by Carleen MacKay :: Rob Kinslow
The 21st century’s message was captured by what Fast Company’s magazine wrote about today’s job tenure.
“Shorter job tenure is associated with a new era of insecurity, volatility and risk. It’s part of the same employment picture as the increase in part-time, freelance and contract work; mass layoffs and buyouts; and ‘creative destruction’ within industries.”
Let’s talk about WORK!
Goal: Our real-life story-teller stated that he needed a job, benefits and stability. He came to grips with the fact that his new path might require that he cycle between various ways of using his talent as depicted in the illustration below. He stepped up to this new truth and it became his goal to make certain his skills would remain current for as long as some form of work was in his future.
Actions: He applied for several jobs. He learned that changing jobs was no longer a stigma. In fact, he discovered that staying “too long” in a job could be as much as dis-qualifier as staying “too short” in a job had been a few years ago.
While seeking a full-time opportunity, he met with various Temp Agency representatives and learned about a few missing skills in his qualifications.
He quickly filled in a few missing computer skills and returned to his search for a new job.
Fully prepared for today’s “jobs” – he applied for a position that seemed to be perfectly aligned with his talent. He interviewed and was turned down. Ouch. He went back to the Temp Agency and within 3 weeks he was placed.
Consequences: After 90 days in the temporary assignment, he was offered and accepted a full-time role! It remains to be seen how this “job” will work out but – never again – will he take a job for granted. He will always stay on the lookout for the signals of shifts in his workplace and will also stay prepared, both technically and watchfully, for signs of change in the market and in himself!
Lesson: How long does an average, regular, full-time job last? Well, in the private sector, tenure in a full-time job is less than 4 years (and shrinking fast) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But, wait… there’s another lesson to be learned about cycling!
Life Lesson – Life is a Journey, NOT a destination.
Lesson: How long does an average, regular, full-time life last? Well, by anyone’s count, an average life span lasts about 80 years. And, we ask: Does the cycling model work in your life; might it offer the start of a new definition of a life well-lived? Might it inspire you to think of ages 30-40-50 as interchangeable years in terms of making new decisions and shifting career gears?
Get on your next LIFE bike. There’s plenty of time to cycle into a new or different career!
IT’S YOUR CAREER…OWN IT!
Our experts are here to guide you into the complex world of 21st century work.
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