Career Unpredictability Meets Adaptability

Careers in the new economy have taken a turn. They are becoming a workforce of consultants vs. employees.

 Even as the world recovers financially things are still unpredictable. Because of this employers are looking for a more adaptable type of worker vs. an in-house employee.

Instead, employers are using contract labor and consultants. Consulting is the new economy career because it helps companies manage uncertainty better and keeps costs low.  More companies are using contract labor and consultants for short periods of time during high season and for big projects instead of hiring, training and developing long term workers. This is less expense for the corporations and requires that workers become more entrepreneurial and adapt to the changing face of the workforce. If you want to learn more about this trend then click this link http://bit.ly/bAznBU to read the post on how well the consulting market is doing.

What does this mean for the new economy workers? How do you break in to this market? It means that becoming an adaptable workforce member is a career necessity. Things in the job market have become very unpredictable because technology, as it advances, will make things easier for employers to cut your salary, and then cut your position to half time and finally, cut your position to high season output times because the software developed, that does your job, continues to advance.

There are ways for you to manage this unpredictability and adapt to the more entrepreneurial form of being a consultant and independent contractor.  Here are some must use strategies to help you begin to make the transition from employee to workforce consultant.

Job Shop vs. Consulting: The first decision that you will have to make is whether you want to become a temporary employee of a job shop or become a consultant. My advice is to become a consultant. I have done both and found that I had better control becoming a consultant and way more money because I was not splitting my salary with the job shop. It also helped me make the jump from employee to entrepreneur more easily simply because I felt safer.

Clients vs. Employers: You will have to stop looking at companies as your employers and begin looking at them as clients.  Over a period of time you will be able to serve them better and you will be more discerning about whom you’d like to work with vs. just taking any project. It’s important to know because you will have more than one client and can choose the hours you are working per day and when you are working them.

Skill Set Evaluation vs. Credentials: One area where the work force has changed the most is in the area of credentials vs. skill sets; simply because credentials are a designation given to you by a third party. I have a degree, diploma or certification in (fill in the blank.) However, with technology moving so quickly, skill sets are becoming the per project focus. Skill sets along with understanding different technologies are become more important. For example, if you have a degree in design, that’s great, but do you know how to operate a Docutech 6135 from Xerox and its software components? This is the difference between a credential and a skill set. If you do know how to operate a Docutech 6135, then you can be hired on a per project basis more easily with companies who use Docutech equipment. In fact, you can build up a roster of clients and build a business around servicing these clients.  Because a client can see your expertise and skill sets listed, they are more apt to consult you for a project term or length of time. It is important to differentiate between your skill sets and your credentials and list them both.

Sending a Resume vs. Building Your Brand: You can begin your clientele building simply by utilizing LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to name a few. In my opinion, LinkedIn will be the most important of the bunch. In fact, I just recently read a blog post that said that over the last 18 months, the mega bank from London, Barclays, just hired 10% of its workforce via LinkedIn.

Now more than ever, recruiters and project managers are going to LinkedIn to find and mine for great workforce candidates because they can use the LinkedIn service for free. This is cheaper than job boards where recruiters are charged to look for talent. LinkedIn is also growing in popularity with recruiters because of this.

You want to begin building your brand and connecting with people on LinkedIn who can begin to refer business to you and help you build up clientele. Remember, this is a “Two Way Street” where you also help out colleagues by referring business to them as well. This happens over time, NOT overnight, so begin now. Create a blog that describes your services, products and skill sets. I prefer a blog over a website because blogs are content management systems that can better help you manage your client base and your business. I think WordPress is the best and would suggest it to anyone.

Follow Up vs. Fall Apart: When you have completed a project or obtained a new client, you want to help them keep you foremost in their minds for projects. That means that they must see you as their ally and partner, not just something they outsource to. You build this over time, NOT overnight. This means doing a great job, sending a card, offering an idea, forwarding a colleague or business prospect to them and showing them that you are authentically and emotionally invested in seeing them succeed too. In the new economy the philosophy of “A rising tide lifts all boats,” is never truer. When you become more than a consultant, you become a business colleague and your community of colleagues builds over time. This begins to ensure your income, longevity, respect and success.

These are a few things that you can begin to do right now and that can build and maintain your solid workforce brand. Once you break through the workforce consultant to corporate alliance partner, you will feel more confident and have more opportunities to gather more clients…you might even require some consultants yourself. Start building today and thrive.

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May you direct your dreams.

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