January 2005
The Job Searching Crystal Ball for 2005
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
January 2005
The Job Searching Crystal Ball for 2005
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
It’s always tough to commit oneself to predicting the future in writing but I’ll give it a try. The American economy is mushing along and will continue to do so during 2005. You’ll be noting more self-employed men and women of all ages and ethnicities, who develop their own businesses, part time or full time. More professional jobs will be outsourced to India and China in new and expanding fields beyond manufacturing and IT. American K-12 education will still lag behind in their attention to improving science and mathematics training. Young people will have more job opportunities than their slightly older peers did in the last 2-3 years. The list goes on . . .
Here are seven themes that you can expect to see in headlines in the coming year that directly relate to job searching:
Shortages of Skilled Workers:
While that may not sound like the greatest positive news, it will be for those who have committed themselves to making their skills razor-sharp. Workforce experts are already predicting "worker dearth" in the coming year. However, they are referring to highly skilled workers in all industries and occupations. Those with marginal formal education or rusty college degrees and technical skills will find themselves with tough competition.
Fiercer Global Competition:
As the recent Wall Street Journal cartoon noted in an exchange between an employment agency counselor and a 40+ job seeker, "We have many openings for a man with your skills — but they’re all in Third World countries." Global competition is fierce, especially when countries like China and India place a high premium on education, while Americans still kid themselves that grade inflation and poor showings in international math competitions count for nothing.
Technology continues at breakneck speed:
As we all know, technology has been rapidly creating new jobs and opportunities and making more and more tools available to workers. Where you might find many people on a manufacturing floor or in a typical office, marginal workers have been replaced by sophisticated technology. The premiums paid to those who understand technology and can use it creatively will only increase.
Soft skills count for even more:
The best jobs will continue to go to those who develop their soft skills. These are the ones that are hard to quantify but are invaluable to each worker and his/her company. They include:
- Versatility
- Teamwork
- Customer service
- Sharp oral and written communications
- Independent problem solving ability
- Ability to anticipate new situations and prepare for them,
- Ability to find, synthesize, and capitalize on new information
- Social networking savvy
Benefits plus in the workplace:
Companies will continue to outsource jobs and services to those who can fill the bill, regardless of their location. This can mean more opportunities for those who are free agents to bid to work on specific projects. Smart companies will continue to add to their arsenal of benefits to recruit and retain worthy employees. These include: job sharing, telecommuting, flexible schedules, tuition reimbursement, more time off for training, "cafeteria-style" benefits, workshops on multi-generational workforces, and recruiting diverse groups of workers with employee referral programs and other bonuses.
The importance of having outstanding mentors:
Watson Wyatt Worldwide found that 43% of employees believe their supervisor does not provide the guidance they need to improve their performance. Ask in your job interview about opportunities for managers, including the ones you’ll be reporting to, about their supervisory training programs. If they look blank at you or say that it hasn’t been necessary, regard their answer as a red flag. Chances are good that you won’t have the world’s best boss, that the corporate environment isn’t conducive to your having a mentoring relationship, or that you will receive any training when you’re promoted. Smart companies and employees are realizing that the relationship between them is more productive and happy for all concerned when training is part of the regular work week.
Relentless growth and importance of harnessing the Internet in your job search:
I don’t think that there is anyone left who thinks that the Internet is a fad that will go away with the hula hoop. Having said that, I have found that job seekers who ask me for advice think that the Internet is a panacea that will magically and effortlessly find them a better job. The Internet is definitely a terrific tool, but it is one that takes mastery and time to propel you from job seeker to happiness in a new career.
Finally, here are some valuable Web sites to help you master the intricacies of Internet job searching:
The University of Chicago has a crackerjack Careers and Planning Services Web site for alums, those interested in the Chicago area, and all the rest of us. They provide excellent online resources and models of electronic resumes for you to adapt to your own talents, experience, and expertise.
Start at Academic360.com to find your alumni association. If you've attended a college or university for at least 1 semester, you are probably entitled to consider yourself an alumnus and have access to the network represented by the school's alumni/ae association.
Vault.com has excellent informal information about the real working environment in hundreds of companies around the country. Consider it your electronic "water cooler." Vault also has excellent, must-read articles and results of studies pertaining to job searching.
More than 600 groups are listed on Yahoo where former employees can gripe and vent, or, more constructively, share their experiences in new employment and business opportunities.
Summary:
The only job security now and in the near future is continuous learning, adaptability to new environments, careful monitoring of upcoming trends and changes, sharpening your professional and personal networks, and continuous flexibility in your current job and anticipated ones in the future. The right way to stay employed in the 21st century is to work smart in your present job, take classes and upgrade your skills, and to prepare for the next career and opportunity.
Happy New Year!
Jane M. Lommel, Ph.D.
jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com
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