Is that what you do when internal company emails hit your inbox?

Or ignore them because they not important to you?

A webinar invite. An external speaker session. New client wins. Or the launch of new training skills. They remain unread.

You've got work to do.

Your senses are tuned to respond to emails from your immediate boss.

Or from clients you handle.

That's super important. The rest can wait.

This is where the insider bias works against you.

You shrink your world to fit your role and responsibilities.

And become oblivious to how your company is advancing. Or not.

Your eyes are on that promotion in the next year or so.

And you're competing with two or three other contenders in your department.

It's the wrong thing to focus on.

Internal emails tell you everything. Where the company's business is growing and where it's shrinking. And you think it doesn't concern you.

Different dynamics operate at higher levels across the company. And the markets.

And if you don't keep your eyes on it, your role may not even matter in two years.

Learn how the company you are in delivers value. 

And where you can make a difference. 

That's your insurance

University or Google certified?

The competition always comes from a direction the establishment doesn't expect.

Google launched an IT support Certification on Coursera and committed to 10,000 scholarships back in 2018

Now, they will shortly introduce certification for Data Analysts, Project Managers and UX Designers

The courses take 3-6 months to complete, for learners who satisfy all requirements

And certificate holders are eligible for jobs at Google.

In addition to jobs at several other global companies

Here's the fine print: Completing the program can earn you up to 12 college credits, the equivalent of 4 year associate degree-level courses

And with that, Google and some of the biggest employers in the world are telling you a 4 year course does not give you a distinct advantage.

A University degree was a life and career defining choice.

If you can compete for a job at Google spending far less, what would you choose?

Large IT companies always spent months training people for entry level jobs.

Now employees at Google will conduct training and develop material for the courses. 

It costs a fraction of a university degree. With 8 batches of Google Certificate holders passing out in the same period.

Universities have to rethink their value equations right now

Do your marks matter? Yes. And No.

Parents have the deciding vote on it right through school

Your grades and qualifications are all important to land your first job.

After that, it's entirely up to you.

On the job, you don't command more respect because of the grades you got in college.

As your experience grows, it becomes your portfolio.

You'll need your degree for fulfilling statutory and HR norms but that file goes into the records and stays there.

In a sense, it's going back to 1st grade. How you progress depends on what you achieve.

For some people, especially in marketing and sales, the track record is their report card.

And it literally takes them places.

But technology changes can impact careers adversely as well.

It makes sense to watch what's happening within the company you work in.

If your company is pivoting to a different market or changing its business model, it's time to add qualifications that matter

And plan your move to divisions that are seeing explosive growth within.

It keeps you going for a while before the next big thing takes over.

Whether it's IoT, or AI or ML

Adaptability, not experience becomes your guiding factor.

And your trump card

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