Last week, I was interviewed by Jack Kelly, for an article in Forbes. I was impressed with Jack's thinking and some of the subjects of his articles and/or blog. Here's one of those articles, I thought especially on target and likely of interest to many . . .
We are living in a fast-paced, unstable time period where things change swiftly and dramatically. The corporate world is more dynamic and chaotic than ever. In our parents’ or grandparents’ generations, they would accept a job and hold onto it throughout the entire duration of their careers. However, those days are over and done with. The advancement of technology, globalization and the corporate view that employees are disposable have all changed the game. 
We can no longer view our careers as safe and sacrosanct. You can be sitting in your office chair this morning, happy and satisfied. Then, two weeks later, there’s a corporate-wide reorganization and you’re shown the door. You can be replaced by technology or a less-experienced, lower-cost employee. Your job could be moved to another country or your role could be deemed no longer relevant or required. The only constant is change.
It's critically important to start a plan to prepare for your future. It's career self-sabotage to believe that things will stay the same and that you’ll confidently climb up the corporate ladder. It's career malpractice to act like an ostrich, stick your head in the ground, hope for the best and ignore the reality of the changes happening around you. You need to be bold, confident and aggressive in managing your career in the face of uncertainty. It's not easy nor is it pleasant to think about, but you must do it.
Here is how to start:
- You need to change your mindset on several fronts. We all derive a sense of status from our career, the company we work for and job title. When you sit down at a family dinner or meet new people, you enjoy a little humble brag about what you do for a living. While that’s fine, you’ll need to divorce your ego attachment to your current career.
If and when the time comes that you no longer work for the company or your type of job isn't in demand, you have to be mentally and emotionally ready to walk away. You can’t let your entire identity be wrapped up in your job. When that happens, you’re destroyed when you no longer hold the high-status position with a prestigious top-tier corporation. Being too attached to the prestige of your career and all the trappings of success and power can hamper your ability to pivot toward something new, when it needs to be done.
Technology is revolutionizing almost everything. Even if you don’t work in tech, there is a high probability that you will need to know some coding. The future landscape for stock traders will make coding as important as "writing an English sentence,"according to Marty Chavez, retiring co-head of the trading division at Goldman Sachs. Chavez believes that the future for investment banking involves the combination of traditional investment with modern technologies. If he said this five or 10 years ago, Chavez would have been laughed out of Goldman Sachs. The traders would have mocked him for the crazy notion that automation could replace their abilities and stock-trading prowess. Well, it did. Thousands of traders on Wall Street were unceremoniously let go and replaced by algorithms, automation and software. These guys (yes, mostly men) were earning $200,000 to over $2 million per year and now many have to find a new career track. It's not only trading. Rob Parks, founding partner at Atlas Search said, "More of our clients like to see and sometimes even require programming skills for non-tech roles, particularly in finance. According to some reports, as many as half of all non-tech jobs require some programming skills. In finance, VBA, SQL and Python are the languages most commonly required because they are used to manage, manipulate and visualize data, as well as automate repetitive processes."
Tech proficiency is not the only answer. You must work on your communication skills. This includes knowing how to write—memos, emails and business letters. You must learn how to pick up the phone, call someone in an important position and hold a conversation. You also have to be aggressive at times. Curt Comber, head of Avante Search, advises, “I would recommend that people reach out directly to the hiring managers. You can track anyone down these days. I would not be passive in a search. Aggressive behavior is your friend. Human Resources is only introducing people; the hiring manager is making the decision.” Comber also feels that the younger generation is transaction oriented. They live in an “instant-message culture,” which is not conducive to the long-form conversations that are needed in many instances. “They've been socialized to digest interactions in small pieces, not deep or face-to-face, even-though they have more communication platforms than any other generation.” You will need to communicate effectively with people or you will not survive nor will you thrive.
Most people tend to associate with like-minded peers, co-workers and colleagues. They’ll also seek out friends outside of work who are in the same profession. The consequence is that they’ll have a very siloed view of the world. It is easy to fall into a groupthink mentality. It makes sense to diversify your friends and acquaintances. This way you will have the luxury of understanding the views of other people. You will gain access to what’s happening in other sectors of the economy. This will enable you to learn what areas are hot—and the ones that are not. If you decide to pivot to another type of career, you will then have people around who can advise you.
You have to be open-minded and flexible. This means that, at certain points in your career, you may have to relocate to find a new job. The area that you work in may not be in demand and you will have to start all over again. You may have to reinvent yourself several times over the course of your work life. You can't fight change. You will need to learn how to adapt. It helps to always keep reading and learning, so you’re aware of what direction the wind is blowing.
Set aside money for a rainy day. If you live beyond your means and things change on you, it could be devastating. When you have sufficient funds tucked away, some of the stress that comes with the loss of a job is not as punishing. Having money invested or in the bank will bide you time to make your next move.
You can look at this in two ways. The first is to lament the fact that there will be changes that adversely impact your career and you will grow resentful, afraid and angry. The second—more positive outlook—is to hope for the best, but plan for the worst. View change as a way to reinvent yourself, pursue new opportunities.
Jack Kelly Bio: I am a CEO, founder, and executive recruiter at one of the oldest and largest global search firms in my area of expertise, and have personally placed thousands of professionals with top-tier companies over the last 20-plus years. I am passionate about advocating for job seekers. In doing so, I have founded a start-up company, WeCruitr, where our mission is to make the job search more humane and enjoyable. Jack's Blog
