It’s been a common practice for many writers and journalists to make some sort of predictions before the year is concluded. As everybody knows, a forecast, if you want to call it that, bears as much significance as an easily forgotten thing.

Before 2009 was concluded I did ponder on doing my own predictions of how it’s going to be for the job market in 2010, but I figured giving a list of what employers and job seekers should do, would be more relevant. I came up with at least 5 things that should be considered.

For Job Seekers

1. You should regularly update your resume.
This is applicable to all job seekers and would-be job seekers (in short, everyone). Many job seekers tend to postpone doing their resumes until they come face to face with the necessity to submit one. Treat your resume as a dynamic, breathing piece of document that changes with time. You may have acquired additional skills and may have accomplished noteworthy tasks or goals along the way; you may have been promoted and so your responsibilities have also changed; or maybe you have taken a different career path. These changes should be reflected on your updated resume, which should be brought up to date on a quarterly basis or after every performance evaluation at the very least. Nobody’s exempted and no excuses for not doing it.

2. You should learn to aggressively manage your career.
A lot of people make the common error of allowing their careers to manage them, instead of the other way around. They mostly coast from one job after another; not looking beyond what they’re doing today. It’s a matter of plotting a direction, if you expect to attain a specific status or maybe work for a company you’ve long wanted to join. Plan NOW and determine how you can get to where you want to be – what you need to do or train for and whether your present job is helping to prepare you for that moment. You can even ask your boss how you can gain experience or get some training for certain positions you may be interested in. Some companies do provide on the job training, but don’t just sit it out, seize every available opportunity for you to improve professionally. If the company doesn’t provide trainings, look for other ways to add to your knowledge.

3. You should explore the many benefits of social media and utilize it as an effective search tool, but exercise caution and be selective with what you find as people can put anything online.
You can articulate your observations and opinions regarding issues associated to your career as well as other pursuits in forums and blog sites. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are among the many social networking sites that have become efficient to meet and get together. Make your name and background visible there and look for groups with the same interests as yours and share your viewpoints and know-how, even offer assistance to people who may need it. Your online visibility can easily become a powerful employment reference when someone Googles your name.

For Employers

1. Employers should exercise flexibility to accommodate employees’ needs for appropriate schedules and priorities.
Keeping personnel happy and contented should be part of any company’s objectives. It’s one of the best assurances they have to enhance retention and inspire workers to give their best performance, which leads to excellent productivity and translates to larger profits. Companies should acknowledge and cater to the employees’ need to fulfill their personal and family obligations. For many workers, the take-home pay is of great importance; but striking a balance between work and family is still of even greater value.

2. Employers should capitalize on old hand workers and those in near retirements to take on the role of mentors and help train their younger colleagues.
The reality of the recession has prompted some near-retirees to hold in abeyance their cherished dream of retiring and the excruciating struggle for economy to get back on its feet has even obliged some retirees to go back to the labor force. It would be a smart move for employers to draw on these veteran workers’ expertise to help develop tomorrow’s company leaders and key players. The broad experience and expertise they have can show younger workers how to get the job done. Conversely, younger workers can assume reverse mentoring roles to share their knowledge of the latest trends in technology and social media.

It looks like the job market is going to be a-buzz with anticipation in 2010.

Tags: improve areer, jobs in 2009, professionally, resumes, social media, unemployment

This entry was posted on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 12:50 am and is filed under Free Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.