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Have you read the book “who moved my cheese” by Spencer Johnson, M.D.? If not, it is an absolute must! I read it years ago, and yesterday I pulled it off the shelf and gave it another read. This short story is an amazing way to discover how you can let change work to your advantage and let it lead you to success!
I run across dozens of job-seekers who have not accepted the reality that the career path they chose for themselves 5,10, 20 or even 30 years ago has transformed drastically. When seeing these changes, it does not help to dig our heads deep in the sand because we know that it does not matter how much we try to ignore change, it is inevitable. Change is part of life and even when we try to hold onto the past, we pave with every moment a new way into the future. Becoming aware of what is happening around us is one of the first steps to coming to some sort of balance inside ourselves.
The American employment market is in a major paradigm shift…it is no longer what it used to be. Visit any factory or shop and you’ll find that these industries are in the process of being utterly transformed. New, innovative “Smart Jobs” are cropping up all over the country, in regions where you’d never expect to find them.
Using statistical methods, The Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (http://www.isc.hbs.edu/econ-clusters.htm) at Harvard Business School, developed a comprehensive map of our nation’s economic regions. The Cluster Map reveals detailed patterns of growth, resources, and competitiveness in forty-one regional clusters. Fort Collins, Colorado, is a hot spot for Green Technology, while The Great Lakes region, has become a hub for Medical Technology. In Information Technology, job growth is flourishing from Richmond, Virginia, to Provo, Utah. Once these pockets of innovation gain a foothold, they can grow; the employers subdivide, and multiply.
Which ones to pursue?
Work is out there. It’s cropping up in new “industry specific corridors.” Developing your list of target companies is one of the critical steps in your job search process. This list will help you make sure you’re applying to companies that are growing and are a good match for your skills and priorities. Start small 15-25 companies and continue to grow your list. Make sure to refine your list by identifying your desired industry, company size and geographic location. And of course, the list should change as your job search evolves.
About company research:
- Products & services…what exactly does this company do? where does it excel? [company Web, industry directories and trade journals add details]
- History & structure…corporate “family tree,” mergers, acquisitions & divestitures
[LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations, Mergent Manuals] - Competitive intelligence…industry overview, investment reports, rankings & ratios
[Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys, Market Share Reporter, Business Rankings] - Financial situation…assessing current stability and projected growth. Research the company as you would any other important investment. [SEC reports (linked from company web)]
- Bio notes…who’s running the company? age, education, affiliations, accolades [Google, Who's Who, newspaper/magazines, social media (FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs)]
Even with conditions that now occur in our economy, a way exists for you to be successful and to land a good job in this country. This key concept is diligence…steady, earnest, energetic application and effort. Due-diligence is what separates successful job seekers from those stuck in a job search rut. Good luck in your search!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
