The key to securing your future career in today’s economy is already a common practice for many. But for those of you who may be facing a career transition for the first time in many years this will be a change in your job search strategy that is as significant as the changes we have experienced in our economy.
Although changes in the economy are a part of life, the economic turmoil experienced over the past year has had more of an impact on the future of careers than we have seen in a lifetime. Unemployment rates have reached levels not seen since the Great Depression. Bankruptcies and foreclosures have reached unprecedented levels. Long established industries are floundering, manufacturing opportunities are at record lows and the health care industry is now thriving.
Not as sudden but equally significant in impacting the future of careers are the changes we have seen over time. Less than a generation ago, a 30 year career with one company was not uncommon. Today, it is unheard of and has evolved into an average tenure of 2.3 years! “Job security” has become an obsolete term and an unattainable goal. An executive job search which was expected to take weeks is now expected to take months! The average search today is 10 months. Worldwide use of the Internet at the end of 1995 was 16 million. Today there are 1,669 million Internet users worldwide which is fuelling the growth of social media at a rate far surpassing that of newspapers, radio and television.
The overall impact on the job market is one of fierce competition. Yesterday’s job search strategies will not help you with your future career. In order to secure your future in today’s highly competitive job market it is imperative that you establish the following:
- A professional email address, required for the majority of correspondence and mandatory when submitting your resume online. Professional is BarbaraMackie@rogers.com NOT babs@hotmail.com!
- A Linkedin profile, which will generate an address that must be included in your contact information on your resume. This will be one of many online profiles required for professional networking and to gain you an online presence necessary as hiring professionals are searching for and validating candidates online.
- A Personal Brand. Your personal brand must be established and maintained throughout your career. Who are you? Who is it that others see? Are you acknowledged as an expert in your field?
- Self Confidence! If you intend to successfully sell yourself to others and stand out from the competition, you must shine with confidence, an attribute even more valuable than knowledge! If you have confidence in yourself, the hiring professional will also feel confident in supporting you as a viable candidate.
A bold and professional presence established through online and offline networking is the most critical component in your job search today and the key to securing your future career.
Contact Elite Resumes for more job search strategies from a Certified Job Search Trainer and Job and Career Transition Coach.
As a member of Career Collective, I’m pleased to provide you with further professional job seach advice from the following members:
Meg Montford: Job Action Day: Finding Your “MOJO” After Layoff
Debra Wheatman: Plan B from outer space; or what do you have in case your first plan doesn’t work out?
Heather Mundell: Green Jobs – What They Are and How to Find Them
Erin Kennedy: Cutting Edge Job Search Blueprint
Grace Kutney: Securing Your Career While Navigating the Winds of Change
Hannah Morgan: Career Sherpa– Why Our Job Search Advice is the Same but Different
Gayle Howard: The Enlightened Jobseeker
Laurie Berenson: Making lemonade out of lemons: Turn unemployment into entrepreneurship
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter: You Can Thrive In, Not Just Survive, an Economic Slogging
Rosalind Joffe: It’s Not Just for Boyscouts
Rosa E. Vargas: Are You Evolving Into The In-Demand Professional of Tomorrow?
Dawn Bugni: Your network IS your net worth
Miriam Salpeter: Optimize your job hunt for today’s economy
GL Hoffman: The Life of An Entrepreneur: Is It for You?
Katharine Hansen: : Job Action Day 09: His Resume Savvy Helped New Career Rise from Layoff Ashes
Barvara Safani: Where the Jobs Are: 2009 and Beyond
Heather R. Huhman: Take Action: Ten Steps for Landing an Entry-Level Job
J.T. O’Donnell: Actions that got people jobs in this recession
Chandlee Bryan: Where the Green Jobs Are
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