| Around the world the market for skilled people, for | | | | As we are illustrating in this article, your most valuable |
| professionals, for generalists and specialists, is | | | | transferable skill may well be that of being willing to |
| increasing exponentially. Ironically, at the same time the | | | | continuously develop yourself. That aside, there are |
| market is demanding only specific skills, knowledge, | | | | other attributes that will be highly valuable. Whether |
| understanding, experience and qualifications, and these | | | | you are considering moving into another business |
| are often not the traditionally known ones. Remaining | | | | sector, or setting up your own business, then in the |
| marketable in such fast changing and demanding times | | | | process of carrying out the SWOT analysis, you |
| is now essential if an individual is to continue to be | | | | should add a category where you can list your current |
| successful in their work. It is not enough to have | | | | transferable skills. These are skills, experience, |
| traditional skill sets, nor rely on qualifications which have | | | | qualifications, knowledge, that you already possess and |
| been superseded by more modern versions or | | | | which will be valuable in your new work situation. |
| completely replaced. To remain marketable it is | | | | These attributes can range through the hard to the |
| essential to continuously, appropriately, and visibly, | | | | soft, and can include contacts, experiences, specialist |
| update your qualifications, skills, knowledge, and | | | | expertise, passion for certain type of work, |
| understanding. Additionally, in many business sectors | | | | qualifications, internet skills, foreign languages, and so |
| you will need to demonstrate that your experiences | | | | on. |
| are also current, varied, and relevant. | | | | After you have completed the analysis of your |
| Successful providers of goods or services adopt what | | | | targeted markets, and of your current skills, the next |
| is known as the Marketing Concept. This, in essence, is | | | | step is to draw up a development action plan that will |
| the producing or selling organisation focusing primarily | | | | fill identified gaps, enhance strengths, reduce or |
| on identifying the needs and wants of the customer, | | | | eliminate weaknesses, prepare you to take advantage |
| rather than the operational capabilities of the | | | | of opportunities and equip you with the means to |
| organisation. This customer driven approach ensures | | | | defend against threats. Preparing a personal |
| that the organisation is aware of current and likely | | | | professional development plan is a major task and |
| future customer needs and enables it to provide | | | | should not be taken lightly. Advice and guidance should |
| products that it knows certain customers will | | | | be obtained from appropriate sources, even if this is |
| purchase. Of course, other factors, such as | | | | simply to research current best practice, by using the |
| competitor activity and background changes in the | | | | internet and-or textbooks. Your plan should be |
| marketplace, are very important, and will be factored in | | | | designed to develop yourself in a way which results in |
| to the strategies. It is this approach that must be taken | | | | your profile matching that of the target markets. It is |
| by the individual seeking to be successful in their | | | | unlikely that you will achieve a complete match in a |
| careers. | | | | short space of time, but you must start the journey |
| To remain marketable, to be successful in finding new | | | | with that in mind. Considerable help is available, from |
| opportunities, to make good progress in whatever field | | | | professional associations, sector specific educational |
| you have chosen, you will need to adopt the marketing | | | | qualification providers, private business schools, public |
| concept to yourself. This means researching what | | | | colleges and universities, and can be studied in distance |
| your customers or clients want. If you are intent on | | | | learning, classroom, or on the job formats. Some |
| staying within your current organisation, you must | | | | development areas are widely useful, such as courses |
| research and establish what are their current, but more | | | | in general business and management, quality |
| importantly, future people needs, what skills, experience, | | | | management, project management, and marketing, |
| expertise, qualifications, are they seeking from their key | | | | whilst other subjects can be highly useful if identified as |
| people. To highlight the importance of this, consider | | | | a specific need, such as risk management, event |
| what an external applicant, applying for a post in your | | | | management, financial awareness, strategic planning, |
| organisation, would do. Correct, research and present | | | | and customer relationships. There are, of course, many |
| themselves in a way which matches the needs of the | | | | more that could be essential development areas. |
| organisation as closely as possible. If you are planning | | | | In addition to the necessary personal development |
| to change organisations, or sectors, or to set up a | | | | activity, there are other avenues that should be |
| business, the same applies, you must identify the | | | | explored. These include: networking, which is seen in |
| current and future needs of your chosen target. If you | | | | some sectors as a valuable marketing tool for |
| do not, then it is highly likely that your profile will not | | | | employed and for self-employed people; building a |
| meet their needs. | | | | presence by publishing articles, in relevant journals or |
| This is the most essential first step. You will need to | | | | internet directories or publishing a weblog, or even |
| consider which markets you are targeting, which | | | | writing and publishing a book on your business |
| customers. In other words, which business sectors and | | | | specialism; taking on public speaking; joining and |
| which organisations, or which clients and customers if | | | | participating in local branches of professional |
| you are setting up a business. This is not an easy task | | | | associations. These are but a few of the many ways |
| but it is critical that you do this well. If you are planning | | | | of promoting yourself, which can be explored in more |
| to remain employed then much information is readily | | | | depth through research on the internet. |
| available, directly from organisations and from business | | | | The message here is very simple. You must take |
| sector trade organisations, indirectly from sector | | | | action. Whatever your marketplace it will be highly |
| reports, educational research, educational institutions | | | | competitive and highly demanding. You will need to be |
| who provide sector or profession specific courses, | | | | actively managing your participation, your |
| educational departments of professional associations, | | | | self-marketing, in order to be amongst the successful |
| marketing companies, government departments. The | | | | participants. |
| danger is that many of these information providers | | | | There are some common pitfalls that can damage the |
| may themselves not be up to date with the latest | | | | process. The main danger areas are: Allowing current |
| developments and trends, so you will need to | | | | workload to prevent you from taking the action |
| cross-check most information. If you are planning to | | | | described here. You will almost certainly never be less |
| set up a business, then you will need to carry out | | | | busy, it's the way of the modern business world that |
| market research on your potential customers or clients. | | | | the amount and the pace of change is continuously |
| Armed with information on the current and forecast | | | | increasing, and this translates into workload; You are |
| condition and the current and future people or services | | | | tempted to focus on technical, operational skills, rather |
| needs, of your target markets, you can then move on | | | | than broader, more conceptual skills, such as |
| to the next step. | | | | interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, or strategic |
| The essential second step is to carry out an analysis | | | | approaches; You become committed to a position |
| of your current skills, experience, qualifications, and | | | | because it was easy to obtain. If this happens it is |
| ongoing development activities. The best and most | | | | unlikely that the attraction of the post will last; You limit |
| simple tool to do this with is the SWOT analysis: | | | | your opportunities by trying to match your existing skills |
| identifying your strengths and weaknesses and then | | | | with opportunities; You limit your opportunities by |
| the opportunities available to you and the threats that | | | | carrying out little or insufficient research; You limit your |
| face you. You can do this alone, but it is much better | | | | opportunities by not looking beyond your current |
| to seek help from others, such as a coach, mentor, | | | | business sector; You procrastinate and don't take |
| human resource specialist, line manager, or friend who | | | | action. All of these are fatal mistakes. You must avoid |
| can give advice and support objectively. When you | | | | them and take positive, realistic action, now. |
| have identified your strengths consider how these can | | | | Making yourself more marketable, more attractive, |
| be enhanced. When you have identified your | | | | more credible, more interesting, is an essential skill in |
| weakness (in relation to your target customer's needs) | | | | today's highly competitive, complex, and fast-changing |
| you should plan how to reduce or eliminate them. In | | | | business world. The need to show evidence of |
| both areas, this will probably mean taking on personal | | | | continuous personal and professional development is |
| and-or professional development activities, which we | | | | no longer expected of the few, or in certain |
| will discuss below. Opportunities will need to be | | | | professions only. It is now mandatory in all business |
| assessed in two stages: firstly those available to you | | | | sectors, and in all organisations, be they private or |
| now, given your current profile, and secondly those | | | | public, commercial or non-profit making. The most |
| that will be available to you after you have made | | | | successful individuals embrace this requirement and |
| yourself more marketable, by enhancing your strengths | | | | add it to the range of skills that they equip themselves |
| and taking positive action to eliminate or reduce your | | | | with, and then develop it with passion and commitment. |
| weaknesses. Threats are also best assessed in two | | | | To make yourself more marketable you have to take |
| stages: firstly those currently facing you, and secondly | | | | that task very seriously, and commit appropriate effort |
| those that are likely to arise in the future. As you can | | | | and energy to it. If you can also add passion for |
| see, identifying your current attributes is a major task, | | | | continuous development and learning, the rewards will |
| but one that is highly valuable and essential if you are | | | | be considerable. |
| to move forward successfully. | | | | |