Here
we stand, staring straight into the new millennium, in the
infancy of the Information Age. How is it, then, that you’re
still managing your career like it’s the early '80's?
Many of the assumptions and values around your career, which
made perfect sense in the Industrial Age, have been outdated
for years now. The changes yet to come are guaranteed to
come hard and fast.
Your
career success depends on whether you surf the waves of
change, or just stand on the beach, small and incredulous
while they crash down on you. When you’re considering
your career in the future, it may very well be useful to
keep the image of a surfer in your mind while I explain
a few of the changes and how they affect you.
The
early years of any era are invariably dicey. The rules change
quickly as we all struggle to get on the same page. As we
leave behind the Industrial Age, we are forced to leave
behind its paradigms surrounding careers. The American Dream
is no longer attained by the old formula (four-year degree
+ “good company” = career progression).
Remaining
frozen in fear, complaining, or ignoring change will not
make it go away. Running around in denial looking for an
old-style job at a “good” company will not save
you. Staying in college longer won’t save you. Even
starting your own company won’t necessarily ensure
you a lifetime career, although the mindset involved in
self-employment will be helpful throughout your career.
As an example of how things have changed, know this: it’s
no longer sufficient to get a four-year degree at the beginning
of one’s career and call it good. Advanced degrees
and ongoing attendance in focused technical programs throughout
one’s career will be the norm for those who seek above-average
earnings.
Darwin
would say that what’s called for here is adaptability.
The ability to stay abreast of constant, significant change
is the key to your survival. Looking forward to the future,
finding the good in change, and taking control of your own
career development are steps in the right direction. Striving
to truly understand the changes to our economy and the impacts
of newly emerging technologies will help you accept and
anticipate the changes that directly affect you. In an Information
Age, it is deadly to your career not to understand the big
picture and where you fit in. The good news is that, in
an Information Age, it’s easy to find the resources
you need to stay one step ahead.
Just
like the surfer, in order to do well you’ll need to
remain fit. In the career sense, fitness means continually
defining and developing your unique skills as well as adapting
them in an instant to satisfy a new and urgent business
need. Make sure you’ve got a line between you and your
surfboard …plan for the big spills and the changing
tides that may leave you temporarily unemployed. This means
having a solid financial plan rather than living two paychecks
away from insolvency as most Americans are rumored to.
So what
can you do right now? As you think of your career in the
new millennium, keep the notion of the surfer firmly in
mind. Keep your attitude young, hip, and healthy. View your
time with each employer as a surfer regards a particular
wave. Make the most of it, ride it as long as you can, and
have fun. But if you want to keep going, be looking for
the next wave to ride after the one you’re on subsides.
