I read "Creating Learning Technologies for People Over 40 Who Are Still "Indispensable Talents for the Company"": Only those who know how to think about themselves and construct a development strat...
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Recently, I was very happy to have the opportunity to be interviewed by a writer (https://crossing.cw.com.tw/article/13323). We chatted for almost an hour through Facebook Messenger, and the topic revolved around my own career development in my twenties and thirties. Many friends know that I come from the media and have worked as a reporter, editor and director, but few people know that my first job in life was actually an electronic engineer who was busy assembling, welding electronic components and designing circuit diagrams? Well, isn’t this a bit hard to imagine?
In fact, when I was interning at Acer Computer, I once wrote a database program! Some friends are curious, why did I go from an ordinary electronic engineer to a product manager and producer in the Internet industry, and then to the media and e-commerce fields, and even now serve as a corporate consultant, lecturer, and columnist?
Some people say that my skill tree is a bit exaggerated. In fact, this is not about how good I am. To be honest, it is more related to my diverse interests. Having said that, this is also inseparable from the “cross-field learning” that is popular today. For a long time, I have not only loved reading but also loving learning. I think I know some learning methods and tips, so I can not lose touch with the world and get started quickly when I come into contact with different fields.
But during this interview, I kept hearing the word “early years” mentioned by the other party, and then I realized that I was no longer young. I couldn’t help but feel something in my heart, and my thinking also moved forward…
As I get older, in the past few years I have begun to notice many landscapes that I never paid attention to before. Just like a group of friends born in the 40s and 50s, even if they have extraordinary skills and work hard, they can easily encounter bottlenecks at work. As a result, some friends seek opportunities to change careers, while others simply invest in Second Life, or express their creativity as freelance workers. But I also know that there are more friends who are still struggling in some corner of the workplace…
How can an elderly person still become a backbone that the company relies on, or even an indispensable talent for the company? I think this is indeed a big question. As a business consultant and professional lecturer, my clients and students will inevitably encounter these problems, so I think about related solutions from time to time.
Recently, when I read the new book of the prolific Japanese writer Ishida Jun “[Learning techniques to create valuable talents who are still “indispensable to the company” after 40 years old]” (https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/001 0855130?utm_source=vista&utm_medium=ap-books&utm_content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202005)》, the corners of my mouth raised involuntarily, as if I had found a soulmate.
Jun Ishida, an expert in the field of behavioral science from Japan, has obviously done a thorough research on workplace culture. Not only does he understand the mood of business people in their thirties and forties, but he also understands everyone’s learning motivations and even the bottlenecks and challenges they encounter.
Therefore, he wrote in “[Learning techniques to create valuable talents who are still “indispensable to the company” after 40 years old](https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/0010855130?utm_source= vista&utm_medium=ap-books&utm_content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202005)” This book lights up a beacon for this group of professionals in their thirties and forties who study hard but often fail to get the point.
Different from other similar-themed books that talk about learning technology, “[Creating learning technology that is still valuable as an “indispensable talent for the company” over 40 years old](https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/0010855130? utm_source=vista&utm_medium=ap-books&utm_content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202005)” incorporates the author Jun Ishida’s practical experience over the years, and of course a large amount of behavioral science management knowledge. Jun Ishida told us that the efficiency of personal learning can be effectively improved through four steps: “finding the purpose”, “setting goals”, “planning actions” and “actual verification”.
The techniques taught by the author in the book made me particularly impressed and felt that they were feasible. The reason is very simple, because I myself have similar experiences and feelings.
For example, recently I have been teaching about content marketing and [copywriting](https://ww w.writing.vc/), I have also started to produce online courses on personal branding (https://jumpstart.best/courses/vista-personal-branding/). Many friends have discussed with me how to build a personal brand. Perhaps it is due to the changes in the general environment and the recent raging epidemic. In the sluggish economy, everyone hopes to break through through self-media operations or other methods, or to expand their career development pattern.
Among them, many friends told me that they already know the truth of “the fragrance of wine is afraid of the dark alleys”, and they also look forward to seeking more business opportunities by building personal brands. But, the question is how to start?
At this time, I will suggest that you adopt the strategy of “beginning with the end in mind” and first close your eyes and imagine…
What will it look like one day when you have a personal brand that you are proud of? When people mention your brand, do they feel happy? Or is it passionate?
Next, slowly look back… and think about why you wanted to build a personal brand in the first place? Any specific goals or motivations? Do you want to change the world like Steve Jobs? Or do you hope that you can become a popular knowledge-based internet celebrity like Adi or Guji?
Secondly, which groups do you want to target for interaction and communication? In other words, you need to figure out which target audience you are serving? You know, building a personal brand certainly has the opportunity to make money and increase your voice, but I think if you can grow yourself in the process and provide your unique value at the same time, that will be more important than anything else!
Next, you can start taking stock of your resources. For example, what are your strengths and advantages? What other connections are there that I can connect with? In order to stand out from the competition, do you have to choose a specific market to compete in? Having said that, this is also called positioning.
Only by starting from your own expertise and interests, identifying competitive themes, targeting markets with clear needs, and making differentiation can you have the opportunity to polish your personal brand!
As the author mentioned in the book, the market value of business people will be seriously tested and may no longer be as important as in the past. Even top talents will gradually become obsolete in just one or two years if they are too comfortable. What the author means is that it is not enough for us to work hard. Only by constantly learning and keeping up with the times can we not be eliminated by this rapidly changing era.
Jun Ishida reminded everyone that not only should they learn something truly useful, but they should also know how to take stock of their past experiences and carefully consider the abilities needed to cope with social changes in the next five or ten years. In other words, in addition to gaining more knowledge, you must also know how to think about yourself and construct a development strategy that “begins with the end in mind”. In 2020, a sudden epidemic disrupted people’s lives. It is conceivable that the future development of the situation will be more stringent and chaotic. After reading “[Learning techniques to create valuable talents who are still “indispensable to the company” after 40 years old](https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/0010855130?utm_source=vista&u tm_medium=ap-books&utm_content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202005)》, now I can more clearly realize the importance of learning; having said that, only continuous improvement and effective output are the best ways to ensure stability in this world.
★ Featured image credit: Vandan Patel
★ Want to build your personal brand? Come and sign up for the “Personal Brand Management Practice” online course.
Further reading
- I read “The Yield of Thinking”: Strengthen the four thinking skills and develop business thinking
- I read “First-class people read, where do they draw the line?” : Deep Thinking Techniques for Elite Reading: Don’t draw lines on existing beliefs, but absorb the unknown
- I read “Narrative Arc: Pulitzer Prize judges teach you to write good and popular interview reports”: My review of the interview writing career
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