The macroeconomics will be argued for some time to come. As a guerrilla job hunter, you need interest yourself only in the microeconomic impact of offshoring and how it affects your career-in short, which jobs are likely to disappear over time and what industries are likely to benefit. If you think "By America" legislation will save your job-don"t bet on it. There are many issues that will take time for President Barack Hussein Obama II to work through Congress, though personally I"m confident he will.
Your job is at risk to offshoring if: * It can be broken down into many smaller tasks that can be redistributed to lower skilled, lower paid workers.* Your company"s profits are under constant a.s.sault by low-cost compet.i.tors.* Someone else with a high-school education can do your job with less than a week"s training.
Here"s what you can bank on: * The offshoring trend won"t stop anytime soon.* Companies will continue to maximize profits and reduce costs.* The government will not solve your career problems-at best it will provide limited retraining a.s.sistance.
SKILLS THAT WON"T BE OFFSh.o.r.eD
Leadership Skills
Self-confessed team players are often regarded as "followers" or "hangers-on" by senior management. I know you have been told: "We are supposed to be team players." The human resources department may have told you that, but there"s a difference between leaders who can follow others, and those people who always need to follow others. My advice to you-forget about buying another power tie, instead invest in a course on leadership and look for opportunities to test your newfound skills within the company or outside as a volunteer. The ability to lead will be the number one requirement for guerrilla job hunters.
Project Management Skills
Develop the fine art of managing people and projects. Learn how to deal with customers, work with vendors, and interact with management in ways that satisfy the needs and objectives of the organization. This elusive talent is of great value and will support the notion that you are becoming a person who is of great value to your organization. My advice: look into a formal accreditation through the Project Management Inst.i.tute (www.pmi.org/info/default.asp).
People Skills
If you become the person who can pull teams together, support communication, and make things happen, that will help make your position and perceived value within the organization more visible and support the argument that leaving your job intact is a good business decision. My advice: learn to be likable and how to work a room without looking like a self-obsessed shark.
Communication Skills
Writing and public speaking are critical skills whether you are representing your company or merely trying to sway your boss. A public speaking course will have you on the podium and in the limelight faster than any other single action you can take. Your value and confidence will increase dramatically. My advice: join a Toastmasters networking group near you today.
Sales Skills
There are many jokes about salespeople: what do they really do besides lunch and golf? Bring in the business, that"s what, and today that"s everyone"s responsibility. New business is the lifeblood of every business. When you become known as a rainmaker, the chances of your job being offsh.o.r.ed diminish dramatically. My advice: become great at it. Start with a few books like Five Minutes with VITO Five Minutes with VITO by David Mattson and Anthony Parinello (Beverly Hills, CA: Pegasus Media World, 2008), and by David Mattson and Anthony Parinello (Beverly Hills, CA: Pegasus Media World, 2008), and Speak to Win: How to Present with Power in Any Situation Speak to Win: How to Present with Power in Any Situation by Brian Tracy (New York: AMACOM, 2008). Devour those books and then take a formal course. by Brian Tracy (New York: AMACOM, 2008). Devour those books and then take a formal course.
JOBS THAT WON"T BE OFFSh.o.r.eD
There are some jobs that, at the moment, just can"t be offsh.o.r.ed. Can you imagine offshoring your personal financial planning to a stranger in some foreign country? Are you going to fly to a foreign country just to see a doctor or check yourself into a hospital? Is a salesperson from Asia likely to travel to your home or place of business to sell you insurance, a new car, computer, or clothes? Unlikely.
There is a clear pattern here. Many jobs, because of their personal or "intangible nature, cannot be offsh.o.r.ed. Baby boomers are the wealthiest generation ever and scores of new jobs will be created because of their obsession with youth, advances in medicine, bioengineering, and security.
The security issues that were exposed by the 9/11 terrorist activities have sp.a.w.ned whole new industries as the United States looks to secure its borders from terrorists. The banking, travel, agriculture, energy, medical, and other industries vital to our social and economic well-being are vulnerable and not likely to be leaving our sh.o.r.es anytime soon.
This quote from Michael Mandel sums up what"s happening:
The war between the intangible and tangible sectors of the U.S. economy is over-and intangibles have won. Since the economy went into recession a year ago, the industries producing or distributing physical or tangible goods-including construction, manufacturing, retail trade, and transportation-have lost an astounding 1.8 million jobs. That includes a decline of 260,000 jobs in the much-beleaguered auto industry and its dealer network, and a drop of 300,000 in residential construction employment. (BusinessWeek, December 9, 2008)
President Obama"s stimulus package in the United States is primarily aimed at the tangible market, which will encourage growth in the intangible market as well. Understanding which jobs are not likely to be offsh.o.r.ed and why can help you make informed career choices. I strongly suggest you read The Rise of the Creative Cla.s.s: And How It"s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life The Rise of the Creative Cla.s.s: And How It"s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life (New York: Basic Books, 2003) if you"re having trouble picking an industry with a future. (New York: Basic Books, 2003) if you"re having trouble picking an industry with a future.
Industries that won"t be offsh.o.r.ed include: * Energy: Energy: There will be an increased push to find new sources of energy. There will be more demand for the people who search for, mine, and develop new sources as well as for people to manage marketing and sales, accounting, human resources, and technology, and the list goes on. Look to California to lead the way in electric cars. There will be an increased push to find new sources of energy. There will be more demand for the people who search for, mine, and develop new sources as well as for people to manage marketing and sales, accounting, human resources, and technology, and the list goes on. Look to California to lead the way in electric cars.* Preventive health care: Preventive health care: This is a hot area for growth right now and it will continue for years to come as the baby boomers age. The demand for workers applies to all levels and to suppliers as well. Here"s something to think about. The cover story in This is a hot area for growth right now and it will continue for years to come as the baby boomers age. The demand for workers applies to all levels and to suppliers as well. Here"s something to think about. The cover story in BusinessWeek BusinessWeek, September 25, 2006, concluded, "Since 2001, the health-care industry has added 1.7 million jobs. The rest of the private sector? None."* Security: Security: In addition to ant.i.terrorism needs, there is growing concern among companies to protect their greatest a.s.set: information. Additionally, employers are increasingly concerned about the backgrounds of people they are hiring, which will give rise to investigative services. In addition to ant.i.terrorism needs, there is growing concern among companies to protect their greatest a.s.set: information. Additionally, employers are increasingly concerned about the backgrounds of people they are hiring, which will give rise to investigative services.* Military: Military: Need I say more? The demand will increase as will the educational requirements for people looking for the jobs in communications and intelligence. Need I say more? The demand will increase as will the educational requirements for people looking for the jobs in communications and intelligence.* Government: Government: At every level-munic.i.p.al, state, and federal-demands will only get bigger. Leadership will be in high demand as will bilingualism in many jurisdictions. At every level-munic.i.p.al, state, and federal-demands will only get bigger. Leadership will be in high demand as will bilingualism in many jurisdictions.* Insurance: Insurance: The more uncertainty there is in a society, the greater the demand for insurance. Providers will continue to need sales agents, claims adjusters, researchers, customer service people, accountants, and lawyers. The more uncertainty there is in a society, the greater the demand for insurance. Providers will continue to need sales agents, claims adjusters, researchers, customer service people, accountants, and lawyers.* Consumer financial services: Consumer financial services: As more people own homes, cars, and so on, demand is increasing for loan agents and t.i.tle company workers. With losses growing in company-sponsored 401(k) plans, more people are taking greater control over their retirement savings and seeking investment counselors and brokers to manage their money. As more people own homes, cars, and so on, demand is increasing for loan agents and t.i.tle company workers. With losses growing in company-sponsored 401(k) plans, more people are taking greater control over their retirement savings and seeking investment counselors and brokers to manage their money.* Agriculture: Agriculture: Farms employ hundreds of thousands of people in almost every capacity imaginable, from marketing and public relations professionals to genetic scientists ( Farms employ hundreds of thousands of people in almost every capacity imaginable, from marketing and public relations professionals to genetic scientists (www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome).* Biotechnology/pharmaceutical: Biotechnology/pharmaceutical: Greater need for prescription drugs will increase demand in these sectors. As more and more money is dedicated to gene and cloning research, opportunities will grow in the biotech industry. Greater need for prescription drugs will increase demand in these sectors. As more and more money is dedicated to gene and cloning research, opportunities will grow in the biotech industry.
The prospects in your area of the country will vary, but this list provides a snapshot of what will be happening around the country.
YOUR SIX CAREERS
William Bridges, author of JobShift-How to Prosper in a Workplace without Jobs JobShift-How to Prosper in a Workplace without Jobs (Philadelphia: Perseus Books Group, 1995), contends that the United States is undergoing a process of "dejobbing"-an end to the traditional job as we know it. "The old pattern of hiring and keeping large numbers of full-time, long-term workers on the grounds that they may be needed in the future is harder and harder for companies to do," Bridges says. (Philadelphia: Perseus Books Group, 1995), contends that the United States is undergoing a process of "dejobbing"-an end to the traditional job as we know it. "The old pattern of hiring and keeping large numbers of full-time, long-term workers on the grounds that they may be needed in the future is harder and harder for companies to do," Bridges says.
Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. Labor Department looked at the workforce and at trends in the job market and announced that people will have as many as 5 or 6 careers in their lifetime (Anything Goes! What I"ve Learned from Pundits, Politicians, and Presidents, by Larry King, New York: Warner Books, 2000). Who would have thought they"d get that one right! I certainly wouldn"t have, yet I am a prime example.
I started my career in retail, moved into banking, and then into executive search and placement, all before I was 25. Twenty years later, I am still in the executive search and placement industry, but even that career has evolved from a specialty in retail to the construction and property management industries and now into the high-tech marketplace. You could even argue that writing a book is yet another career.
Not long ago, society expected an individual to spend a lifetime at one company. Those expectations have changed. Now you are expected to change jobs every few years.
To thrive in this environment, you need to adopt a guerrilla marketing mindset. You need to think of yourself as a tightly knit package of capabilities-a value-added product to sell around the globe.
GUERRILLA MARKETING IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS
I can tell you from personal experience that the most qualified job hunter is rarely the one who wins. The positions invariably go to the person who does the best job at positioning himself or herself as the solution to an employer"s problem.
The dramatic changes we are witnessing in the marketplace mean that the tried-and-true methods of finding a job will no longer suffice. They should remain a solid part of your plan, but they don"t provide an adequate amount of exposure to potential employers.
In 1997, Tom Peters introduced the concept of Brand U in his book Re-Imagine! Re-Imagine! (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2003). At the time, self-branding was an a.s.sertive marketing concept best reserved for high-flying techies and senior executives who wanted to maximize the financial returns of their biggest a.s.set-their career. Today, personal branding is a matter of survival. (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2003). At the time, self-branding was an a.s.sertive marketing concept best reserved for high-flying techies and senior executives who wanted to maximize the financial returns of their biggest a.s.set-their career. Today, personal branding is a matter of survival.
Becoming a guerrilla job hunter is the only way to consistently move your career forward. The market is geared toward those who effectively brand and market themselves as the ultimate commodity across multiple distribution channels. Winning the War for Talent requires you to become a guerrilla job hunter.