Hi
For the mature professional, knowledge is the primary driver of economic growth and value creation.
As a knowledge worker, you apply your knowledge to solve problems.
Those who can think differently, generate novel ideas, and innovate in a knowledge economy have a distinct advantage. Such thinking is evident through critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
Building and nurturing your intellectual capital—your skills, knowledge, talent, competency, capability, innovative potential, relationships and reputation, all will help provide you with a competitive edge in your current or future employment.
Cal Newport, in his book 'So Good They Can't Ignore You' wrote about building rare and valuable skills that are crucial to avoid being a commodity in your professional life.
A commodity means an item or service indistinguishable from others, e.g., sugar, rice and thousands of other products in the supermarket. Professionals, such as accountants, are often viewed as commodities, assuming that anyone in the profession can do the job as well as any other.
Considering your career in terms of your capacity to sustain a competitive edge over others in the job market, particularly in terms of intellectual capital, is crucial to safeguard your long-term career prospects, employability, and potential to generate adequate financial returns for a desired lifestyle.
Identifying in the first place and continuously nurturing and updating your unique skills and knowledge is valuable in today's knowledge-based economy.
Self-employment or freelancing opportunities exist now where employers need specialised expertise on demand. If you have the expertise, you may only need a few clients to transition to self-employment.
I hope you found this article useful, you can hit reply with your thoughts.
Cheers
Nigel Rawlins
Chief Wisepreneur
PS. Don't forget to check out the 11 podcast interviews at https://wisepreneurs.com.au/podcast/
I am currently editing two new ones to release over the next few weeks. I'll tell you more next week
