Why Should I Work for You?
April 26, 2011 
9 Comments
Can you afford to take a more aggressive attitude towards your career in today’s economic climate?
Are you really thinking about the future when you fill in that job application?
To what extent should your employer be working to keep you happy?
We caught up with author and journalist, Jason Deign, whose book “Why Should I Work for You?” turns a few of the basic ideas we have about our working life on their head.
In this short interview, Jason shares some advice on how to organize yourself, what to expect from your job, the skills you might want to develop as you start your job search and … a few things to think about in terms of what YOU really want from YOUR career.
Jason Deign believes in the you-shaped job.
NetAcad Advantage: Jason, your book has a fairly direct, almost aggressive title. Surely in today’s climate, with recession and unemployment, job seekers should be grateful for any job offer. Or do you think that a more aggressive attitude is still valid?
Jason Deign: Absolutely. I think so. Because what the book is about is the idea that people no longer have jobs for life. So the employee needs to take more control over what is happening in the job environment. So things like putting your employers to the test… the fact that there’s a recession at the moment does not mean that there are not opportunities out there for people who are able to show that they are well qualified and able to do the job. In fact I would say that those businesses that are doing well, and there are a number of them out there, for them it´s more important than ever to have quality staff. So really, it’s up to the job seeker to demonstrate that they have those skills and then to try to attract a premium for the skills that they have.
NetAcad Advantage: IDC and other research bodies say that IT as a sector continues to see a lot of demand for skilled people. Do you agree?
Jason Deign: Yes, very much so. I think if you look at some of the projections that are coming out from companies such as Cisco – particularly around the growth of such things as video applications – there is a lot of evidence for continuing demand in the IT sector. I think another area that is of particular interest to job seekers is that it is always going to be an area where you will need specialist skills. Somebody can´t just walk off the street into a job without having the specialist skills, and I think this is an area where the Cisco Networking Academy can help people by giving them the skills they need to enter the job market. So yes, I think we will continue to see demand.
But I think that increasingly the average employer will look beyond just knowledge of the technology, but will be looking for soft skills – the ability to communicate with people, to negotiate, and a whole raft of skills. So perhaps another take away for job seekers is that: yes, you do need to have the skills and the IT knowledge; but it´s also useful to demonstrate other skills: knowledge of language, the ability to deal with people, previous experience in the market.
NetAcad Advantage: So if you had three top pieces of advice for Networking Academy students… what would they be?
Jason Deign: The first thing is, before you go out there looking for a job, take some time to think about the person that you are and what you would like. It´s not that unusual for people to go into a job and then three or four years later, discover that they are not really happy. So perhaps the starting point for any job seeker would be: look at what skills you have, what your ambitions are, the kind of personality you have, and then to form an idea. Some people might be attracted by the entrepreneurial aspect of IT. Others might enjoy troubleshooting. If you are going into this market, you need to be quite clear on what attracts you and why you are interested, and within the market, which roles would suit you best.
The second piece of advice would be: have a strategy to looking for a job. So it is not just a question of taking the first thing that comes along. It´s more about knowing – when you have decided what you want to do – where to find the best jobs; using the right resources, particularly online these days – to narrow down your search. In some cases it might be worth sending out a speculative letter or email to a potential employer, who may not be advertising any vacancies, to see if you can convince them that you are worth a try. Really try, before you sign on the dotted line and formalize your contract with an employer, to be sure that you really want to work for them.
And then the third piece of advice would be this: in this day and age there is no such thing as job security. This applies to employers just as much as to employees. In the book we suggest putting your employer to review regularly. And if you don’t like what you are receiving in terms of remuneration or treatment, in the book we suggest different ways in which you can change this; one of which is, of course, changing your job.
You’re going to spend most of your life in work. So you want to make sure that this part of your life is enjoyable and fulfilling and helps you move forward. If that is not happening, then I suggest you look at ways to change it.
So to sum up: take time to think about who you are. Have a strategy to help you find a job. And then make sure that your job continues to meet your expectations as you move forward.
Why Should I Work for You? by Jason Deign and Keith Potts, is available for purchase now.
Jason will be happy to answer any comments posted in response to this interview and the first three comments will receive a signed, complimentary copy of Why Should I Work for You?
Jason was speaking to Aine Doris.
I do agree with most of the issues raised and the approach any employee have towards his interview, however it appears to me that there is different approaches toward handling the interview e.g. some authors say do not mention the salary, other say you can mention after the work being involved the same process applies to the interviewer sometimes they either don not acknowledge your applications or one of the prerequisites is having a work experience in addition to his education it is like a catch 22 in from my point of view. In my view this is not just about hard or soft skills, and if you look into it is something more then that.
I have an ethnic background as such I have to start from the begging and yet even the most basic issues I cannot resolve due to circumstances around me. I am in debt from the student loan when graduated from Napier University and unfortunately is being increase with the interest. I had to pay extras for the cisco courses and yet I am still without a pension and all adverts are being within the companies, I was wondering if someone can help me here.
Dan,Mark and Liz – could you email me your addresses and I will post you each a signed copy of the book?
Find me at aidoris@cisco.com
Daniel: most employers won’t expect you to emerge from college with a bundle of work experience, so in that respect you are no worse off than any other student. What they will be looking for, however, is willingness to learn, grow, and make a difference–and it will be much easier for you to transmit that kind of positive energy if you are applying to a position where you know you will be happy. That is why it pays to get a handle on what you want to do NOW, before you commit to a job you might not be happy with or suited to. Use any spare time you might have at the moment to talk to people, investigate options, make contacts, and sound out potential employers. It will be much more challenging to change course later on. Good luck.
Daniel, I am going to ask Jason to take the time to come back to you. I suspect his position might be that you are in the ideal place to make the key decisions about your career right now, keeping a cool head about your options.
Whilst I agree wholeheartedly with working somewhere you enjoy, as a student when I graduate I will be in a position of less experience than many other applicants and have. A looming student debt to pay off! How can this be applied to me?
Interesting views and not without some controversy. I particularly like the advice to know who you are and what you want before embarking on the job search. Something I am just factoring in myself. The idea that we can encourage employers to hold onto their best staff is difficult but necessary, especially considering how much it costs to make redundancies and then have to recruit later on when things improve. Some companies have taken quick action to make redundancies and pay outs, only to find that in the longer term it is better to hold on to their staff and reduce waste in processes instead. Would be nice to have some employers perspective on this.
Mark, we will be interviewing Cisco partners this month to get their perspective on a bunch of issues. You raise a good point here – bullish words from Jason’s book and it would be interesting to have a response from the industry. Will keep this top of mind.
Liz, thanks for that and strongly agree with what you say. I like this piece because it asserts the rights of the employee to be exacting about what he or she wants out of their career, their job and their employer. It’s a refreshing take on the job market, especially in these crisis-fatigued times.
This is good, sound advice from Jason. As a rather late comer to Cisco training and certification, I would recommend that his job seeking advice be followed. No job is necessarily for life these days and it certainly pays to make sure that you are happy in any role you take on. Cisco training is hard work, but it certainly pays off when in the job market and looking for a quality employer.