February - 2014 - issue > View Point
How do I Advance in My Career?
Rajeev Agarwal
Founder & CEO-MAQ Software
As the Founder and CEO of a mid-sized company, I regularly think about advancing myself professionally. If I grow myself, I advance our company. If our team grows professionally, the company automatically advances.
Many aspiring professionals routinely ask me about career planning and growth. I have worked with hundreds of people across three global industries (appliances, software, and consulting) since I graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) over 25 years ago. Many people I have worked with rose quickly through the ranks, while others took much longer.
Here are five practices that I observed in successful people.
1. Learn Continuously: There were years in my 27 year career when I did not advance. As I reflect on those years, I realize that I made no effort to learn anything new in those years. I was not proactive and I did not keep my skills ahead of the market. As professionals, all of us struggle with shortage of time. Where can we find time to learn? People who progress seem to find the time. At our company, we have a required learning hour every week. We spend one hour every week (just 2.5 percent of a 40 hour week) discussing a new technology or technique as a team. Most team members learn at least one or two techniques every month that save them at least one hour every week.
In the software field, we become obsolete the day we graduate from college. Fortunately, with the advent of online education, many college courses are available to us for free online. These online college courses offered by leading universities (MIT, Stanford, etc.) are used by working professionals like you and me. Leading technology suppliers offer free online courses related to the latest technologies and their products. Microsoft Virtual Academy is an example of a website used by millions worldwide.
Reader's comments(2)
1:Hello Readers,
Below are some of my viewpoints on above given %u201Cchuran%u201D by Rajeev.
1. Many aspiring professionals routinely ask me about career planning and growth
%u2192 I don%u2019t think anyone apart from your family member would ever consult you for any career guidance.
2. Many people I have worked with rose quickly through the ranks, while others took much longer.
%u2192 I think you are the only one who took longer.
3. Here are five practices that I observed in successful people.
%u2192 I think you only observed but you have never followed.
4. At our company, we have a required learning hour every week.
%u2192 That is not weekly learning hour, that is weekly Churan hour. None other than few mangers attend that churan hour, they are attending because of you are forcing them.
5. Fortunately, with the advent of online education, many college courses are available to us for free online.
%u2192 Everyone knows there are free online courses but we can go through them provided you leave us from office.
6. In my view, 40 hours per week, if I am working in a focused manner, is a long time to work
%u2192 In my view everyone at MAQ works with full concentration and in focused maner. But still you make us to work for atleast 12 hour a day that means 12*5 = 60 hours a week (50% more than what you wrote)
7. Poor management is the first reason
%u2192 Yes, poor manger can be a reason for long working hours, but this is also because of you. You and your so-called puppets (Redmond team) give so less time for us to develop and test.
8. These include our constant need to keep up with personal and work e-mails, text messages, websites, Facebook posts, instant messages, and phone calls.
%u2192 I have myself seen your son doing Facebooking in office as if he is booking a tatkal ticket (continuously refreshing the page) and one more point we are going to office so that we can work and earn our living not to completely disconnect from society.
9. In just a few years, they could not handle the stress from their daily commute and they ended up leaving the company.
%u2192 They ended up leaving your office not because of distance. They must have left so that they can leave the dictatorship of Rajeev Agarwal. You and your policy and your quiz on that book are few examples. Don%u2019t know when my day will come and I will also leave your company.
10. Second, by not driving, I reduce the probability of getting into accidents.
%u2192 Please take this statement seriously and stop coming to India and bothering us.
11. For example, our company calendar is published for the coming 12 months on a rolling basis.
%u2192 It is done in every company, you can look at UPSC website they have planned for 2 years :P
12. Many free websites are available to help us improve our English. Even if we spend just 10 minutes per day consistently, we can improve our vocabulary and grammar.
%u2192 Many free websites are available to help us improve our Management skills. Even if I spend just 10 minutes per day consistently, I can improve my Managerial and skills to keep employee happy.
Below are some of my viewpoints on above given %u201Cchuran%u201D by Rajeev.
1. Many aspiring professionals routinely ask me about career planning and growth
%u2192 I don%u2019t think anyone apart from your family member would ever consult you for any career guidance.
2. Many people I have worked with rose quickly through the ranks, while others took much longer.
%u2192 I think you are the only one who took longer.
3. Here are five practices that I observed in successful people.
%u2192 I think you only observed but you have never followed.
4. At our company, we have a required learning hour every week.
%u2192 That is not weekly learning hour, that is weekly Churan hour. None other than few mangers attend that churan hour, they are attending because of you are forcing them.
5. Fortunately, with the advent of online education, many college courses are available to us for free online.
%u2192 Everyone knows there are free online courses but we can go through them provided you leave us from office.
6. In my view, 40 hours per week, if I am working in a focused manner, is a long time to work
%u2192 In my view everyone at MAQ works with full concentration and in focused maner. But still you make us to work for atleast 12 hour a day that means 12*5 = 60 hours a week (50% more than what you wrote)
7. Poor management is the first reason
%u2192 Yes, poor manger can be a reason for long working hours, but this is also because of you. You and your so-called puppets (Redmond team) give so less time for us to develop and test.
8. These include our constant need to keep up with personal and work e-mails, text messages, websites, Facebook posts, instant messages, and phone calls.
%u2192 I have myself seen your son doing Facebooking in office as if he is booking a tatkal ticket (continuously refreshing the page) and one more point we are going to office so that we can work and earn our living not to completely disconnect from society.
9. In just a few years, they could not handle the stress from their daily commute and they ended up leaving the company.
%u2192 They ended up leaving your office not because of distance. They must have left so that they can leave the dictatorship of Rajeev Agarwal. You and your policy and your quiz on that book are few examples. Don%u2019t know when my day will come and I will also leave your company.
10. Second, by not driving, I reduce the probability of getting into accidents.
%u2192 Please take this statement seriously and stop coming to India and bothering us.
11. For example, our company calendar is published for the coming 12 months on a rolling basis.
%u2192 It is done in every company, you can look at UPSC website they have planned for 2 years :P
12. Many free websites are available to help us improve our English. Even if we spend just 10 minutes per day consistently, we can improve our vocabulary and grammar.
%u2192 Many free websites are available to help us improve our Management skills. Even if I spend just 10 minutes per day consistently, I can improve my Managerial and skills to keep employee happy.
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