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For many managers, the search for fulfilling work will take them outside the boundaries of corporate America into the world of the entrepreneur. The latest term for the nearly 45 million self- employed is the contingent workforce. It has grown 57% since 1980, three times faster than the labor force as a whole.5 In particular demand is the technical temporary who provides such services as PC training, programming, LAN implementation, and help desk support on an as-needed basis (see Exhibit 3). The technical temporary is especially viable in todays job market for two reasons. First, technical computer skills are in high demand as the use of computers grows significantly in American business. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that opportunities for computer scientists and those with related skills will grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2005. Second, the temporary nature of these positions is especially appealing to corporations that now outsource much of this work.
Exhibit 3.Career Opportunities for the Technical Temporary | |
---|---|
Trainer: Generic PC | Trainer; Custom PC |
Trainer: custom PC | Computer Graphic Artist |
LAN Adminstrator | Consultant |
Network Installer | Conversion Services |
Help Desk Support | Technical Writer |
There are many advantages for individuals who accept positions in the contingent workforce. Temporary assignments can often result in a permanent position if employees treat the job seriously and prove their desire to remain with the company for the long term. Temporary work also affords individuals an opportunity to evaluate the company from a nonemployee standpoint; in the event a full-time position is offered, temporary employees can make a more educated decision by reflecting on their experiences with the company thus far. Finally, if an individuals personal circumstances are such, it is possible to maintain a temporary position and pursue other avenues of fulfillment (e.g., continuing education, another temporary positions, or achieving other non-work related goals).
Time and family continue to rank high as priorities for managers and their staff alike, but it is so easy to be consumed in the whirlwind of activities called a job that the manager does not always place a premium on their importance. Layoffs can sometimes help managers redefine what is really important. A former end-user manager for a worldwide financial services firm had this insight: When he looked back on what he had achieved over the past 10 years in his career, he realized he had become what he thought he wanted. The layoff made him see he did not really want it anymore. Bill Sheppard of Waste Management would not have quit his job to lead wilderness canoe expeditions; being laid off helped him realize he could pursue the volunteer work he loves in addition to accepting work as contract trainer.
Teri Blommaert now does freelance instructional design work and would not trade this for a job within corporate America. As a freelancer, what is important to her is the work, not the politics and the other things that surround it. She likes that kind of focus. She is not distracted by all the other corporate culture issues. Teri admits, however, that there are big tradeoffs. She has opted for flexibility vs. security. For managers willing to take a risk, and especially for those with some financial resilience, the role of the technical temporary can prove both lucrative and fulfilling.
Reassessing personal priorities is only part of this strategy. Equally important, managers must take inventory of their current abilities to discover what new skills they may need to develop to expand the potential for new opportunities and those that may simply requiring honing. For example, many managers possess strong supervisory skills, but they lack the technical expertise to install a LAN or the marketing savvy to sell their services. If contract work seems a possible option in the future, managers should take steps now to ensure their success. Instead of attending the annual IS-related conference as in years past, managers should consider doing the type of work they are interested in pursuing. This may require an investment of time and money, but it is wise preparation.
If all this setting of priorities and assessing seems overwhelming, managers can consider the help of a career counselor. One former manager of end-user training made a dramatic career shift because of analyzing her true likes and dislikes through career counseling; she now sells radio advertising to clients on a national basis and has become quite successful.
Before taking measures to save their career or find a new one, managers should make time to assess what their work life means within the context of their overall life experience. If changes are required, they must take stock of the new skills and abilities they will require and devise a realistic, workable plan to achieve the balance they seek.
For managers already unemployed or facing the potential loss of a job, this can be a period of dread and foreboding. Yet, never has the time been better to reassess what is truly important in terms of personal life goals and then make career decisions that complement these goals. It is a time when managers must take responsibility for their own career advancement, build skills to help them add value, and seek new challenges that provide continual growth and learning. With this attitude and motivation, the 1990s should be viewed as an era of great opportunity.
Brown, T., The 100 Best Companies. Do They Point the Way for All Business?, Industry Week, April 19, 1993, pp. 12-20.
Butruille, S.G., Corporate Caretaking, Training & Development Journal , April 1990, pp. 49-55.
Dumaine, B., The New Non-Manager Managers, Fortune, Feb. 22, 1993, pp. 80-84.
Fierman, J., Jobs, Fortune, July 12, 1993, pp. 33-36.
Keichel III, W., How Will We Work in the Year 2000, Fortune, May 17, 1993, pp. 38-52.
Kleinman, C., Jobs, The Chicago Tribune, May 23,1993.
Rapaport, R., To Build a Winning Team: An Interview with Head Coach Bill Walsh, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1993, pp. 111-120.
Yates, R., Downsizings Bitter Pill, The Chicago Tribune, Nov. 21,1993.
References
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