It is widely accepted that 2012 will largely continue to be a year of recovery in the job market - not the major growth that everyone would like to see. It is the level of recovery and the changing employment trends that will determine the degree to which your work life changes this year. While you cannot control the pace of recovery, you can be prepared for the changing trends. By taking the necessary steps to ensure that you possess the level of skills that are required for job openings that do occur, you can increase your odds of being the hired candidate.
Where to begin? One word - technology! One thing that is certain is that life, business and careers will continue to be in partnership with the changing technology.
If your 2012 resolutions don't include learning or improving technological skills, especially those that will improve your chances for career advancement, add it now. What hardware and software has your company added that you don't completely understand or utilize? Do you know and use all of the relevant features of your phone or PDA? If not, select one element and "master" it. Then, select another. The younger workforce embraces everything new while older people tend to be intimidated or frustrated by it. Who do you think looks better to an employer?
Here’s a golden opportunity to ask someone in your IT department to help you improve your productivity. Not only will you learn something, you’ll have an ally in IT who can help you in the future.
If you still struggle with emailing or uploading resumes or completing online applications, you're going to find that you're losing the race in meeting and beating the employment competition. Nothing says outdated like someone who insists on faxing or mailing and many of those people think they still have a chance at landing a new job or receiving a promotion.
While it may be difficult to see the relevance of Twitter and Facebook to your career, chances are that most employers have decided that they are an important part of their online presence. Have you looked at your company's or prospective employer's sites? You should.
Of course technology costs! If you're on your own or with a small firm or company, you may not have access to the latest and greatest advancements. That doesn't mean you can't learn them. Go online, research and read. Subscribe to a tech magazine such as Wired. Even if you're not interested in technology, it's amazing how much you can learn flipping through one issue. And, you may be able to deduct the cost as a business expense.
One of the other advantages of keeping up with technology is that it enables you to adapt more quickly to change. And, change is inevitable. We'll look at what changes are likely to impact your career in Part 2 of this series.
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