It is fairly easy to see why many people think short-term when it comes to employment. With the average job search now taking close to ten months according to The Wall Street Journal, the focus of millions of American workers is to secure his or her next paycheck – not what they are going to be doing five years from now.
There have been many long-term, profound changes occurring demographically, technologically, and globally, which have greatly impacted employment. To contend with these changes, many workers will have to shift from a “job” frame of mind, to a “career” mindset. Some jobs lost this past recession will never return in large numbers, whereas some other occupations are poised for growth. One of the current buzz-phrases of the employment industry is “transferrable skills.” These are the skills you have acquired, which may also apply to an occupation other than your chosen profession.
Whether you are looking for a new job right now or contemplating a change in the near future, transferrable skills become more and more important as specialization makes far-reaching changes in the jobs market. Much of this has occurred because of new technology. We have robotics replacing workers on factory floors, email replacing postal workers, Amazon stealing sales from large book retailers, automated voice recognition systems replacing call center employees, CAD programs replacing designers and draftsmen. The list goes on and on. Conversely, technology specialist jobs will grow by the tens-of-thousands in the next several years, as published by the US Dept. of Labor: Biomedical engineers, network systems and data communications analysts, computer software engineers and application designers, biochemists, and biophysicists to name a few. Globalization of business has largely been made possible by technology. An Indian engineer can work in her Hyderabad base for a Singaporean software company and be in constant communication, collaboration, and have all the tools and programs needed, as if she was in the HQ office. Global finance and stock markets are intertwined – with developments in one country impacting the others – and creating a multitude of opportunities in international finance and trade.
A major demographic shift we have been talking about for a couple of decades in the US is the aging of the population – baby-boomers in particular. This same phenomena is occurring in Europe, Japan, Russia, and now even China. For the workforces of these countries, it can be a boon. Ten of the top twenty fastest growth occupations in the US are related to healthcare, largely because of the aging boomers. There will be a need for over one and one-half million new registered nurses, nursing aides, home health care aides, and personal home care aides between now and 2018. Travel, hospitality, leisure entertainment, retirement and financial planning, health and fitness clubs, retirement centers, etc. will also be the beneficiaries.
The discussion of future employment is incomplete unless contingent jobs are included. Right now over one-half of the US workforce is not in a traditional employer/employee relationship. If you add the contingent workers on contract, sole proprietors, temporary, part-time, and the 26 million unemployed (combined on benefits and long-term fallen off benefits) it equals over fifty percent of the 154 million US workforce. And this trend away from traditional employees is increasing as large companies outsource more and more of their business functions. Being prepared to brand yourself and contract out for contingent work will become more likely a challenge going forward.
The future of jobs may require more education, development of technical skills, and the repurposing of skills already attained to better fit the requirements of a new or related occupation. Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site for a list of the fastest growing occupations. While you must contemplate your next job, you should also be thinking and planning for the long-term: If you are in the “best fit” career for your skills and passion, whether it is a growth field, and what additional education or retraining is needed to progress to the position you desire. This past recession has taught us that it is no longer enough to be just thinking of your next job, but you must be thinking about the next, next one and the one after that in a career framework. This is especially true for Generation X and Y who tend to change jobs much more frequently than the boomers. It has also taught us the importance of building a network of friends, colleagues, and classmates, and to nurture this network, so you will always have the support you need to find the “perfect fit” job openings and have introductions made when time for a change arrives.
Richard S. Pearson is the Author of 5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track 2nd Ed. now available on Amazon – featuring social networking to find jobs – http://amzn.to/mOdiVu He has held vice-president positions with four multibillion dollar travel industry companies and three Internet early stage companies. He has a BA degree from Regis University in Organizational Development. His experience has given him a unique perspective on how to navigate the organizational structures of both large and small companies. He has hired and trained hundreds of employees from frontline salespeople to vice presidents, and coached many through their careers. He is currently working on facilitating the large increase of travel between the US and China, which is taking place.
