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CAREER ADVISOR
“Your
Career Advisor” is responding this week to four inquiries:(1) "What are the various types of skills a professional needs for career advancement?"
And;
(2) "What should a free lance professional - facing little or no payments - do? "
And;
(3) "After years in tourism, administrative and secretarial jobs; I am now preparing for the CFM and CMA certifications. What is next for me?"
And;
(4) "What skills should an ambitious Computer Engineer develop?"
All reasonable questions related to careers, skill development or employment related issues – sent to
advisor@skill-link.com
- would be addressed in this section every week.
Q1:
What are the various types of skills a
professional needs for career advancement?
I recently graduated from Helwan University's Faculty of Commerce; I am
working in a bank. I would like to improve my skills. First I'd like to know the
meaning of the different skills (communication, interpersonal, organizational,
analytical, etc…). Then please tell me what are the important skills to be
acquired and improved? How can I get and improve them?
Y. G. S. (Cairo)
Replying:
Dear Mr. S.
This is one of those "tell me everything you know about career development and skill building" questions J
Actually this is what a significant part of the Interest Zone is about, communicating to the tens of thousands of skill-link.com's visitors the job skills they need to develop. In response to your question, let us shed the light on some of the skills a professional should; these are important for self-development. They are also seriously considered by a potential employer (when hiring) and more importantly by a current employer when considering promotion and compensation increase decisions.
Interpersonal skills
These mainly have to do with how you deal with others (colleagues, supervisors,
subordinates, clients etc…) during formal meetings and more informal
situations. The way you talk, receive feedback, react to suggestions/criticism,
and give instructions etc… In some cases Communication skills are part of this
broad category, however we are addressing them separately. Thus do you get along
with others, people accept your suggestions and requests? Or are you aggressive
and negatively perceived by those dealing with you.
Communication skills
Such skills have to do with business writing (memos, reports), preparing &
delivering presentations, effective participation in meeting etc… In summary
how do you deliver a message or sell your ideas to others. Is it in a clear and
presentable way or are you shy, confused and cannot portray a clear train of
thinking.
Organizational skills
The skills in this category have to do with multitasking (if you have to do or
supervise a number of different activities) and supervision of the work of
others (who report to you, or who are not your subordinates but contribute to
getting certain tasks you are responsible for done). Good skills in this area
mean you plan well and follow up on things, you do not get fixed on one part of
your job and ignore the others… your mind is always thinking about every
responsibility assigned to you etc… They also mean you can get others to work
efficiently and effectively for you.
Technical skills
The term 'technical' refers to the particular aspects of your job, thus they
vary from one job to another. For example when referring to a bank teller, the
technical aspects of his job would include: cheque processing, signature
verification, special procedures for dormant accounts, handling transfers,
knowing foreign exchange regulations, operating the application systems availed
to him, reconciling the cash accounts etc…
On any job, you are expected to master its technical aspects in addition of
course to be doing well the set of more generic skills described throughout this
article.
Entrepreneurial skills
These stand for being 'business' oriented and innovative. In other words, not
just doing the job assigned to you, but coming out with ideas, suggestions and
implementing them when feasible, with the objective of generating new
revenues/sales for your organization or saving costs, improving services etc….
Of course, when working in sales or marketing you are expected to be
entrepreneurial, but in all functions, smart staff could also be
entrepreneurial. If they understand the business, monitor the competition and
'THINK' smart ideas and initiatives could be identified. For example, an
employee in the Accounting department may suggest a new billing/invoicing method
that could encourage customers to pay part of their due amounts in advance… or
a Procurement specialist could identify ways to reduce inventory or negotiate
better prices for supplies etc…
Obviously, all people cannot be expected to be excellent or outstanding in all these categories. Every professional is a 'package' he/she should aim at being at least 'above average' in all of them and do really well on one or more of the others… The result impacts the hiring decisions, and the speed in which the successful individuals get promoted or are awarded promotions and bonuses.
Now how to develop each of these skill sets?
- The key recommendations is giving enough attention to what you do, and then observing what others - who are successful - do around you.
- Seek advice from senior managers in your organization (it will never hurt).
- Reading is very important, it improves your communication skills, job related material should improve your technical skills; management books and articles should improve your organization skills. Following up on current affairs, business news, relevant laws, technological development, competitors etc… would only positively impact your entrepreneurial skills.
- In addition to the above, there could be a number of seminars, courses and degrees (depending on the subject) that would be of added value to you on the different fronts. You may wish to check the Skill Development section of skill-link.com's Interest Zone.
We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck.
Q2:
What should a free
lance professional - facing little or no payments - do?
I hope you can offer some suggestions. I am Lebanese (female), currently
residing in Beirut; I was born and raised in Australia. As such, I have
excellent English language skills. In addition, I'm highly creative and have a
great sense of humor as well as humanity. (The two are tied perhaps).
Over the last few years, I have presented advertising ideas, scripts etc. to advertising companies, television and radio stations in Lebanon. However, I have found that remuneration is pitiful or never materializes. What can you suggest? I ooze creativity, wit and humor. My work is highly appreciated but high praise doesn't pay bills. Frankly, I'm tired of people profiting from my work and exploiting me. I look forward to your response.
F. K. (Lebanon)
Replying:
Dear Miss K.
Being a free-lancer professional - as we conclude from your message - puts the person in some cases at a disadvantage vis a vis business entities. In the Arab world it is an occurrence one cannot deny. Your counterpart feels you are not a company with overheads and payroll/utilities/premises etc… and that you should be grateful to anything you end up getting.
More and above, those in professional services (thus selling their time, brain power and creativity) know that this is sometimes not clearly appreciated by clients. If one is selling phone sets, shirts or tomatoes, the buyer - unless we are dealing with a crook - would not dream of not paying the price of the goods he/she bought. When it comes to professional services, surprisingly in our part of the world, a lot of buyers/users of the service do not appreciate the time and mental resources involved. They feel - wrongfully of course - that they did not get physical goods or merchandise thus they (or their conscious) can get away without feeling they robbed the person from his time and effort. Consultants, creative designers, writers could tell scores of horror stories.
The above is just to demonstrate a frequent happening, especially if freelance is combined with professional service. Again it is not a rule, but a common occurrence.
Now, we cannot change - as much as we would have liked - our part of the world. What do we do? There is not magic solution, but the following are worth considering:
- The most obvious: identifying reputed/trustworthy counterparts/clients. We know you know this - but we had to start with it for the record J
- Remaining to do the same kind of work, but as an employee of a large organization (company, firm, etc…) such as a media company or an advertising firm.
- Free lancing for entities that would really not afford you on a full time basis, and are operating around the free lancers model (eg. online content providers/web portals; media publications etc… these may include sites like MSN Arabia, Arabic CNN, AME Info, Zawya.com etc…). Specially if they are not based in Lebanon and would like some sort of presence through you there. How about an Australian publication that would appreciate a Beirut correspondent?
- And finally, if all of the above is not suitable, and you want to stick to your current "modus operandi"; how about incorporating yourself, renting a small office in a prestigious address, printing fancy letter head and brochures? The corporate appearance may help. This could be more affordable if you could partner with a couple of professionals sharing your same work ethics and suffering from the same situation.
We hope the above was of some use.
Good Luck.
Q3: After
years in tourism, administrative and secretarial jobs; I am now preparing for
the CFM and CMA certifications. What is next for me?
I graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1983 with a degree in
Economics. Since then I have been working for over 15 years in the field of
tourism as Operations Manager (9 yrs), and as Executive Secretary and
Administrative Assistant in both Egypt and the Emirates during the remaining
years. For the time being I am studying for the professional certificate:
- CMA (Certified Management Accounting); and
- CFM (Certified Financial Manager)
with the intention of just changing my career to a more challenging one in the financial analysis or feasibility studies field. The problem is that I am certain I am going to encounter the obstacle of 'Previous Experience' upon searching for the suitable job - even though not many people hold these certificates - especially that I am middle aged. I now wonder if it would be possible to work as a part timer or even a trainee, to gain the necessary experience while still studying for the achievement of my professional certificates.
H. M. A. (Cairo)
Replying:
Dear Ms. A
We have to admit that is a highly unusual move J
Learning should never stop and acquiring new skills is enriching; however you
are getting into a totally new field. The reason is you will be competing with
twenty something year olds with similar experience in the area of financial
analysis / credit / capital market research / financial management etc… they
may have the edge of a few years of hands on experience.
Now assuming you are about to complete one or both of those certifications, let us think about how to leverage them in your next career move. We do not believe you will be interesting to an employer in the capital market / financial advisory / banking sectors as a financial professional. This is due to your previous experience, and the state of these sectors in the current economic conditions of Egypt (most of the companies working in those fields are downsizing). We also do not see you in the Accounting & Finance Department of a large company. So where should you be looking?
Most probably in a role that requires a mature person with general professional experience, supplemented by a flair of (familiarity in finance). Your best options could be in:
- A non-for-profit or international organization involved in financing developmental programs in Egypt (such as the European Union Industry Modernization Program, the IFC, the USAID, the Social Fund for Development etc…).
- As an Operations Manager of a business association (American Chamber of Commerce, British Egyptian Businessmen Association etc…).
- As a senior personal assistant to a Director of a UN representative office in Cairo (EU, UNDP, ILO, UNIDO, FAO etc…).
- In a support role to the editorial team of a business publication (Business Monthly, Business Today, Pharoes).
- The representative office of an international company that has a number of projects in Egypt, requiring someone to periodically monitor the progress of various projects and report on them to Head Office.
We hope the above was of some use.
Good Luck.
Q4:
What skills should an ambitious Computer Engineer develop?
I'm a computer engineer; currently working in a pharmaceutical company on the
implementation of an MIS system. I am also the network administrator of the
company. I am mainly involved in technical and user support.
I need to know what kind of computer skills / knowledge I need to acquire to develop my career.
H. G. (unknown)
Replying:
Dear Miss G.
You have provided us with limited information about yourself; however from your brief description it seems you are more on the technical side. We will assume this is where you would like to remain, as opposed to getting more into the application side of the information technology functions.
In our opinion, a computer engineer or any IT professional that is technically oriented would benefit by getting certified in one or more areas of relevance. This would be more valuable than a university diploma or other graduate degree in the IT field. The choices are wide when it comes to selecting which area:
If you work extensively with local area networks and workstations operating on Windows, you may benefit from a Microsoft Certification. There are a number of Microsoft certificates; some of which are:
The Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet (MCP+I) credential is for professionals who install and configure server products, manage server resources, extend servers to run CGI scripts or ISAPI scripts, monitor and analyze performance, plan security, and troubleshoot problems.
The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) on Microsoft Windows 2000 certification is designed for professionals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot existing network and system environments based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows .NET Server platforms
The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) credential is the premier certification for professionals who analyze the business requirements and design and implement the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 platform and Microsoft server software
Since you also act as a network administrator; certifications in that function could be considered. Among the best known (depending on the technical environment you work in):
The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP certification) indicates a network professional can install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for organizations with networks from 100 to more than 500 nodes, including but not limited to the following protocols: IP, IGRP, IPX, Async Routing, AppleTalk, Extended Access Lists, IP RIP, Route Redistribution, RIP, Route Summarization, OSPF, VLSM, BGP, Serial, Frame Relay, ISDN, ISL, X.25.
Certified Novell Engineer (CNE); should give you a wide variety of network support skills that allow you to keep your company's network running efficiently - with less downtime. As a CNE, you should solve advanced company-wide support problems and high-level network problems. You perform planning, installation, configuration, troubleshooting and upgrade services for networks
Being a competent database administrator is also useful; so if you are working in an IT environment that uses Microsoft or ORACLE databases, you can select from the following:
The Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) credential is the premier certification for professionals who implement and administer Microsoft SQL Server™ databases
Oracle Certified Professionals: it demonstrates you have proven skills managing a large-scale database or developing robust applications that are deployed enterprise-wide
Since security is now a major concern of many businesses heavily dependent on IT, being certified in that field could be also worthwhile. Among the available certifications:
Symantec Certified Security Engineer (SCSE) credentials demonstrate your ability to integrate and deploy an enterprise security system within specific security disciplines. It's the certification recommended for individuals needing to understand enterprise-wide security systems.
The above are obviously reputable certifications that are - however - product specific. More generic qualifications could be acquired. Some of which are:
The Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification is administered by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. CISA is a globally accepted standard of achievement among IS audit, control and security professionals. Earning the CISA designation helps provide a positive reputation as a qualified IS audit, control and/or security professional. (For more information, check: http://www.isaca.org/)
On a less technical aspect, your career advancement will require you to manage projects / units. Therefore being competent in that field will be of value. You could consider: The Project Management Certification program administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). (For more information, check: http://www.pmi.org/)
While the above are all exam-based certificates, they will not substitute your staying current with new IT trends, products and offerings. You should attend seminar / product road shows whenever your time allows; more importantly make it a point to read IT magazines and periodicals (some of them are available free of charge on the internet). Among the interesting ones: informationweek.com; Byte.com; computerworld.com; networkmagazine.com etc..
We hope the above was of some use.
Good Luck.
Note from the editor:
Employer names and inquiry sender names were withheld for confidentiality