Are There Any Good Jobs Left?

Book excerpt: This book is for and about the millions of people who are between jobs (code for out of work), have been between jobs, or know of someone who has been. It is about how to navigate the transition from employment-for-life, career development support, and a company-sponsored pension to downsized, outsourced, and replaced. Bill Holland explains the macro-trends that have converged to create an environment of job instability and anxiety, and then moves beyond this context to present specific tactics and techniques that readers can use to stay one step ahead in their careers. More than a manual for job searches and career-building strategies, Are There Any Good Jobs Left? helps readers interpret trends, assess such temptations as leaving the corporate rat race for the entrepreneurial life and considers the ethics of constant networking. Featuring an annotated listing of books and Web sites, the book is not so much an indictment of corporate disloyalty as an explanation of the phenomenon, and a guidebook for anyone faced with job transition, change, or growth in today's turbulent environment. This book is for and about the millions of people who are between jobs (code for out of work), have been between jobs, or know of someone who has been. It is about the transition from employment-for-life, career development support, and a company-sponsored pension to downsized, outsourced, and replaced. It is about managing your career proactively and creatively in an environment where no job is presumed to be permanent. Bill Holland explains the macro-trends that have converged since the heyday of the white-collar worker after World War II to create an environment of job instability and anxiety, and then moves beyond this context to present specific tactics and techniques that readers can use to stay one step ahead in their careers, whether they are senior executives or just starting out. Much more than a manual for job searches and career-building strategies, Are There Any Good Jobs Left? shows readers how to interpret trends (e.g., will this wave of outsourcing affect me?), assess such temptations as leaving the corporate rat race for the entrepreneurial life, and consider the ethics of constant networking. In addition, he explores the dynamics of the increasingly diverse workforce, and the prospects for men, women, and minorities as they all vie for the most attractive positions. Featuring an annotated listing of books and Web sites, Are There Any Good Jobs Left? is not so much an indictment of corporate disloyalty as an explanation of the phenomenon and a guidebook for anyone faced with job transition, change, or growth in today's turbulent environment.