Recognising barriers to entry, underpins career success

The present spate of building and infrastructure activity, establishment of trading zones, creation of business centres of excellence and financial markets has raised concern by many who question the substance behind the façade.

Perhaps it's the old barn door theory, if governments' kick-start enough projects, then those that succeed will always overshadow the failures. Who knows? Regardless of whether or not we may believe the viability of all the new regional initiatives, IPOs, alliances, compliance and reformation, etc, one thing is for sure - change!

I have often pointed out that career progression is contingent upon a combination of personal and importantly, external factors. Market drivers, competitive threat, company positioning and brand value, removal of trade barriers, regional growth and the turbulence and instability within the markets, the "whirlpool" effect, alignment with protocols such as WTO, incorrect business model causing bad hiring decisions, and in addition the impact of external pressure resulting in companies establishing hiring barriers and an uncertain US Dollar.

We must also take stock of the consequences of continuous change.

This is an era of collaboration, as regional markets cast off the manacles of monopoly, grace and favour to a selected few who will enjoy sole and exclusive privileges, often to the detriment of the consuming public. Gone are the days when you had two choices as a consumer - take it or leave it!

No longer is the Middle East considered a region that trades with its own, with the sub continent and parts of Asia. In its bid to become an international player and trading bloc in its own right, parts of the Middle East are fast being recognised as world class.

Herein lies a major hurdle for all career seekers. The need to identify datum point shifts and subsequently position one self to catch the market upswing.

With the regional markets evolving at such a fast pace, it becomes increasingly difficult to establish career datum points and subsequently develop a plan to take you to the next level. In the same way that there is a correlation relating career satisfaction and company success, then so is there a direct relationship between career satisfaction and prevailing market conditions.

Two of the major hurdles facing the individual are critical issues and are outside their control namely; the hiring environment and company positioning within the market.

As noted in the past, the long-term success of the region is dependent upon securing the right people for the job and once on board, retaining them. Not understanding the difference between a job and a career works against the interest of the individual. If you are in the wrong frame of mind when you go to market, then you are quite likely going to be shaped by some hiring agencies and those companies who do not understand their own requirements. In effect you will become a convenient fit.

Long-term, this translates to career disaster and business under-performance.

Another datum reference is that of job title for job titles without substance are meaningless. A general manager with inadequate signature authority or freedom to make business commitments without the need for recourse to a line-manager, is a position of questionable and dubious substance. It also tells us something about company attitude to trusting its people and the need to micro-manage staff.

Career advancement demands a thorough understanding of the market and the drivers that influence the way the market is moving. One of the main difficulties is that the job arena is amorphous, because the very factors that create opportunity continue to change and are doing so at an increasing pace.

A difficult proposition has been how to develop a suitable career plan, within an arena that continues to change at a rapid pace and, with that change, the uncertainty it brings.

Getting the company structure right is vital. Often, senior management have either inherited or, heaven forbid, have demonstrated poor judgement, by establishing an unsuitable work platform and company format. This can prove disastrous because often, the company is incapable of survival within an aggressive and rapidly changing environment.

Now, external pressure such as WTO compliance is going to place demands on performance and compliance, which is often alien to existing culture.

Joining the wrong company often means career path disaster, because the new role does not fulfill personal requirements, professional development and neither will it drive the business forward.

Change is needed across the whole of the business process, from company form to recruitment and staff retention. Company form and the function of internal departments need to align and work seamlessly.

If the barn door theory is no more than a cliché, then it seems clear that career success will become more of a challenge because there are far more hurdles to overcome than four years ago. Anyone who has come here to develop a career must recognise the barriers to entry and develop an appropriate positioning plan.