Career Trends: What You Need to Know So You Wont Be Left Behind

Written by Marcia Zidle | Edited by Rory Hart
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    career advacementWelcome to the new world of work!

    Whether you’re just starting out, on the way to climbing that ladder of success, or looking for a new job or opportunity, here are three career trends from JobMob as well as tips to adapt so you won’t be left behind.

    1. Out: The Traditional Career. In: Multiple Careers/Multiple Income Streams
    We no longer live in a world of the “lifetime career” and nor can one job serve as a reliable source of income. The writing has been on the wall for a long time.

    I remember reading In 1994 William Bridges’ Job Shift: How to Prosper In a Workplace Without Jobs and started talking about the concept of becoming a “career entrepreneur”. In 2001, Daniel Pink followed with Free Agent Nation, and in 2007 Marci Alboher reiterated this trend in her book One Person/Multiple Careers.

    Career Success Tip:

    SWOT yourself. First, examine what you bring to the employment table. Review your Strengths (your skills and experiences that can move you from one career to another and your Weaknesses (the lack of skills and experiences that can hold you back. Then look outside your present company and industry. Review the Opportunities (where are the best place to be to further your career) and the Threats (where are the places that could hold back your career). Use this information to plan your next career moves.

    2. Out: Full-time Permanent Jobs. In: Contract/Part-time/Consulting Work
    The new reality that is hard for most people to fully comprehend and then act o is the following: Every job is temporary and we live in a Freelance economy. You may have a great job today; you may be in a career transition tomorrow. Your long-term career success will depend on your attitude (your ability to accept reality as it is not as you want it to be) and your aptitude (your ability to retool and reposition your skills for the changing employment scene).

    Career Success Tip:

    Think portfolio. How many different skills, interests, or roles can you leverage to create different careers and income sources? The sooner professionals acknowledge that work today comes in different forms (contract, full-time, part-time, consulting/entrepreneur) the easier one will be able to transition far more easily from one to the next.

    3. Out: Company Manages Your Career. In: You Are the BOSS
    Just a generation ago, most professionals were told that getting a job with a stable company was the reliable thing to do, and the corporation would “take care of you.” In the new economy, you have been promoted, whether you like it or not, to be the boss of you. In order to do this job well you better be a good career manager, because that’s what you are now.

    Career Success Tip:

    Take full responsibility for your career. Yes, of course, your manager should have your best interests in mind, but your career development is not at the top of his or her daily to-do list. It should be on top of yours. That’s the only way you will not only survive but thrive in this new world of work.

    Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

    Marcia Zidle