You are one of the lucky ones to land a job. But, conventional wisdom suggests that a job today is no guarantee of employment tomorrow. Our economy is changing, so you can’t consider yourself “finished” looking for work—even when employed. A CareerBuilder survey of more than 3,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes shows that in 2009 companies hired 28 percent more freelancers. In 2012, 36 percent of companies will hire contract or temporary workers. A survey by M Squared Consulting said, “A majority of independent consultants, 69 percent, say the use of a flexible workforce is a permanent change and not a temporary response to economic conditions.”
For years, people who study workplace trends have been predicting companies will outsource as much work as possible and hire fewer traditional employees. What does this mean for you? That you should maintain a “job search” mindset at all times.
Not surprisingly, one of the best ways to keep yourself in the game is to maintain a strong network, but not just any network; use your time while employed to create an employer community network. Teela Jackson, the director of talent delivery for the contract recruiting and executive search firm Talent Connections, has worked as an internal recruiting consultant for CIGNA HealthCare, Georgia-Pacific, and Turner Broadcasting. She explains an “employer community network” is the group of people who could potentially hire you in the future.
Teela suggests all careerists earn some “job-search insurance” by following these easy steps:
1. Keep in touch.
2. Show, don’t tell. Demonstrate your skills via social media.
3. Stay on top of industry trends.
4. Enhance your personal brand by serving as a resource.
5. Create a community of advocates.
Read the whole post at my U.S. News & World Report post.
photo by mi8