In the ever-changing landscape of the technology industry, the past six months have seen significant shifts and trends that have shaped the hiring scene. For this issue, we want to shift our focus to you, the reader. We aim to explore the actions you can take to position yourself for success and set a clear path towards achieving your career goals and most importantly, staying grounded in the midst of uncertainty.
- Putting Yourself in a Position for Success: In today's competitive job market, it's essential to proactively take steps to stand out and secure desirable opportunities. In this issue, we will provide insights into the strategies you can employ to enhance your candidacy. From updating your technical skills to highlighting your unique strengths and accomplishments, we'll delve into practical advice and examples to help you make a lasting impression on potential employers.
- Changing Career or Industry: Changing to a new role in the middle of your career can be daunting but not impossible. We list the key areas to cover in making this transition successful and less stressful.
- Self-Care: Showing up for Yourself: The job hunting process can be both exciting and overwhelming. To ensure you navigate this journey effectively, it's crucial to be well-prepared and take care of yourself along the way. We look into the importance of self-care and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, so you can achieve your professional goals while nurturing your overall well-being.
- Bringing Back "Cool Tech Vendors": In this issue, we are thrilled to reintroduce our popular segment, "Cool Tech Vendors." We understand that staying up to date with the latest technologies, tools, and solutions is pivotal for technology professionals. Our team is always on the lookout for innovative vendors who are pushing the boundaries and making waves in the industry. From cutting-edge startups to established players, we will showcase their offerings, shedding light on how they can contribute to your career growth and project success. This issue covers Yugabyte, the leading open-source cloud-native database for mission-critical applications.
We hope this issue empowers you with actionable insights, practical tips, and inspiration to take charge of your career and achieve your aspirations.
Wishing you all the best on your journey,
Josephine
How Do You Standout in a Sea of Experienced Talent Pool
Standing out from other job applicants can be challenging, especially nowadays have you noticed the applicant volume has gone up? A lot!
How to showcase your suitability, experience, and unique skills or personality without over or underselling yourself?
Every interviewer aims to (or should aim to) understand your fit for the role and it spans across different areas.
For senior hires, I normally will look at (in this order):
- Your past 10-15 years of experience and achievements
- Soft skills (something I think is much harder to change or teach)
- Any unique strengths - whether for the job or as a person
- Your personal value system
- Personality: if you will be able to fit or add value to the culture
- Lastly, educational qualifications
In this article, we cover the 1st 3 areas.
Interview with Dennis Sze, Head of Sales, Asia South at Yugabyte
Interview with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Head of Sales, Asia South at Yugabyte, and Josephine Chia, Founder of Progression Search Pte Ltd.
Josephine Chia (JC): Hi Dennis! Can you tell me more about Yugabyte?
Dennis Sze (DS): Sure thing. Yugabyte is a cloud-native distributed database providing elastic and resiliency services to modern applications. It is largely targeted at enterprise clients in their cloud native and modernization journey. Being used by Born-In-The-Cloud companies. Very popular with Fortune 500 and fintech companies.
Navigating a Change in Career or Industry
There are many reasons why an individual would make a decision to start over with a new career in a different industry. For some, it is about dissatisfaction, lack of passion and fulfillment, or because of constant stress and burnout. There are those who decide to change careers because of limited career growth and learning opportunities. And then there are others who decide a lot closer to heart because of personal circumstances like life changes, relocation, change in priorities, or a very strong interest in another field.
Whatever your reasons for making that decision, a career change is a huge transition, so it's crucial to thoroughly assess your options, plan strategically, and be prepared for the challenges that will arise.
What it Means to Show Up for Yourself
Showing up for yourself means differently to different people but it is imperative that you do, every now and then. Oftentimes, we are driven by motivations for the welfare of the people around us - parents, kids, and even our friends. And while it’s all good, sometimes putting yourself first is the right thing to do.
It doesn’t make you any less of a person if every now and then your number one is yourself. And no, that doesn’t make you a selfish person either. Showing up for yourself means putting your needs first - it can be for growth, peace of mind, or simply for self-gratification.
Being the hero in your own "Achievement Story"
What is your achievement story? How does that paint you to be the hero that you are? When you craft these types of stories, you have to make sure you are put into the spotlight the right way. Oftentimes, it’s a matter of choosing to use the right tone, story positioning, or even words.
It is not so much about how grand the outcome is or how difficult the challenges are. If you are unable to communicate properly, all of these will fall flat on the person listening to or reading these stories.