Here are some important soft skills for career growth: - Communication skills: Being able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with others is crucial. - Problem-solving skills: The ability to analyze problems, evaluate potential solutions, and implement the best solution is highly valued. - Leadership skills: Skills like taking initiative, motivating others, delegating tasks, and managing people are important for advancing into leadership roles. - Adaptability: The ability to adapt to changing priorities, work situations, roles and responsibilities, and work styles is important for career longevity. - Collaboration skills: Working well in a team environment, sharing knowledge and responsibilities, and building relationships are important soft skills.

1. Selecting
your Career
Asad-Ur-Rehman
Executive Director
Open Integrated Solutions (Pvt) Limited
asad_urrehman@yahoo.com

2. http://www.linkedin.com
 It is a non-profit organization and determined to bring
substantial improvement in Pakistani ICT industry.
 Pakistani ICT industry witnessed a downfall after year 2000.
 Most of the ICT service providers either had to closed down
their operations or operated in survival mode, were not
progressing.
 In 2002, some senior and like-minded ICT professionals sat
down and discussed the declining state of Pakistani ICT
industry.
 In April 2003, Ponder Alliance was formed to address the
issues faced by the Pakistani ICT industry.
Want to bring Industry & academia closer

3. Today's Session
 Frequently Asked Questions
 How to chose a Direction for career
 Develop Roadmap
 Plan Exaction
 Importance Skills for growth
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

4. FAQs
 What jobs are highly paid nowadays?
 What jobs are hot nowadays ?
 How can I pick the perfect career ?
 I am not sure what path is suitable for me ?
 Which career should I choose ?
 Shall I do MBA OR MS after my BCS ?

5. Career Selection is influecned
Parents
Influences Home
Events Friends
Influences
Roles Community
School Roles
Individual
College
University
Events
Follow Trends
be Engg or Dr. Society
Or banker Influences
Workplace

6. Have you ever
ponder ?
Two graduates passing from
same institute having approx
equal technical knowledge;
one would excel . . .
other would not ?

7. How do you take important
decisions of your life?
What is the best method
for taking decisions?

8. A Generalised Career
Selection Process
 We are influenced by parents, by friend by teachers
 We are not sure how and when to take decision
 What is the general process that will improve the
possibility selecting a better career?

9. Career Selection
We must focus on two things in general
1- Single mildness of purpose in our life
2- High motivation

10. Career Selection
Single mildness of purpose in our life
 Focus on one thing.
 What is it that you wish to accomplish?
 You must be aware of your objectives in
life.
 You cannot specialize in two things.

11. Career Selection
High Motivation
 Find things you enjoy?
 Discover what you don’t like
 What are the things that you can do well,
 What are your individual skills, abilities and
interests?

12. Career Selection
Process
1.1 Analyze yourself
1- Chose a direction based 1.2 Find out options
1.3 Setup a target
on your strengths
2.1 Skills I should have
2.2 Action Plan
2- Develop a roadmap
• Action
• Periodic analysis
• Lesson Learned
3- Execute, Monitor, Analysis
Going
OK
Yes
No
Take Corrective action
and adjust roadmap

13. 1- Chose a Direction
 This fear is a natural that what if . . I select a wrong
target.
 One must select a achievable target, even if it turn
out to be wrong after some time.
 It is still better than people who have no direction
and having career based on some events in their
life.
 Remember career development is a lifelong process
and involves more than simply taking straight
decisions.
Absolute clarity is not necessary
before you make a move.

14. Chose a Direction
1.1 Analyze yourself
1.2 Find out your strengths
1.3 Find out Job options
1.4 Setup a direction

15. Chose a Direction
1.1 Analyze
Everyone of us is born with a
yourself
unique combination of talents
and personality.
 What do I want out of my life ?
 Do not focus on earning money only.
 What do I want my career to do for me ?
 How do I wish to spend my time for rest of my life ?
 How can my values, interests, strengths, and
preferences be actualized ?

16. Chose a Direction
1.2 Find out your strengths
 Which subjects do I excel in ?
 How do I like to spend my time ?
 What are my favourite subjects ?
 What is really important to me ?
 What activities do I find satisfying ?
 What adjectives would I use to describe myself ?
 What kind of work environment would I feel most
comfortable in ?

17. Chose a Direction
1.3 Find out Options
Do you know what are the career options available for you?
 Invest some time knowing your options.
 Learning about your career choices is very
important step.
 Develop knowledge about the world of work.
 Your decision should based on knowledge not
based on assumptions.
 Must know what the pros and cons of each career
option are?

18. Chose a Direction
1.3 Find out Options
 Find out the opportunities available in the market
based on your skills and strengths.
 Collect data required for decisions making; must
explore the options available.
 You can explore the Job opportunities by
o Meet professional in the same field
o Search & read from Internet / Magazines
o Discuss with faculty members

19. Chose a Direction
1.4 Set Target People whose work is satisfying,
achieve a high level of success.
Communications skills
You know your strengths . . . Analytical approach
People friendly
Software Developer
QA Engineer
You know job opportunities . . . Network Engg
Communication Engg
Setup a target for yourself

20. Chose a Direction
1.4 Set Target
Project
Marketing Manager
Manager Biz Analyst
System
Analyst
What I want
to be ?
QA
Is it the money I get attracted OR Network
it is my interest in that field ? Manager

21. 2- Develop a
Roadmap

22. 2- Develop a Roadmap
Once you have enough data about the possible
career options available in the market than develop
a plan where you would to be
2.1 Skill sets I should have
2.2 Action Plan

23. Develop a
Roadmap
2.1 Skill sets I should have
Suppose . . . I want to be a Project Manager
Communication Skills
Leadership
Find out requirement for your target
Biz Knowledge
Interpersonal Skills
 What qualification I should have?
 What kind of experience will help in acquiring
that kind of job?
 Do I need to have special training or some
certification?

24. Develop a
Roadmap
2.2 Action Plan We plan our vacations with
better care than our lives
Special
Training
Degree Relevant Higher
Experience Studies
1-year 2- 3- 4-
years years years
Standin Wants to be there
g after 5-years
here
Desire to be a Qualified to be a
Project Manager Project Manager

25. 3- Execute &
Analyze

26. Execute & Analyze
You have setup a target . . .
Developed an action Plan . . .
 Now execute your plan
 Learn lesson from your mistakes / failures
 Correct your action plan
 Take further action and move on
Action must complement your plan,
otherwise it is wishful thinking

27. Important skills
for growth ?

28. Soft skills are important
 Soft skills plays very important part in your
career growth.
o Attitude
o Leadership
o Communication
o Inter-personal Skills
o Initiative

29. Happy to take your questions