη WIND

Αn example from the technical area:

Hired in 1995

Until 2000 – Transmission Support Manager

2000-2002 Radio & Transmission Sen. Mgr.

2002-2005 O&M Central Greece Director

2005-2006 Core & VAS Operations Director

From March 2006 until today:

Network Operations & Maintenance

Executive Director

Mr. Michalis Sioros

Always remember:

You are the most suitable person to evaluate you career challenges.

Learn how to trust yourself!

You are the only one who will live with the consequence of your choices.