Building A Career Moat.
Developing a competitive edge in the Job market
Sitting down in a Political Science class in 2019, I was just 2 years away to officially become a graduate. The only question I asked myself was, in a class of more than 1000 political science students, if we all decide to apply for roles in the corporate setting after school what would give me the competitive edge over my colleagues in the application process and the interview phase. I kept ruminating on this question for days and what intensified this thought was how I extremely struggled through the streets of Accra just to secure an internship position to gain my first corporate experience. I became conscious of this dog-eat-dog environment I currently find myself in thus I concluded that, developing a robust career trajectory is what would give me the competitive advantage over my peers in the job market. I didn’t know what career moat was by then but over the years, this is a term I have come to appreciate as an instrument for career success.
What is a Moat?
In the middle ages one of the most significant strategies employed by great empires to safeguard their environments was building moats around their empires to protect them from any external attacks. Moats are bodies of water that surround castles, to prevent enemies from destroying the castle by fire, digging tunnels under the castles or reaching the castle by land. Some of these ancient castles surrounded by moats include Corinth, Babylon, and Buhen (Egypt). In a nutshell, moat is a defensive ditch for protection.
What is a career moat?
So with the definition of moat aforementioned, a career moat is an individual’s ability to possess a solid career capital that gives him competitive advantage over competitors in the job market. A typical example of this definition is: You are unperturbed about finding a job because, you know that if you’re laid off, or dismissed, you can easily find another job because you have solid career capital that is, you possess skills and experience that are relatively rare, and you have a strong network that can assist you in gaining access to numerous opportunities for remuneration. Most recently, when we look at how the CEO of Open AI, Sam Altman was ousted and reinstated just days later is a clear testament to the relevance of developing a career moat.
How do we build a career moat?
Based on the personal experience and the results I have garnered over some months after completing my one-year mandatory trainee program, I believe developing a sustainable career moat hinges on the six pillars below.
1)Intellectual Curiosity: This constitutes being intellectually humble and embracing the willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn, in any environment you find yourself. Aside this, possessing specialized knowledge and skills in a particular field that is of high demand put you on a good path for distinction. This could involve enrolling in online courses, acquiring new certifications, and formal educational upgrade to put you ahead of the curve in a particular field. Concerning this, your ability to adapt to changes in market conditions is heightened due to your willingness for growth.
2)Personal Branding: This implies cultivating a solid personal brand which showcases your skills, expertise, knowledge, and accomplishment in a particular field. Most recently, the most apt way to build your personal brand is to leverage platforms such as Twitter, and LinkedIn to demonstrate your skills. Placing strong premium on this makes you stand out and gives you a competitive edge to build relationships with diverse industry players on the internet.
3)Networking: Building a personal moat is a continuous activity which requires you to have valuable network of people that can connect you to certain opportunities, make you grow, and help you stay relevant in a particular industry. Developing a career moat means it doesn’t matter the number of times you’re laid off or dismissed, you have a strong network of industry players that can mention your name or recommend you for opportunities in particular environment. In a nutshell you should have a sound social capital.
4)Excellent Communication Skills. One of the most important element to look out for is being able to dexterously articulate your thoughts in written form or vocally to a specific audience. It is an error to try to develop your personal moat without paying critical attention to your communication skills. How would you build your personal brand, and network if your communication skills is weak. It is impossible! Possessing distinctive public speaking skills, and excellent scribing skills are vital elements to building a vigorous career moat.
5)Entrepreneurial Mindset. In our current dispensation having an entrepreneurial mindset is a powerful element for building a career moat. This involves being proactive, results oriented, being innovative, taking calculated risk, and developing the capacity to work harder than your peers be it in the corporate setting or your own business environment. Concerning this, you should be able and willing to move out of your comfort zone to experiment and grow so as to stay relevant in your industry.
6)Being Consistent With Personal Values. To build a long-lasting career and safeguarding your career also consist of being glued to your personal values. Staying consistent with your personal principles irrespective of whatever situation you find yourself in . Being integrious, discipline, and ethical in your dealings are some of the values you shouldn’t compromise on. Aside this sometimes finding companies that have corporate culture that aligns with your personal values also helps you to appreciate and express your values.
In conclusion, our fast-paced, AI-driven world demands robust career moats. By prioritizing these six pillars, you can navigate the ever-changing job market with confidence, relevance, and enduring success.
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Quote For The Week.
The best career advice I ever got was this: Build a career so good that you don’t have to chase opportunities, they chase you. Shonda Rhimes
Book I’m Currently Reading
BreakOut! By Joel Osteen
Favourite Music of The Week
Lonely at the Top By Asake