Help! Where Will I Find My Next Job?

The US economy and the US worker are both resilient. The economy will eventually bounce back and so will badly needed jobs. But what occupational sectors will return the strongest, adding the most new workers? Will workers have to be retrained for these jobs and, if so, who will do the training? What additional education will be necessary to prepare those just entering the workforce? What regions of the country will be the recipient of the jobs and what migration of workers will be required so they are in the right place at the right time?

Keep in mind that there are approximately 15 million people unemployed currently according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) or about 10% of the total labor force. It is important to note that this figure does not include the roughly 11 million people who have either expended all unemployment benefits or who have given up looking for jobs - many out of work for years. So the "challenge" will be to match these 26 million (total) workers and the new labor pool entrants to these jobs, in the locations where the positions will emerge.

According to the BLS, there are 20 occupations that will account for more than one-third of all new jobs between now and 2018. It is interesting to note that one-half of the fastest growing occupations are related to healthcare - due in a large part to the aging of the baby-boomers. Some of the occupations, which will add the most new jobs in this period, are (in thousands): Registered nurses 581.5, Home health aides 460.9, Customer service representatives 399.5, Personal and home care aides 375.8, Retail salespersons 374.7, Office clerks (general) 358.7, Accountants and auditors 279.4, Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 276.0, Postsecondary teachers 256.9, Construction laborers 255.9, and Elementary school teachers 244.2. The entire list can be found on the BLS Web site.

The 20 occupations with the fastest rates of growth (not the largest number of jobs added but highest growth rate) will require an associate degree or higher for 12 of the occupations; whereas 6 are in the on-the-job training category; 1 is in the work experience in a related occupation; and 1 in the postsecondary vocational degree category. Eleven of these occupations earn at least $10,000 more than the National annual median wage, which was $32,390 as of May 2008. Nine of the occupations earned at least twice the National median in May 2008. These fastest growth occupations are Biomedical engineers, Network systems and data communications analysts, Home health aides, Personal and home care aides, Financial examiners, Medical scientists, Physician assistants, Skin care specialists, Biochemists, and Biophysicists. The remainder of the list can be found on the BLS Web site.

The good news is that many of the occupations that will add the most new jobs are "people" related, e.g. healthcare, retail sales, customer service, office clerks, etc., which will be added in population centers and will not mandate the costly movement of people from other parts of the country. The specialty fields may very well require some movement of people, but by nature of the positions moving costs are more likely to be borne by the hiring company. As noted, 12 of the occupations with the fastest growth rates will require associate or higher degrees. So the large number of currently unemployed or underemployed workers may want to consider adding a degree or certification to their portfolio and target one of these occupations of interest. I agree this is much easier said than done. It's tough to fund more education when you have temporarily lost your earning power - but nonetheless it may be the most important thing you can do once you begin a new or temporary job. There is also some grant money available under the last "stimulus act" for several occupations and groups of people.

Net, net, the workers of the future are going to have to be generally more proactive than they have been in the past - and leave less to chance. For instance, you will not want to just say I think it would be great to be a biomedical engineer and then hope there are positions that become available. You must research a field first, for future opportunities, and then work toward getting the requisite education completed. You should, at the same time, target a specific organization, or two, and get your "foot-in-the-door" by taking a lesser or temporary position to get to know them - and so they can get to know you.

The same cardinal rule applies to all job searches - network with colleagues, former classmates, trade or civic association members, etc. - to find the occupations of interest in the region where you want to live and work. When someone, in the network you develop, knows an insider in an organization you have targeted, your resume can be presented to the hiring manager - and not just be tossed in the pile of the hundreds received.

For the entrepreneur in each of us, many of the occupations listed provide "new business" opportunities for small companies, sole-proprietorships, or contractual employment. These include such booming occupations as Home health aides, Personal and home care aides, information technology, computer consulting, and network administration occupations. The trend for large companies to outsource services presents an opportunity to create a business around one of these services, where you happen to have expertise. Take charge of your career now by being proactive in planning, researching, networking, and getting the education you need - all necessary for securing jobs going forward.

Richard S. Pearson is the Author of 5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track. He has held vice-president positions with four multibillion dollar travel industry companies and three Internet early stage companies. He has a BA degree from Regis University in Organizational Development. His experience has given him a unique perspective on how to navigate the organizational structures of both large and small companies. He has hired and trained hundreds of employees from frontline salespeople to vice presidents, and coached many through their careers. He is currently working on facilitating the large increase of travel between the US and China, which is taking place. http://www.5necessaryskills.com

New Employment Dynamics - The Nature of Jobs is Changing in the 2010's and Beyond

In the 2010's and beyond, there will be no return to the "customary" jobs market and "traditional" exist from recessions. In the past, we could always depend on the creation of new small businesses to pull us bootstrapping out of recessions. After all two-thirds of new jobs in the past two decades were generated by this entrepreneurial segment. But there is a perfect storm against it this time: The lost decade of the stock market, the housing bubble burst and corresponding loss of personal wealth, and the deepest recession of (most) of our lifetimes have depleted the financial well-being of our nation's families. These conditions have almost eliminated risk-taking as workers are postponing retirement, frantically rebuilding savings accounts, and scrimping to fund their children's college education. Coupled with the unwillingness of the banking industry to fund startup operations, the small business pathway to success is all but blocked for working professionals and young entrepreneurs.

The government, despite its intent, is not really doing much to better the situation. Tax credits for small businesses hiring new workers is a commendable idea, if you happen to have remained profitable during the past two-year business bloodbath, and actually have profits and taxes to pay. But worst of all, is the huge deficits the government is projecting for the rest of the decade. We, as a country, cannot keep spending two times the tax revenue taken in - just as families cannot overspend their incomes for long. The day to "pay the piper" will come. Foreign governments and businesses will not continue to feed the "black hole" called the US National Debt. Therefore, the government will not be able to flood the market with stimulus dollars in the future (nor have these programs created anywhere near the number of jobs projected). Net, net, things will never be the same. We are on our own to provide job security going forward.

Charles Handy, in "The Age of Unreason," predicted in 1989 that just after the turn of the century less than half the work force in the industrialized world would be in "proper" full-time jobs in organizations. If you tally the 26.5M unemployed/fallen off benefits/given up looking, 27.7M part-time, 17.6M sole proprietors, and the 5.3M stay-at-home parents it equals just over one-half of the 153M US workforce. Plus included in full-time jobs you will find 11.4M temp company placement workers and an untold number of direct contract workers - so Professor Handy was right on target. This trend will continue away from the traditional employer - employee relationship. We will see virtual billion dollar corporations in the future with a half-dozen employees - with the bulk of their businesses outsourced to other firms or individuals. Corporations for decades have outsourced legal, advertising, marketing, logistics, shipping, travel planning, R&D, manufacturing, design, investment, facilities, accounting, etc. Much of this outsourcing has given rise to the increasing number of small business startups, as recipients, during periods of economic growth.

Where does this leave the American worker? How should he or she prepare for the future? How will they support their families going forward? First, you must get in the mindset that it is okay to work as a contingent worker on contract or temporary assignment. Get weaned off the dependence of the bi-weekly paycheck and benefits package offered to full-time employees, because those positions are increasingly going away. (More and more firms are reluctant to hire permanent workers because of doubts about the durability of the economy.) As many people have learned the hard way over the past two years, it takes approximately one month for each $10,000 of annual income to replace a job, e.g. ten months to land a new $100,000 job. Get your finances in order, with savings to cover any period of unemployment. This is easier said than done. But the number one reason workers stay in stagnant jobs and don't progress in their careers is that they cannot afford to quit and are afraid to risk their current positions to look for a new one.

Do a thorough analysis of your skills - those mastered during your career so far - because that is what companies will be looking for, not the job titles held. Make sure these skills are highlighted on your resume - backed up by the positions you have mastered and your education. Speaking of education, it is a never-ending process. If you are not gaining knowledge and progressing in your field - simply maintaining the status quo - you are actually slipping backwards. You risk loosing ground to co-workers and competitors. Seize every opportunity for additional training and take courses to broaden your perspective. Become an expert in something(s) and plan for your future, whether it be to start your own business or consultancy someday, or just to be the best you can be as an employee or contractor for a company.

The only job security you will have going forward is the knowledge of how prepared you are for the future; how financially sound you are to weather employment storms; how current your education is and its relevancy; and the skills you have mastered to create value for an organization.

Richard S. Pearson is the Author of 5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track. He has held vice-president positions with four multibillion dollar travel industry companies and three Internet early stage companies. He has a BA degree from Regis University in Organizational Development. His experience has given him a unique perspective on how to navigate the organizational structures of both large and small companies. He has hired and trained hundreds of employees from frontline salespeople to vice presidents, and coached many through their careers. He is currently working on facilitating the large increase of travel between the US and China, which is taking place. http://www.5necessaryskills.com

Hiring Decisions Put on Hold - Business Belt Tightening Raised Productivity

Companies have cut their head-count to the bare bone to survive The Great Recession. This has actually improved their productivity - nationally rising by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. So when will they begin to hire again? Many, after squeezing more output from their existing workforce, are downright paranoid about adding new positions because of a lack of confidence in the sustainability of the recovery.

Let's face it, American businesses have gone through a painful experience, just to weather the economic downturn, and are understandably reluctant to add new employees. Especially when they discovered they could do more with less - less employees that is. What does this do to the current job market?

The Labor Department released the latest (estimated) unemployment number of 9.7% - a slight decrease from 10% at the end of last year. But, at the same time, they revised the number of jobs lost last year upward by 930,000. Since the beginning of the recession, the number of jobs lost has also been revised from 7.2 to 8.4 million. The Labor Dept. unemployment percentage doesn't take into account the 6.3 million long-term unemployed who have expended benefits nor the discouraged workers who have given up looking. Labor experts believe the "true" rate of unemployment is now 16.5%. Most don't expect the problem to get better any time soon. It is estimated that there are an average of 6 people searching for each available job opening.

We are in a classic Catch 22 situation: with 70% of our economy driven by consumer spending, we must see the demand for goods and services increase where businesses will be stretched beyond existing capacities. They will have to hire additional employees to keep up with the new demand. But that could be a slow process with almost 1 in 5 workers unemployed - most likely eliminating any discretionary consumer spending, which our system is so dependent upon.

Workers can only be pushed so far before the added stress of more hours and higher production rates takes a toll. It has been argued that the left-behind workers, who have been forced to take on added workloads of the workers laid off, have it the roughest. They are forced to work longer and harder causing stress - leading to depression and even physical illness. Not only are they stretched near the limit, the "unknowns" of their jobs possibly being cut next adds to the stress, and can be debilitating.

If employed in a company pushing you to the limit, you must begin a dialog with your manager that you are giving your all - but it cannot go on forever. The company has kept you around for a reason - perhaps you have become the "go to" person, as well as performing your job well. This certainly will help solidify your position, but should also give you the respect to yell "uncle" when the workload becomes too heavy.

Unemployed and looking at a company from the outside, first do your research on the company and determine it is a good fit for you. Use your network to connect with someone (or someone who knows someone) inside the company that interests you. Find out if they are stretching their employees to the limit or preparing to hire from the outside. You might even suggest doing some contract work for them, so they can keep up with their demand without the long-term risk of adding full-time employees in this time of uncertainty. This will give them exposure to you and your set of skills - and gives you a peek into their culture, management style, and the long term viability of the company. It can be a win-win situation.

Richard S. Pearson is the Author of 5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track. He has held vice-president positions with four multibillion dollar travel industry companies and three Internet early stage companies. He has a BA degree from Regis University in Organizational Development. His experience has given him a unique perspective on how to navigate the organizational structures of both large and small companies. He has hired and trained hundreds of employees from frontline salespeople to vice presidents, and coached many through their careers. He is currently working on facilitating the large increase of travel between the US and China, which is taking place. http://www.5necessaryskills.com