Competition Complexities: Rising Above The Pack.

Life they say, is a race and oftentimes, it is not always the strong that wins but the Swift. 

In every Sphere of life, everything is all about competition. You start a business, you have competitors to battle for the top spot. You go to school, you have hundreds if not thousands to battle for the topmost class available. As a young guy who wills to marry a very beautiful lady, you battle to have your potential spouse's attention as other well-to-do folks are also scrambling for the same attention. To crown it all, as a graduate or an employee, you battle with great minds who are ready to take that job or get that promotion. 

In a world where competition is the order of the day in all Spheres, what then are we meant to do to often take the topmost spots available? 

1. Get Updated.

Oftentimes, people get satisfied with the information they have had for years and they see no reason to update themselves. If you ask a graduate when last he got acquainted with his profession, he might not give you the answer you want. 

Today, we spend time on junks that really add no value to our lives. The way to stay above competition is always to stay updated in that craft of yours. Get to know the latest information about your craft. Know what is going on in your industry. Stick your ears to the walls and of course, know what's up. 

Doors open only for those who have the key unless you want to break in forcefully which of course, will have repercussions at the end. 

2. Flow with the trend.

There are shifts and changes almost every day. New things come to the market, new ideas become realities and innovation has become the order of the day. Those who fail to flow with the trend will be left out of the emerging markets. I am pretty sure you do not want to be that person who will not follow the market trend. 

Just few days ago, Nokia trended on Twitter as regards their latest version of phone made. The phone so far has what it takes to shatter other brands market with its jaw-dropping  specifications. Who would have thought Nokia could come up with such an amazing innovation? I mean, Nokia used to be the giant of mobile phones but for more than a decade now, others have taken the show. 

Nokia followed the trend, made what people wanted, better still, needed and they are still in business. 

When you fail to follow, you get left out. 

3. Get relevant knowledge.

Knowledge is important as much as its application. As a career person, if you do not have a good knowledge about your craft, you sure will not be able to compete with others out there. 

Did you know, according to the NBS report of 2018, 115.5 million Nigerians belong to the working age, and 90.5million people out of the working population are unemployed. It means that the total number of employed people in Nigeria is about 25 million.

Now, each industry in Nigeria has an average of 500,000 employees and you think you are the only one there? Come off it! To stay at work and on top of your career, you must constantly seek new and relevant knowledge. 

Thankfully, the internet is here with us to leverage on. Read journals on latest events, do well to search out knowledge to acquire in respect to your profession and you will be competitive.

4. Get Skilled in Your Craft.

Aside the theoretical knowledge, each profession has one or two skills that makes them distinct and until you learn those skills, you might not be able to climb the career ladder faster as those who have the needful skills will climb faster than you. 

For instance, an accounting graduate that doesn't know how to work out a company's data with Microsoft Excel is likely to not stay above competition. 

Somehow, being skilled in a computer software used in your profession is an advantage to make you climb faster than others and until you get skilled in one thing that will distinct you from the perks, you might not be positioned for a grand career success.

Oh well, you ge skilled and knowledge are things you hear every day, blah blah blah blah blah. But really, we cannot underscore the fact that organizations have moved beyond the grade written on your certificate (well, that still counts) to looking for something so strange and uncommon about you. 

Few days back, I thought, a BSc, B.Tech, HND and even, MSc or MBA have all become a very common commodity. Anyone can have them and of course, they position you well to even gain an organization's attention but what organizations look out for in you is an uncommon thing about you and you have to give it to them to a good career person!

5. Oh well, it would be an honor to let others learn from you. Kindly drop other helpful tips in the comments box and let others learn. If possible, kindly include your name.