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1ST STEPS IN THE HUNT
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Future Shock II (From the Vault)
February 04, 2000
Yesterday's column covered some of the fallout from the shift to the Information Age. Following Alvin Toffler's pioneering works Future Shock and The Third Wave, modern day theorists paint a dismal picture for the next generation of Jobhunters.
Of all the dramatic changes, the most important one to Jobseekers is that the basic unit of work is shifting from Job to Task. Jobs are becoming more project oriented, and may only last as long as the project lasts. Skills needed for particular projects will be sought out, and compensated for at a higher rate than in the past. Unemployment rates will be low for a long, long time because workers will be out of work for shorter periods, and their transition time from one project to the next won't count as 'unemployment'.
Sounds like a worker's paradise, huh?
Not really. Lengthy Job tenure with one company is already a thing of the past, and it looks like lasting longer than just one project with the same company will require continually learning new skills. You'll need to shift into "Permanent Jobhunter" mode. While the official Unemployment rate will sink, the total amount of time that people are out of work will steadily increase.
While being a 'Free Agent' sounds like big money, the time out of work with no paycheck added to the stress of constantly worrying about finding your next gig will soon be recognized as a poor tradeoff for workers. Portability of vacation days, sick days, health (and other) benefits will become more problematic than they are already. As usual, opportunity will be increased at a cost to security.
For those workers able to adapt, learn new skills, and market themselves effectively, the world is their oyster. For the rest of us, we'll have to make do with the shell.
Future Shock (From the Vault)
February 03, 2000
Almost three decades ago Alvin Toffler wrote Future Shock, an analysis of the transition he saw occurring between the end of the Industrial Age and the newborn Information Age. Described more fully twenty years later in The Third Wave, Toffler's conclusions consider some of the important changes taking place today in the labor market.
Toffler notes that "In the first wave, wealth was land, and it was exclusive; if I grew rice on my acres, you could not. In the second wave, wealth diversified into three factors of production: land, labor, and capital. As with the rice paddy of the agrarian regime, each of these was discrete, allowing for only one use at a time. In the third wave bits, (the atomic equivalents in the cyberworld), upon which all digital information is based, are endlessly interchangeable and reusable. When you download a file, the file you downloaded is still there."
Furthermore, "Economics has been lovingly defined as "the science of the allocation of scarce resources. From the standpoint of the third wave, in which the primary resource is knowledge, that second-wave definition rings hollow. In the first place, economics has never been much of a science. More to the point, our supply of knowledge is anything but scarce."
There are profound implications here for today's Jobhunters.
Productivity gains by workers no longer imply wage increases. Knowledge is what you have to sell, and (with a few high tech exceptions) it's no longer a scarce commodity. Countries like China and India are producing a wealth of skilled knowledge workers the likes of which the world has never seen. You will need to get better at what you do just to keep pace with your fellow Employees in your own country.
And now, more than ever before, you will be in competition with workers from all over the world. If the work you perform can be sent to a low wage area easily, your Job will be sent there as well. Why should an Employer pay you ten times what another Employee asks for the same work? The talent auction at Monster.com has already evidenced this phenomenon, with engineers from India underbidding engineers from the Industrialized nations.
It's no wonder workers with highly sought after skills are demanding stock options, signing bonuses, and all the perks the market will bear. They see the writing on the wall, and it's not in English.
Posting Keywords (From the Vault)
February 02, 2000
A summary of keywords has replaced the older statement of objectives at the top of your resume when you email your resume to Hiring Managers or Recruiters. Typically this 'first screen' information is what will be searched for by HR software applications.
Some experts claim you need at least 10-12 keywords in the opening paragraph (or sentence!) to survive the first screening by automated computer software programs presently on the market. And the older rule that your resume should be no longer than two pages has changed as well.
Since printed pages are larger than what shows up on a computer screen, you should make sure that all critical 'first scan' information will be seen on the first screen that appears on either a hiring manager's or recruiter's computer. They won't scroll down to see the 'rest of the story' if the first screen doesn't capture their attention.
Other tips:
Megasearch sites use spiders (automated programs) to go out and find Jobpostings that match your keyword skills, and send you the email addresses. That way you control where your resume ends up. The originator of this concept is CareerBuilder.com, and they're worth a visit to try this feature. Other Job Boards are beginning to offer the same service.
Money isn't Everything (From the Vault)
February 01, 2000
Too often Jobhunters only compare Job offers by what the bottom line pay is, and forget to consider the entire package of benefits. Signing bonuses can really cloud the issue when you compare offers from two companies - cash in hand almost always feels better than vague promises of less tangible benefits somewhere 'down the road'.
These benefits may include:
When you really think about it, the sum of these parts can add up to more than the whole paycheck. Working in a Job that doesn't give you the time and opportunity to increase your skills or advance your career any can be more costly than you realize. Say you choose to work for one year at a $17/hr Job that does nothing to further your career, rather than at a $15/hr Job that teaches you relevant skills in your field.
At the end of six months you receive a $4/hr raise at Job #2, and at the end of one year you've earned the same amount of money as with the first Job. The difference is you have more marketable skills, are on a higher income track, and Employers will look at you as one of their 'star' performers. It doesn't matter whether you are performing your tasks at a higher level. What matters is that your Employer (and future Employers and Recruiters) will see you as ambitious, self-starting, a 'go-getter', etc.
Perception is always more important than reality, because the latter is impossible to pinpoint.
In addition to your career and skills advancement, the Quality of your workplace is frequently overlooked when comparing Job offers. Does your new Boss seem like someone you can get along with? Is there any historical evidence from current Employees that this Supervisor will be supportive to your career, and to you during high stress periods? Is the company culture one that you'll feel comfortable working in? Are your future colleagues backslappers or backstabbers?
And while small businesses and startup companies may offer stock options and easy opportunities for promotion, they are more likely to send you a friendly email one morning that says, "Clear out your desk. You're fired. We're out of business. Oh, have a good day!" During wartime, in the military, fast promotions are a sure sign that your side is losing the battle. There are some parallels to startup companies, so watch your step.
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January 30, 2000
- Jobhunting Don'ts
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