The traditional organizational "Career Path" has taken a "U Turn". Managers are no longer selecting and grooming prime candidates for promotion. Today's employees are expected to manage their own careers.
This new strategy is synonymous to being a "free agent" in the sports arena. The "free agent" employee must seek out the better jobs along with obtaining the necessary education and training needed for these positions on their own. Therefore, it is imperative that the employee of the 90's start selling their talents and promoting their skill sets aggressively or face the possibility of being left out in the cold when their company reorganizes.
Many human resource departments are making training programs available to assist employees with career management. These programs include seminars and classes on resume writing, interviewing and networking skills. Such classes are not required, enrollment is left up to the employees.
The ideal candidates for promoting today, possess consulting skills, change management expertise and the ability to envision and understand the "big picture". Management diversity is the key. You must be able to perform tasks from several functional areas within an organization in order to be effective. You can't rely on outdated skill sets or 20-year-old diplomas. You will need to continuously update your education and training.
The key to successful career management is having the ability to adjust to changing emplyment markets. The recent graduate will have between 10 to 12 jobs and have four to six careers during their career life span. The veteran employee will need to mirror this scenario in order to be competitive.
Look on the bright side, this shift to employee driven career management has this positive point: Being a "free agent" employee puts you in control of your future.
John Jordan Jr.