Changing Career Paths in a Rapidly Changing World

What do you think about when you hear the phrase “job security”? If you're like most people, you imagine a well-paying career spent at a single, benevolent company. In this scenario, you show up every day to work hard and help the company. In exchange, the company rewards you with its loyalty, some nice benefits and the appropriate increases in compensation and responsibility. In this vision of “job security,” the notion of changing career paths at any point simply doesn't occur to you.

The problem with this idea of job security is that it just doesn't exist in real life anymore. This can be a difficult idea to digest, particularly if you're like me and you've been told the same fairy tale about working for a single corporate master for the entirety of your life. The reality is that finding a career that will reward you for the rest of your professional life is a lot like finding a unicorn – you can look all you want, but your search will be in vain. These days, changing career paths is becoming more and more common, and you need to align your thinking with this reality if you want to experience a successful working life.

Why are these idealized careers a thing of the past? Here are a few reasons:

• Organizations Are More Shrewd With Their Decisions

Thanks to the power of communications technology, the world has gotten much smaller, and businesses are finding themselves in the midst of much stiffer competition than ever before. Additionally, the global economic crisis of 2008 made even the most powerful businesses rethink many of their strategies, which meant that a number of organizations transitioned into lean, mean survival mode. As a result, companies have become less willing to stick with employees out of any sense of loyalty or obligation. Therefore, if it's been decided that you add more costs than benefits to your company's bottom line, the company will have no trouble asking you to clean out your desk and send you on your way.

• It's a Numbers Game

When it's all about the bottom line, most companies are going to try to “trim the fat” wherever they can. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of loyal, long-term employees get the axe. When organizations can hire two brilliant, fresh-faced candidates straight out of college for less than the cost of employing you for a year, most businesses will take the money-saving option. It doesn't matter how well-established you are; if you aren't satisfying the requirements of the company's bean counters, you're going to be given a pink slip.

• Companies Just Want Results

At the end of the day, nothing matters more than results in the corporate world. These days, companies have the resources to be able to measure and analyze virtually every aspect of business, and they are using the mountains of data that they have to improve how they operate and stay ahead of the competition. This creates a scenario in which you, as the employee, are seen as a number more than a living, breathing, loyal and productive individual.

When you take these factors into account, it's easy to see why the notion of job security has been turned upside down in recent years. Thankfully, there are adjustments that you can make to compete more effectively in the modern business world. You may have to make some changes to your thinking, but as soon as you accept that changing career paths is often necessary to thrive, you'll be able to take your experience and turn it into an incredibly appealing asset to the corporate world.

Becoming a Consultant

The silver lining around this new business landscape is the fact that consulting has emerged as one of the most lucrative career paths for professionals who find themselves at a crossroads. As I mentioned above, companies are more interested in results than anything else these days, and they're turning to consultants more and more to help them drive those results. That's why I believe that consulting is the ideal choice for those of you who are faced with changing career paths in this rapidly changing world.

Are you worried about changing career paths? Are you searching for true job security? We have many resources available to help you navigate the modern business landscape successfully as a consultant. Buddy Hobart's eBook, “Experience Matters,” is loaded with great information, and it's available as a free download. You can also download your free Ex3 Matters consulting guides for an even deeper look at how consulting can help you thrive.