In the last month, I’ve spent a lot of time on the phone, and a lot of time grumbling about my phone. I need a headset so I can work hands free, but I believed that a Plantronics headset (which I really wanted based on positive prior experiences) would cost me hundreds of dollars. I wanted to stop using my cell phone and start using my landline, but I believed a new phone that was headset compatible would cost me hundreds of dollars. Believing these thoughts kept me from doing anything productive to improve my situation. All I was doing was complaining, and I was getting really good at that.
Yesterday I began to bore myself as I started my daily phone rant. Instead, I finally did what I’d been needing to do all along and got some help. I went to Office Depot and explained my situation to a sales clerk. In ten minutes, I walked out with a new headset compatible Panasonic KX-TG6512B
How might this help you in your job search or career change? Like me, you may be making some incorrect assumptions based on how things used to be. I have to remind myself that technology prices keep going down, and what I may have spent on tech equipment five years ago is not what I am going to spend now. You may have to remind yourself that the job you studied for and have worked in for 10 or 15 years ago doesn’t have the same bright employment outlook today. Things have changed.
If you’ve seen the “Did You Know” video some shocking job statistics jump out. Things like:
- The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38.
- According to the U.S. Department of Labor 1 out of 4 workers today is working for a company they have been employed by for less than one year. More than 1 out of 2 are working for a company they have worked for less than five years.
- According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004.
Technology and globalization are driving change in the working world. Are you going to play along? Are you taking charge of your career and exploring changes to put yourself in the best position 5, 10, or 15 years down the road? You don’t need to have all the answers right now. Just knowing that things are changing, asking for help and being willing to explore are steps in the right direction.
What career assumptions are you willing to question?
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Andrea Ballard, Career Coach
