Lunch for Thought - The Mentorship Edition

Prior to this, I was wondering what I should write for this entry. But thereafter, I've decided to share with you guys my takeaways from a conversation with my mentor this afternoon over lunch. The following is in the context of the communications industry.

1. Always think towards to being your own boss

Do you want to be a salaried employee forever? Or do you want to have the power to call the shots in the future? After all these years of slogging for your bosses, even if you are working as a PR executive all along, you can still ultimately start up your own business in the area of your interest.

When he was talking about this. I was thinking, "How good if I have my own little fashion boutique too?" It made a bit of sense to me at that point because to me, as we grow older, everything slows down and we may not be as competitive or driven as before, and this is the time when we can, or if we can, afford to lay back while our incomes just continue flowing in. How good is that?

2. Networking is very, very important

If you start to have the above thought/goal (starting your own biz) in mind, the networking that you do and the rapport that you've built along your career will definitely help you tremendously at the time when you want to start a business. But that aside.

Having a strong network can really help you make many things possible. Period.

3. Certain personality traits are what some employers are looking for nowadays

Every industry has their own 'type of people'. Certain people with a certain set of personality traits strive better in certain industry. For instance, a person who is very aggressive will do well in the sales industry but might not be able to perform well in client servicing. It is also observed that some companies do make job applicants go through some 'online personality tests' or 'EQ tests' before allowing them through the first round of interview. Why?

4. EQ is important too

One has to be tactful when one communicates with his/her clients. A lot of EQ is needed to deal with clients amicably. Like how my mentor puts it, there are a lot of ways to break a BAD news. It is just how you do it, that will result in a less depressing aftermath.

The above are my version of understanding and most importantly, my way of interpreting and internalising my mentor's words and ideas. Agree with it or not, it's wholly up to you.

Just sharing my two cents worth.