I am trying to keep things a tad simple, as it is a bit easier for me to understand base principals.
The base principle that I always bear in mind is that if one expects to be given money in exchange for doing something, then one needs to have a ready answer for the question "What's your value proposition?"
It's amazing how many people I have asked that question over the years who have no real idea of exactly why they should be employed rather than someone else. Some don't even think they should be expected to do what they are told or deliver what's asked of them. There are businesses out there who have failed because they couldn't answer the corollary question "Why should your customers come to you and not your competitors?".
We live in an age where there are loads of crap jobs about, paying low wages. To raise one's head above the competition requires a range of skills which I don't think anyone over the age of about 40 really understands, we were all born into an age where you went to school, got qualifications, and got a job which used those qualifications.
Nowadays, it's not enough to be skilled or qualified, one has to really understand how to use those skills to bring real benefits to an employer. I'm actually quite impressed how well the youngsters with whom I come into contact understand that.
