Why The Up And Coming People Have No Choice But Demonstrate Catch-Up Skills

Last week's blog, "Why The Rich Act Middle Class", elicited mixed reactions and one group felt left out. So, if you are in the up-and-coming group, this one is for you. Unlike the rich and powerful, the emerging lot must demonstrate their dependable progress, it must be visible.

This group thrives on evidence-based achievements if they must get a critical chance with the high and mighty. Just so that we are on the same page, the up-and-coming are genuine beginners and perennial career beginners who now show great promise in their new undertakings. Career beginners are those older people who are either late bloomers or have just been railroaded from their waywardness.

This is a group of diverse ages and experiences. If one has to catch the eyes of the right people, say decision-makers in their areas of need or specialisation, they must be organised and confident. These attributes can seldom be faked so, you had better pay attention here.

When one is in a hurry to impress or to be at par with certain people they secretly compete with, there is a tendency to exaggerate the truth. What this group may not readily see is the fact that those they are out to impress went through the stage this lot finds itself in.

When you are up and coming, you are see-through. And opaqueness is unhelpful. That's just how it is with transitions. If I was looking into the future of my organisation and someone came searching for a job, I'd have to see the prospective employee as a good fit. This person must demonstrate to me that what I see and hear, can translate to the growth and future success of the organisation.

Where they lack experience, they must make up for it in other ways such as dexterity, willingness to learn, ability to mingle meaningfully with stakeholders and just about anything else necessary to succeed on the job. The fact is, all these attributes must manifest or the seeker takes a walk.

Technology allows us to follow one's footprints online and make decisions to engage them or not. If you speak well in the meeting but have a stained footprint online, your chances of making a great lasting impression plummet.

So, here you are, you have no bargaining power to cling on to but an opportunity, perhaps a 1% chance that you will succeed. How do you get to turn the tables? To do so, you must research your subject or contact well enough. And because everything must go on smoothly, you must go as far as rehearsing the possible scenarios and finding answers to them. Rehearsals are a form If earning much-needed experiences. Get to know the kind of personality you are going to face and find out how their personality types compare with yours. Will you clash or will you gel? The nitty-gritty is critical.

We have conservative employers and businesspeople. And because you can only thrive on evidence-based situations, it is not so much about your optics but those that the important contact believes in.

Sorry to say, your dreadlocks may impress those who cannot give you a job or a dime. Many signs or symbols of entitlement associated with the up-and-coming end up being door blockers. There are many things to write about this topic but we had better leave that for a one-on-one session.