Alchemy is the ancient art of attempting to transmute base metals into silver and gold and is considered to be part of a general striving of all things towards perfection. Watching young professionals and particularly doctors manage their careers one could be forgiven for thinking that they were deliberating attempting reverse alchemy. Despite feverish attention to educational progression, career management is seen as an unnecessary soft skill and these people often effectively make themselves unemployable. Third level institutions rarely emphasise basic career literacy skills such as preparation of a CV, interview techniques, career planning, time management and effective presentation and communication skills.
Much attention is focused internationally on the brain drain of professionals from resource poor countries to the developed world but little attention is focused on the far worse reality of professionals from resource poor countries who move to the developed world and fail to secure suitable employment as they have limited career management skills and poor understanding of cultural differences. Sadly many of these young hopefuls end up as security guards, gas station attendants, valets in their new country and I have worked with many of these individuals in the USA, Europe and South Africa over the past five years. There is also the loss to the productive workforce of professionals who enroll in serial overlapping courses in a misguided attempt to secure better employment.
This book on career alchemy is written with examples from the world I know best and the world where inefficiencies in career management can have the most devastating impact-the world of the African doctor.
