Today's Job Market
Finding a job -
3 steps to help you thrive in an Uncertain Job Market
The US job market has seen some dramatic changes in recent years, as has
the UK job market and indeed that
of most countries in the developed world. Many of these changes are the
result of the fact that the job for life is no longer the norm. Nowadays,
not many people can expect to be in the same job or the same company ten
years after entering the job market, let alone when they reach retirement
age.
So, should you look for the fastest growing job market or go for what you enjoy?
There are several ways in which you can protect yourself and your future earning power.
First of all, become an expert in your chosen profession. Whichever field you are in, keep up to date with with developments and become a specialist. This doesn't mean that you have to understand every aspect of your career. You can choose a particular niche within the field and become an expert who is in demand. Consider what potential employers are looking for and see if that fits in with your own areas of interest.
However, with the rate of change in today's employment market, it pays to have more than one field of operation. By examining your transferable skills, you will see that you have many abilities which can be used in a number of different jobs or careers. By observing what is in demand in the workplace, you can gain additional skills which will you enable you to work in an alternative job, enabling you to move if your initial job is made redundant, or opening up the possibility of a portfolio career. So, the second step is : invest in training.
Thirdly, keep an eye out for trends. We've touched on this a little already, but in a world where people can expect to change careers 7 times in a lifetime, trends take on a much greater significance than previously. With the speed at which technology is developing, new careers are springing up all over the place. Change is happening not just within fields such as telephony and computing, but in all careers which make use of the latest advances in technology - very few jobs these days do not require the ability to use a computer, for example.
Trends can be short-term and long-term, with the former being more difficult
to predict. However, if you get it right, you could do well. And the ability
to combine both long and short term trends could make for an interesting
and lucrative career. Whilst attempting to forecast the next fad for 10
year old or predicting what teenagers will be asking for this Christmas
is difficult, there are plenty of trends which are here to stay. The world's
changing demographics are already having an enormous impact on the employment
market and this will continue and indeed increase, in coming years.
Combining your interests with areas of growth is likely to give you the most secure future.This will take a some research and a bit of planning, but the more effectively you pepare for change, the more likely you are to have some measure of job security. For more information on the fastest growing job market, go to: Fastest Growing Job Market
Waller Jamison is a freelance careers advisor and part-time university lecturer. She is the author of an e-book "9 Steps to CV Success." which includes info on UK Job Application Forms. For a free e-course on career change go to: Free Course
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