job

Global And Mobile

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A lot of time in these pages we post about relocation – I did it big time (moving across the country), others we know have considered it, others we know have done it.

Now as you may guess, I am all for proper revocations – one has to find the right place for themselves and their careers.  Some people even take it farther and live far more mobile lives – I've seen jobs with 50% travel that frankly don't care about where you live.  However, there's one factor I wanted to discuss.

Mobility isn't going to let anyone escape Global changes, and those have to be part of your career – and relocation -plans.

We've pretty much found that out in the latest economic downturn – global effects (like, say, a financial meltdown) can affect you pretty much no matter where you are.  Few places are immunite to the effects of things like an economic meltdown – or a new technology innovation, or increased gas prices, etc.  The different locations may let you mitigate the effects of a world-wide change, but some things border on the inescapable.

I of course can testify to this from first-hand experience.

What this means for the potentially relocating:
1) If you're moving to get away from something, make sure you'll really get away from it.
2) When you relocate, ask yourself what global factors can affect the place you're relocating too.
3) Explore how potential areas of relocation will be able to adapt to various possible problems.
4) Finally, sadly, make sure you have the ability to leave if you have to – a permanent, un-reversible move may be a bad idea unless not moving is a worse idea.

Moving is often inevitable and often a good idea. But some things will follow you anywhere.

– Steven Savage

Let Me Bore You: Stability and Profit

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And let's get down to some more boring career advice!  You know you enjoy it, if only because it saves on sleeping pills!

Today's subject – stability versus profit at work.

Sure we all want high levels of pay, and a lot of us probably deserve them.  However one of the factors to consider in long term career planning, is that just because you get paid a certain amount a year on average, it doesn't mean that's what you'll make in the end.  You will face pay cuts, layoffs, etc.

That has to be taken into account in working on long-term plans and budgets.

What's the average rate of pay in your profession – and the average amount of time someone spends unemployed – and how often does it happen?  If you've found over eight years that you get laid off every 2 years and it takes you 3 months to find a job, that's not eight years of solid employment – that's 12 entire months of unemployment in 8 years – you really only worked 7 years.  In short, you made 7/8 of your pay rate (not counting unemployment and severance of course).

That little bit of math can be a lifesaver in long-term planning because it not only lets you project ahead and tells you about your unemployment prospects (for instance in some professions certain months and quarters are more likely for layoffs), but also lets you do some long-term budgeting.  You can, with just basic math skills, do a bit more planning ahead and calculations to stay on an even keep financially.

So, take an inventory of your past employment and see what you can see in layoffs, hiring, and how it might impact your budget.

– Steven Savage

Job Has Evolved into NeoJob!

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I've talked to people who, one day, realized that their job wasn't what it had been.  They hadn't changed, but the job had.  Requirements changed, software knowledge needs changed, etc.  Suddenly they were doing different things, or worse, were less and less qualified to do what they were doing anyway – and seniority wasn't cutting it.

Jobs change.  They change in the skills needed, in the contacts needed, in the knowledge needed, and the vendors you deal with.  Jobs evolve, grow, mutate – and even die off.

It's way, WAY too easy to assume that a job will be the same forever.  We have names for jobs, good solid nouns and adjectives, that give us a sense of solidity, of permanence.  Jobs are an activity and a process though, they slip out of the simplicity of nouns and adjectives (or end up adding new ones).

I can't emphasize this enough – stay aware of how your job – and your career – are evolving and changing.  Follow trade mags, news, take classes, etc.  Be aware of it, because chances are in this high-speed, erratic, global economy, what you do is going to change even if the title is the same – and what you do in the future will change as well.  Make job review a regular part of your life – perhaps even meet with friends and fellow pros every six months to discuss your careers, compare notes, and seek advice.

With geeky jobs, it's even worse – stuff we progeeks do is often cool, cutting edge, creative, diverse, and evolving.  The tools we use change, the goals change, the vendors change, what we produce changes.  Manga moves in on comics, comics license to movies, movies create special effects unimaginable ten years ago, videogames becomes series of DLC, anime goes online, etc.

The way around this is, as I noted, constant research, awareness, and evaluation.  Band together with your fellow progeeks, it'll make the bumpy – if exciting – ride much easier.  The world is going to change – and so will your job, perhaps even the one you're doing right now.

– Steven Savage