Sohrab Vazir
Consultant | Founder | Global Citizen | Writer
Tag Archives: Career Planning
The unemployable entrepreneur: why founders become unemployable?
The tail of the unemployable entrepreneur is less often discussed. Many business owners believe that they have the option of employment if their business fails or they simply decide to shift their careers. If you are considering starting a business or are already an entrepreneur, you should be aware that you may be or become an unemployable entrepreneur. There are multiple reasons behind why entrepreneurs become unemployable and I will highlight some of them in this article. Many entrepreneurs believe that starting and growing a business equips them with skills that will assist them in employment, should they choose to pursue it at a later stage. And this is true in principle, however, the reality is that as an entrepreneur you are likely to become unemployable. Let’s look at some of the reasons why. Your skills are not the only factor As an entrepreneur, you will develop a multi-dimensional set of skills. These may help you excel in employment. However, employers often consider other factors and do not exclusively focus on your abilities alone. Long-term commitment Being a former or current entrepreneur undermines the prospects of your long-term commitment to a company. Many employers will assume that you are seeking a role for the short-term and will not commit to the company on a long-term basis. This translates to further costs incurred to the employer to re-hire and replace you as an employee. Obedience Yes, I used the word “obedience”. And please do not get me wrong: there are many employers who are great and do not expect “obedient” people in the strict definition of the term. However, being an entrepreneur undermines your ability to take orders and not be the “one in charge”. In an employer’s view, this raises the possibility of workplace conflict and ultimately having to let you go. The latter also comes with financial and legal liabilities for the employer. Conflict of interest And lastly, an employer may believe that you are seeking to work for them for the sole purpose of accessing their trade secrets, client base and internal protocols to start a competing business at a later stage. I do not need to explain this any further as there is no single company that would willingly assist a potential future competitor. If you are considering entrepreneurship, you must understand and accept the reality that you may become an unemployable entrepreneur if you consider a career shift in the future. Therefore, you must balance all probabilities and accept that this path may be permanent. I have also made a YouTube video on this topic with reference to my own example, make sure to check it out. If you need help with either entrepreneurship or employment. Feel free to reach out to me to discover how I can help. About | My name is Sohrab Vazir. I’m a UK-based entrepreneur and business consultant. At the age of 22, and while I was an international graduate, I started my own Property Technology (PropTech) business. Now I help aspiring business owners and job seekers fulfil their potential.
5 reasons why you are getting job rejections
Do you keep getting job rejections? You’re not alone. It’s a tough market out there & sometimes it simply isn’t your fault. However, it could also be you and something that you need to fix or improve. In this post, I will highlight 5 common reasons why people get job rejections. I remember the painful feeling of getting rejected after job interviews. It was even worse when I assumed that the interview had gone extremely well and the “professional chemistry” was there. However, rejection is a normal part of life, whether it’s job interviews, entrepreneurship, close relationships and so on. In fact, rejection can, to some extent, be used as constructive feedback and a tool for improvement. Hence, it’s important to be modest and have an open mind about how you’re performing in job interviews. Personally, I have applied to a lot of jobs in my early days when I just graduated. Plus, when I did grow a team for my startup, StudyFlats, I went through 1000s of CVs. Therefore, I can hopefully offer a double-sided perspective on the issue of job rejection. Here are 5 common reasons why you keep getting job rejections. The job did not exist Yes, sometimes there are fake jobs being advertised. The motives behind these could vary, and include (but are not limited to): You were simply not good enough Harsh truth, but it must be said. Sometimes, you are simply not good enough for something at a certain time of your life. And that’s okay! Take it as a sign that it was not meant to be and there are better options laid down for you down the road. So long as you make an active effort to improve yourself at all times. You were “too” good for the job The opposite of the previous scenario can be applicable too. And I am sure that most readers have heard the term “overqualified”. Believe me, it’s a real issue (speaking from personal experience). This is a truth that many do not speak about: employers do not always prioritise “competency” in candidate selection. There are other factors that an employer considers when hiring a new candidate, such as: Being overly skilled for a role goes directly against the spirit of the two points mentioned above. You have poor communication skills You may have the skills and qualifications for the job. However, job applications are inherently centred around rapport and personal impressions. Therefore, having poor communication skills is a high-risk factor for job rejection. Poor CV and/or cover letter And lastly, a poorly written or formatted CV/cover letter can be detrimental to a job application. Your CV and cover letter are the first impressions that you give to a potential employer. Therefore, any negative attributes may result in a job rejection. These are some common reasons why you may be getting job rejections. If you need help with your CV or cover letter, check out my services for job seekers. About | My name is Sohrab Vazir. I’m a UK-based entrepreneur and business consultant. At the age of 22, and while I was an international student (graduate), I started my own Property Technology (PropTech) business, StudyFlats. As a solo founder, I grew my business to 30+ UK cities, with a global client base across 100+ countries. Following the Pandemic killing my precious work/business, I now work as business and vocational consultant.