Like I said yesterday, I love end of the year lists. But equally as important (and enjoyable) are catalogs of forward-thinking possibilities. So here’s some predictions for 2010 – let’s meet back up at about this time next year and see if any of them were right!
The job market will become more cluttered. Back when I wrote this post, it was looking more and more likely that companies would keep their overall hiring down, despite the rebounding economy. This has started to come true, and with more graduates entering the workforce and companies still on a downsizing trend, there will be even more job seekers fighting over the scraps of job postings that are available.
The economy won’t be getting much better. At least not for the first half of the year. We’ve got a long way to go before we find something that is even the slightest semblance of a true recovery. Then again, this is based on the government’s own projections for increased spending and less returns, which makes it look like we’re still falling.
There will be more entrepreneurs. As less large businesses hire full-time employees, more people will turn to creating their own businesses, which also includes working as a consultant/freelancer/contract employee. With many experienced and skilled workers fighting for every position, eventually, most of them will move away from a corporate structure.
Education will be worth less (and more). The value of a bachelor’s degree will fall even further, becoming essential for some of the most basic jobs. However, a master’s degree will take its place as a stepping stone to a solid career. But even so, companies will become more fickle when choosing their new hires, looking to more than just educational history.
Personal branding becomes essential. With freelancing, contract work and entrepreneurship on the rise (not to mention tougher corporate job competition), development and maintenance of one’s personal brand will be a vital part of the employment and retention process. More services, books and websites will pop up to help individuals create the ideal personal brand. Not all of them will work or be legitimate.
Rental workspaces become more popular. I’ve discussed this one a bit before too, but with more freelancers looking for dedicated workspaces and teams working across time zones, country lines and even continents, the resources of rental workspaces will become essential.
Green lifestyles and spending will finally collide – it won’t be pretty. There are a few things that you can do to lessen your environmental impact when searching for work (or in general), but the majority of “green” living comes from paying a premium for organics, recycled materials, hybrid vehicles, natural energy and so on. And there’s no regulation for these industries to help consumers make truly “green” choices. As people become more judicious with their spending, the green goods and services industry will have to make some major changes, and a lot of companies with a positive message of sustainability will fail.
The government will re-evaluate its budget and cut back on frivolous spending. Well, probably not. But given the volume of less-than-successful government agencies not really doing their jobs (like this one), maybe we’ll be able to clear the way for more efficient government programs, which could in turn create new jobs. Boy, that would be nice.
Here’s to 2010 – year of the independent worker, redefined government and green policies, personal branding and a new corporate culture…maybe.
