Choosing & Building The Right & Successful Career

Elikem Nutifafa KuenyehiaCorporate Lawyer & Management

ConsultantAdjunct Lecturer, GIMPA

Objectives of this session

• To assist you in making decisions about career choices

• Give you confidence to make those decisions

• Convince you that its OK if you don’t have an answer now.

• Give you an opportunity to ask questions

My Agenda

• Housekeeping & Preliminaries • Putting It In Perspective• Setting the Context• Choosing…..• A Personal Journey• About You• …..A Bit About Building• A Plan to make it happen

Housekeeping & Preliminaries

• 45 minutes?• Can’t exhaust topic…• …..Rather provoke thought• Interactive…..• …..BUT ONE conversation only• Ask….No Question is dumb

Quiz

• Where do most people aged between 26 and 55 spend the most time?

• AT WORK!!!!!!

Putting It In Perspective

• It is a jungle out there• Not enough put in career development• “Figuring out” some of the Questions gives

you an edge• Saves a lot of heartache later

Trends in University Enrolment (1994-2003)

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6000019

94/9

5

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Getting On One Page

• Choosing vs. Building• Right Career vs. Successful Career• Career vs. Job

Choosing

Factors influencing Choice

• Ability• Money/Perks• Status• Challenge• Location/Travel• Family• Desire to serve• Personal Development Potential

Factors influencing Choice

• Job Security• Competition• Opportunity• (Apparent) Lack of Options

Choice Implies Options

• Best time to be Ghanaian?• New opportunities & Career Options• Employers Market?

Is there a right career?

Different Strokes For Different Folk

A Personal Journey

• Pilot, Entrepreneur, Doctor, • Below Average student. But Science?• Being blown along• Eureka….and Standing up• Falling in love• Success?• Law. Not Law. Then Law Again• But when I grow up?

So?.........• Corporate Lawyer• Management Consultant • Lecturer in Entrepreneurship @ GIMPA• Entrepreneur & Investor• Awarded Millennium Excellence/Newmont Ghana ‘Young

Professional of the Year 2006”• Co-author, Fortcoming book on entreperneurship• Non-Executive Director – Metropolitan Insurance, Chase

Petroleum, CreativeHub,• Advisory Board – SYOBL,PaceSetters • Mentor – Google Begin Believe Become

So?.........

• Confused?

• Should I have been a doctor instead?

• What do YOU think?

My Golden Rules

• It is YOUR DECISION• Without Passion don’t even think of it• Play to your strengths• Excellence Must Come As Standard

– Be the best that you can be. At WHATEVER you decide to do.

• There isn’t a ‘correct or right’ way• It’s a journey. Not a race……• ……AND its OK to change your mind

Typical Story? Or Just Plain Mad?

• More Typical than Mad• 1960 : 6 companies over working life• Today : Over 10 companies over working

life• Tomorrow?

Tomorrow?

• A young person entering the workforce in 2000…has almost no chance of working for the same company even a decade hence. – Peter Drucker

• Tomorrow’s typical career will be neither linear nor continous, nor will it always be upwards. Instead, one’s life will take more of a zig-zag course – Tom Horton

YOU?

About You• Understand your strengths & Play to them• Determine your weaknesses• Figure out your interests & passions

– Extra-curricular activities give clue– Passions, Interests, Causes– Past experiences

About You• Ask yourself some key questions• What are my strengths?• What are my weaknesses?• How do I perform? • How do I like to work?• What are my values?• What do I like/dislike?• Where do I belong?• What is important to me?• What motivates me?

The Long Range Plan

• Preparation should start long in advance. • Focus on getting the best grades that you can.• Participate in extra curricular activities/Hold

leadership positions.• Network and tap into your social contacts.• Based on “You” analysis, research jobs or

industries you may/may not be suitable for.• Start wide: Get as much understanding as you

can of different professions, jobs and industries.

The Medium Range Plan• Speak to as many people as possible

– Set up informational interviews – different companies/industries & different functional

managers.• Get some work experience (even unpaid) during

your long vacation.– Use opportunity to learn about relevant industry and

job opportunities.• Leverage the internet• Read & Ask Questions

The Short term plan

• Begin to narrow down the jobs/industries/companies you are interested in.

• Set up informational interviews in the company or companies you are interested in.

• Attend recruiting events.• Read newspapers especially Graphic and

look in job sections.

The Common Denominator• Evidence of achievement.• Ability to get along with people.• Creativity.• Initiative.• Communication skills – written and oral.• Humility.• Integrity.• Interpersonal skills.• ‘FIT’

Cannot Predict The Future

• But you can prepare for it– Making the most of university– Excellence (or the best that you can be) as

standard– Constant Learning & Renewal– Grabbing All The Opportunities you can get

Building• Long term focused• Incremental experiences• Kiss many frogs before your prince• Really, there is no rush• Foundation is most key• Set a career goal• No substitute for Hard work…Never Killed anyone• ‘On the Job” Experiences• Courses? • Managers/Line Supervisors?• Mentors?• Books/Internet

Something called FIT

• Strengths• Passions• People• Long term focused

Some Tools…..

• Personal Brand Equity• Personal Board of Directors• Plan-On-A-Page

• And A Good Dose of Common Sense

Tom Peter’s Words1. Mastery! (Best/Absurdly Good at Something!)2. “Manage” to Legacy (All Work = “Memorable”/“Braggable”

WOW Projects!)3. A “USP”/Unique Selling Proposition 4. Rolodex Obsession5. Entrepreneurial Instinct (A sleepless … Eye for Opportunity! 7. Play a dozen parts simultaneously, from Chief Strategist to Chief Cleaner)8. Sense of Humor 9. Comfortable with Your Skin (Bring “interesting you” to work!)10. Intense Appetite for Technology 12. Passion for Renewal, Learning & Development13. Execution Excellence!

From Tom Peters New Workplace survival rules

Putting it simply

• Passion• Self awareness and confidence • Relationships & Participation in the wider

community• Knowledge & Continuous Growth• A Plan• Integrity & Humility

Closing Thoughts

• …The choice should come from your heart. Ultimately, you are the one who has to get up every morning and enjoy what you are doing, so make sure it matters to you

- Dave Thomas. Founder of Wendy’s

The End

Questions?

Follow Up Questions

May email follow up questions to:

Elikem.Kuenyehia@kuenyehia.com