Tracking Trends Boosts
Your Marketability
The 21st Century workplace will be quite different than its
predecessor. What should you be looking at to be adaptive
or stay ahead of the curve? Understanding and following the
trends in these four workplace indicators will give you a
competitive edge in increasing your marketability.
1. What is the global economy? In simple terms, it
is the ability for business to be conducted internationally.
As a result, small businesses can now compete in a larger
marketplace, and big corporations now span the globe and have
international influence. As communication, transportation
and production options have improved, our ability to trade
with businesses in other countries has grown. Outsourcing
labor is not only financially viable, but may offer other
advantages to a company. We need to be aware of what is happening
in different countries and industries (especially your own)
because of the potential impact it might have locally.
2. Technological and scientific advancements have
dramatically altered the way we work and communicate. The
most obvious examples are the internet and computer. First,
solid computer skills and savvy are seen as a basic skill
for everyone, not optional. However, it is the power that
these new tools offer that will drive change at an increasingly
accelerating rate. The impact will be seen in industries from
food production to housing, transportation to education and
medicine. We are in our infancy as we look at the possibilities
for innovation and advancement in the next ten years. Even
those individuals in fields commonly thought of as "non-technical"
need to stay abreast of new software, technical knowledge
and skill changes in their profession or they risk becoming
obsolete.
3. Lifelong learning is necessary to keep current.
With the pace of change from new discoveries and expanded
knowledge, it is taking longer to acquire the basic knowledge,
skills, and abilities needed to compete. In fact, a consistent
investment in staying current or improving your ability to
contribute is necessary. Companies that invest in employee
development through mentoring programs, special project assignments
and continuing education will be prized. However, the responsibility
to manage your career is ultimately yours.
4. The demographics of working with increasingly diverse
co-workers and customers. Diversity can be defined as
understanding and accepting differences among people with
respect to age, ethnicity, race, gender, physical and mental
ability, sexual orientation, and spiritual practice. Here
are examples of a few trends that will push us to grow in
our interpersonal relationships:
First, tomorrow's workplace will span four generations! The
net result can be seen in different values that will have
people seeing situations from different perspectives.
Secondly, there will be fewer workers aged 34-45 years of
age in the pipeline, causing a push for talent, employee retention,
and perhaps an older
workforce.
Lastly, over 60% of women over the age of 16 years participated
in the workforce in 2003 compared to about 30% in 1950. This
cohort of women will drive issues such as work/life balance
and the childcare and eldercare industries.
These evolutionary shifts are changing our perception of
work. There is a recognition that each of us needs to be responsible
for growing and managing our own career. Here are some great
resources to get you started:
Related articles:
What is Career Management?
Lifelong Learning
Boosts Employability in the Changing Workplace
Changing
Perceptions of Careers
Aging and Cognitive
Decline: Gray Matters
Four Generations
The
Riley Guide - Industry trends
United States Distance Learning
Association
World Future Society
PC World
Generations: The History of America's Future 1584-2069
by Neil Howe and William Strauss
Generations Apart: Xers Vs. Boomers Vs. the Elderly
by Richard Thau and Jay Heflin
JobShift by William Bridges
© Copyright 2007, Career Vision / Ball Foundation. Article
may be reprinted with permission.
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