CHAPTER 1

Becoming a Person of Value

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweepstreets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethovencomposed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Heshould sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heavenand earth will pause to say, "Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Adding value to yourself is the process of investing in yourself so youcan contribute more to your environment.

Like an expensive jewel in a shop, you should be worth what someoneis willing to pay for you.

Improve yourself constantly: read a new book, learn a new trade, learna new subject, learn a new sport, and invest time in upgrading yourskills and knowledge.

One of the best ways to find a job is to do an excellent job in theone you have, even if it's not the ideal job you want. Always "thinkfresh," and challenge yourself to come up with alternatives andoptions to a problem. This way you will always train yourself to be asolution-provider. Learn something new every day, and make up yourmind not to give half measure on your job.

Be someone your employer knows to do more than you are paid for.Open your mind to new ideas and always be ready to challenge thestatus quo. Always be willing to help, and be disposed to teach otherswhen you have knowledge, skills, and ability that others do not have.People hoard information because they think that the other personmay become better than they are. Well, each time you teach anotherperson, you also learn and become better. Those you teach will neverbeat you unless you stop learning.

If you are currently without a job, don't feel locked out. It's anopportunity for you to read the numerous books you bought overthe past few years that you have never opened. It's an opportunity tolearn something new, to try new hobbies; you may just discover a newtalent that could hold the key to your financial independence. Whilenot the focus of this book, the discovery of your talent is one of thepotential benefits of unemployment.

To constantly add value to yourself these are some of the questionsthat you should ask:

• What books have I read recently?

• What training or seminar have I attended?

• What professional journal have I read?

• What personal development site or educational internet sitehave I visited recently?

As a professional, it is the value that you have acquired that enablesyou to give value to your employer. You can only give what youhave. When you develop your talent and skills, you deserve all therecognition and reward (financial and emotional) that you get. Yourability to earn more money will depend on your ability to contributemore to a greater number of people. It doesn't necessarily come byyears of experience but by years of experience doing productivethings and contributing value.

Work not to be a man of success, rather work to be aman of value.

Albert Einstein

CHAPTER 2

What Employers Seek When Hiring

Big jobs usually go to the menwho prove their ability to outgrow small ones.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every employer desires to build a winning team, and to build awinning team you need good people. Hiring good people is hardand to hire great people is obviously brutally harder! So what doprospective employers look out for in the potential employees?

There are many traits looked out for by prospective employers, buthere are seven that apply to any hiring decision irrespective of level ororganization involved.

1. Integrity

People with integrity tell the truth, and keep their words. They takeresponsibility for their actions, admit mistakes, and fix them. Theyplay to win the right way, by the rules. They know and adhere to theletters and the spirit that govern their companies, industry and nation.They can be relied upon.

Employers test for integrity by observing you closely as theyinteract with you from when you stepped into the company forthe interview, how you answer the interview questions till whenyou leave the premises. They also test for this from outside byreputation and reference checks. The prospective employerchecks to know if the candidate is honest, openly admitsmistakes, talks about his life with equal measures of candor andprudence.

Some of the words synonymous with integrity include candor,honesty, forthrightness, principle and sincerity. Therefore, displaythese not just for the interview but also in all aspects of life.

2. Intelligence

This doesn't mean the person must be a rocket scientist or a heartsurgeon. This means strong dose of intellectual curiosity; the...