Unemployment and underemployment levels remain well above normal as the global economy continues to slow. An economist at Harvard Business School recently stated the world needs to prepare for potential contraction of the global economy by 2-3% per year for the next few years. What does this mean for the workforce here in the United States? College graduates are entering an environment where finding a job is difficult. Mid-career professionals don’t have as many options as in the past and older workers are having a difficult time making transitions and finding work before they retire. I am faced with these situations every day as I am asked for help by friends and contacts who find themselves in transition.
Today on FoxNews.com my article titled “Let’s Get to Work” gives practical advice and eight proven tips to help those looking for their dream job in 2013. We all realize the rules of the game have changed so we must change the way we operate. You might not be in transition or looking for a job right now but it is highly likely that you will be in the future. What you do right now can prepare you for success when that day comes.
Did you know that college graduates today can expect to change jobs 10 times in their careers? Long gone are the days when my family members in Michigan could enter a GM plant right after high school and have employment with the company for thirty years. We can lament the situation or prepare for the future. We have entered the “free agent” economy and those who know how to play the game will win and those who don’t will lose. I think this new world offers amazing opportunity and flexibility for everyone in the workforce from entrepreneurs and employees alike.
This free agent economy will offer flexibility, opportunity, and excitement to those who know the rules, prepare to play the game, and execute with precision. In the coming weeks ahead I will let you know how this economy is different, how to prepare, and how to be successful as someone in transition. No one likes change but we all know it comes whether we like it or not. Those who prepare have nothing to fear. I believe those who prepare will have great opportunity and amazing success.
This blog has been titled “The Leap” and I have showcased entrepreneurs who have taken the leap from corporate America to start their own companies and enterprises as an entrepreneur. We have highlighted success stories and talked about what to do, tools that can help lean start-ups have success, and the pit-falls to watch out for. However, in the new free agent economy those taking the leap are not just new entrepreneurs but all employees who are leaping into this new economy whether they know it or not. I hope in the coming weeks this blog will help those in transition and everyone else prepare for success in this current economy. Understanding the new dynamics and creating a plan is the best place to start.
On March 19th our fourth entrepreneurs conference is being held in Birmingham, Alabama. Doing Business in the New Normal will include ten industry leaders coming in to network with attendees and to disucss doing business in this new economy. Guest speakers include Wade Myers, Managing Partner of Cherry Tree Capital and Harvard MBA, Henry Kaestner C0-founder of Bandwidth.com and Sovereigns Capital, Mark Conklin Senior Manager of Chick-fil-A, Peter Greer CEO of Hope International, Patricia Barnes Founder of Sister Schuburt Rolls, Kevin Thompson C0-Founder of Thompson-Burton PLCC and many more. Come join us for a day of insight, learning, and networking.
If you have questions, contact me at RobertDickieIII or via e-mail at [email protected].
