Those money gurus always tell you not to invest yourself into a business/industry that requires your 'man-hours' for profit, as this kind of business will never make it big, big in the global sense. But since not all of us aim for the stars, should we take this into consideration? For instance if you are a... masseur, you can earn... $20 - $200 /hour, depending on the type of establishment you are in. Similar for hawkers and people who do sales. It's really how many chicken wings or how many medical devices you can push within one hour and multiply that, you have got your job and income!
Hear of people saying they left their job or hate their job because of the corporate culture they are in? It's because their skills-set do not have inherent value... or are easily picked up.
Say, you are good in... videography. And you have worked for a few years, 3-5 years maybe. So now your income is double that or close to double, of a fresh grad's monthly salary. You think you have got it made! But as a boss (I'm not referring to my situation, just in general), a small-company boss would think, am I paying you too much? Because a fresh grad can do, in about 6 months' of learning, a fresh grad can do what you do and probably with a better attitude and a less slacker mindset. So...you are not very marketable, isn't it? What sets you apart from the fresh grad in terms of output and revenue? Are you able to do double or triple of what they do in a day, thus ensuring your iron rice bowl? Of course not, because one hour of work is the same amount! And it's not only in the media industry but I believe, many other companies as well. Those 'bottom-feeder'/low-level 'marketing managers'? Trust me, they will stay in that position but maybe hop from company to company, always underperforming. That's the situation.
While it may look bad for companies to hire and fire, bottom line for most small companies is revenue. I'm not saying that I affirm their move, in fact, it is bad for the corporate culture to do so, deploying staff as and when reduces work productivity also, but when the going gets rough, many will lose their jobs, within or without reason. So I'm asking myself, how can I make sure that I have a skill that will enable me to ride the tide?
Some skills are highly valued, more so than others, especially in our little island state. I may aspire to be an 'OL' - office lady in the future, but I think those OLs have very little place to learn and be 'indispensable' to any company, as well. A lot of older folk always told me that a good skill to learn is ...SALES. Then not only will you be indispensable, you also master the art of selling which is not easy, I've been there done that and reaped the rewards, perhaps even reaping it now! Also, having a variable income might be very cool to most people. And a sense of accomplishment, knowing you have worked hard for your money, you will treasure the things you buy with it more, I feel.
I have a penchant for coach bags - the more classic designs, and I can always remember when/how I bought them and under what kind of financial situation. Somehow the lovely dresses and bags remind me of what I once worked hard for. The way good sales engineers are hard to find: It's a specialized field, plus most engineer types suck at sales/explaining themselves so that everyone can understand, thus, highly paid and highly sought after...
For those who are highly-paid in a job that even fresh grads can do, it's time to take a hard look at your career advancements, because soon, there won't be any, and that's corporate culture for you.
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