Thursday, August 26, 2010

Life Long Skills Enhancement

There was once a time when we said that the only two things you could really count in life were death and taxes. Now there is a third. It's called life long learning.

Computers, the internet, new applications, new industries, social marketing, etc., all require some form of continuous education, and that's just what recruiters want to see.

If you want to rewire® and have a competitive advantage in our complex world, it means making an even deeper dive into your field. If are changing careers, you may have to go back to school and start the learning journey from the beginning.

New York Times columnist Steven Greenhouse nails it with Learning Curves On the Career Path. The good news is that learning today is more accomodating with online education, weekend courses abbreviated on campus courses, and more. Colleges and universities have pumped up their offerings in new fields like Green, energy management, global ecology, etc., and the government is making more training money available.

Read between the lines, it's even more important today to select a job and work that you really enjoy. After all you will be spending more and more time learning about it as well as doing it.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Mature Job Seekers Take Note

The unemployment numbers don't seem to be going down. More people have been out of work and in transition longer than at any time since the Great Depression. Many of the unemployed are getting overwhelmed by the absence of a job like they used to have. Unfortunately, many of the "used to have" jobs aren't coming back soon or ever. But there is an often over looked route that may lead to pay dirt: Temp Work. The New York Times featured a great article on the subject last week. Temporary work shouldn't be frowned upon. It can fill the pocket short term and often leads to permanent employment when the economy starts turning around. You may think it isn't the ideal job, but it is a job that just may lead to a new future for you. A few of the big temp firms also called Workforce Management companies are Kelly, Adecco, Spherion, and Randstad. It's all part of the Rewiring® journey. Temp jobs are also great for retirees looking for a short term gig.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

REWIRE® INTO BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR

In the past few years there has been a marked rise in the number of 50+ entrepreneurs. The increase is a result of several factors. First, people 50+ are not getting new jobs or re-hired as quickly as they had hoped, and second, there are many people who have always dreamed of doing their own thing and now is the time. But I believe there is a third reason, and maybe the best reason...you see a need and you create a product or business to fill it.

I just read a story about two Baby Boomers in Verona, New Jersey,who haven't completely rewired, but used their smarts acquired in other careers to invent a product that is catching on in the senior market: the STAY CANE.
Their story is both fun and inspirational and their product is both needed and a revenue generator!

So keep your eyes open; do your own market research and maybe the next big idea will be yours! As I love to say-- you never know!