Are You Looking For A Job?
Careers used to follow a steady course as companies hired new recruits and planned what they had to do to gain promotion. Recruitment companies and personnel managers in large organisations were able to steer staff along predictable career paths. This, however, is no longer the case.
It’s different today
In today’s world of work the traditional career is over, as you have to take responsibility for your own progression and expect to have many different jobs with many different employers.
Businesses are employing less people for shorter periods of time as they contract out jobs to a growing army of flexible and freelance workers.
Many people today have to work outside the traditional firm as jobs become less dependent on where you work and more focussed on what you do.
The shift is caused by changes in technology, work practices and the recent recession; all of which changed the contract between employer and employee.
There is also a growing demand amongst jobs seekers for a different relationship with employers: one that provides a better and more meaningful work-life balance.
The downside of the new arrangement is a lack of security for traditional employees; the upside for those who succeed is a sense of freedom and choice about the future.
Regardless of your particular skills or work-life preference, however, it is clear that responsibility for developing your career resides entirely with you.
Meeting the challenge
To meet the challenge it is useful to consider the type of skills and experience you need in what is becoming a less certain and, at times, more insecure world.
It helps to look ahead and decide what you want from a career by considering future patterns of work, where you fit and what you can offer.
Many of the skills and much of the experience you need may not be taught in schools or universities, so you will have to develop other ways of complementing what you have learned.
Businesses too are less likely to invest in staff training and development as they hire more contract workers and reduce the number of direct employees.
The ability to gain experience and develop links with a wide range of people is vital to stay relevant in the jobs market and add value to prospective employers.
Skills too have a shorter life span than in previous years and need to be kept updated as employability and the ability to continually learn new things is essential.
The good news is that there are plenty of jobs; the bad news is that many are contracted out as companies shrink core fixed costs to stay competitive.
The solution is to look ahead and plan for a career that values skills and experience and the ability to work in uncertain and unpredictable environments.
SO, if you’re looking for a job, don’t forget success in the future will depend on having the right skills and selling what you have to offer.
