Fewer jobs, more people in the job market. This is the phenomenon across the globe. Most young people complain about not finding the right job, or sluggish career growth. In Pakistan career counseling is not a common profession and there are only few good quality headhunters who cater for large multinational companies.
On the other hand, universities also do not have active career counseling process for graduating students. This is a complex situation. There are several thousand web resources and books that claim to make you an expert CV writer and you will land in your dream jobs, however these resources are scattered and somewhat irrelevant to Pakistani market.
AwamiWeb came across a recent publication on this subject titled “Bootstrapping Your Career”.This book is written by Mr Hammad Siddiqui who has over 25 years of experience in working at senior most positions at British Deputy High Commission, Karachi and at Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). He has been doing career counseling as a volunteer for over 20 years.
Book is divided into eight chapters, logically binding concepts such as the importance of storytelling, CV crafting, finding your unique selling proposition, using social media for job search, importance of building a strong network, rejoicing success etc. There are some exercises also for readers to evaluate their own standing in the job market.
One of the most interesting chapter is about Key Career Questions. Mr Hammad Siddiqui selected seven most asked questions and spoke to three career experts. Responses from these career experts are really stunning!
What convinced us to review this book are quotes from two legendary personalities, Mr Saad AmanUllah Khan, CEO of Gillette Pakistan and Mr Sarfaraz A Rehman, CEO Engro Foods, both spoke vey highly about this book.
We also loved the quote from Emily Drew of Aljazeera TV. She said “whether you are seeking an improved quality of life or a raise, sometime the only way to get ahead is switching jobs. This books gives practical examples that will help you navigate your career path and realistically asses potential risks and rewards”
Books is available online from booksestore.com