Why is it that some people can quickly shift from industry to industry or job to job without long periods of time in between? They know something you may not have realized. They know the secret. They know they are always self-employed. These optimistic people direct their careers, by embracing the Japanese Kaizen philosophy to their personal skill matrix.
Take a moment and think about how you approach most any work day. Are you the person that wants to just get through a day or are you the person that wants to get something from the day? How do you know? At the end of each and every day a FROM-the-day-person asks, what did I get FROM my experiences today?
They take a mental inventory of what they have gained FROM the experience of existing today. They ask, “How can I carry what came FROM today with me to tomorrow?” It seems a little crazy to actually be this cognizant of your life experiences, but perhaps it is healthier to inspect what you expect out of life. The reality is that if you don’t want to have much in life, you don’t really need to become much; however, if you can live up to the challenge of your imagination, it will clearly separate you from the crowd.
So how is this philosophy related to being self-employed, when I am an employee? Imagine for a minute that you are an Oracle DBA or programmer in a high-tech fortune 100 company. Recently, the company has fallen on tough times during the great recession and all Oracle training dollars in your company have been frozen. Here is where “Kaizen” kicks in. Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy or practice that focuses on continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, supporting business processes, and management.
Since your career training is up to you now more than ever, you decide to embrace Kaizen as your personal philosophy. You don’t allow the company’s current financial situation to result in your lack of control over “brand me”, the self-employed one. You purchase $3,000 worth of Oracle training on your credit card, knowing full well the company is not going to reimburse you, but your “Kiezen” self-employed attitude drives you to make this personal investment in your future.
This individual belief and support of your skill matrix results in your passing the Oracle OCA or OCP certification tests, and you are now a fully trained Oracle Certified Professional. The following week, your fortune 100 company is making layoffs. The management must shed 5 positions. Your belief and training have paid off, and you don’t receive a pink slip.
It is easy to see how embracing the attitude of self-employment while being an employee could benefit your career. These “FROM-the-day” people are more likely to read a book, go to a seminar, or take a class, for they know that they are ultimately responsible for the care of “brand me”. Remember, only those that want more need to become more. At the end the day, we are all self-employed. We decide where to work, what skills we gain, and what path we will take.
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