Nearly All New Jobs in US are Gigs

Well, here's an article that confirms what so many of us could see.

From Across the Pond: A Look at the Work-Life Balance Myth

Here's an essay from Britain that challenges the quaint notion of this feel good myth:  http://blog.vistage.co.uk/we-need-to-stop-talking-about-work/life-balance-and-start-talking-about-personal-balance

Forget Resolutions! Achieve Your Goals Instead

As we turn the page on a fresh calendar we have 12 months of potential in front of us!

In about 30 days, our lofty resolutions will be put to the test. The end of January is a critical time to determine if you had one or more “nice ideas” or if you were really resolved to do something different with your new year.

At best, the term “New Year’s Resolutions” is a shallow topic covered in the media on the days surrounding the calendar change.   At worst, resolutions carry negative baggage of something uncomfortable that you have to stop (like overeating) or start (like exercise.)  
What fun is that?

There’s a better way to approach a new year.  Don’t set “resolutions.” We all know that resolutions are meant to be broken. If you want to make a positive change start with the words you use. Instead of making a resolution, set a goal.

My favorite formula for achieving goals is authored by the late great inspirational speaker Zig Ziglar. His seven point plan is a simple and accountable way to achieve any goal:

1.      Write down your goal.  It’s now out of your head and committed to paper, an essential first step!

2.      Set a date to reach your goal. You set the time frame. Be reasonable about an achievable date.  Too soon is not realistic and too distant weakens the commitment.

3.      Identify the obstacles. I’ve always found that my initial excitement gets quickly replaced by the mundane things I need to do to stay focused on the goal.  A huge challenge for me is that the dream is always more fun than the many mundane steps it takes to actually achieve it. That can be a big obstacle.

4.      Seek out the people who can help you reach your goal. Sounds obvious but we have a tendency to ask many questions of and seek feedback from those close to us. It’s more productive to ask people who might have some expertise they would be willing to share.   

5.      List the skills needed to achieve the goal. Identify those things you need to know to reach your goal.

6.      Develop an action plan.  Create a personal GPS to get you from where you are to where you want to be.

7.      List the benefits of reaching your goal.  It’s critically important to be satisfied with your answer to the question: “What’s in it for me?”  If you’re making the effort, the reward should be worthwhile.

When you can set a goal and take the actions needed to reach it, you really have grabbed the potential that the new calendar presents.  Seek a goal instead of a resolution and you’re sure to have a happier new year! 

Here's to health and wealth to us all in 2018!

A strong case to be made for hiring the more experienced worker

The "Golden Handcuffs" Trap of Employment

In keeping with the premise of All Free Agents, this article suggests approaching your job not as an employee, but a "business-of-one."  Read more here.

When looking for a new gig, are you showcasing the qualities employers want most? 

As free agents, we need to stay on top of our game when looking for a new gig.  That means using every large and small advantage we can get. 

Careersherpa.net has come up with a great list to check when you are preparing your pitch for "why hire me?"   10 Things Employers Love to See. 

Forbes Article: How to Stay Employed

Read the full article here.

Winners and Losers in the Gig Economy

Harvard Business Review article notes: "fundamental changes in the ways we work are here to stay"

 

The winners and losers in the U.S. economy have traditionally been easy to identify. If you had a full-time job, you won. A full-time job... (go to full article here) 

24 Percent of Americans Participate in "Gig Economy"
Essential Income Source For 56 Percent: Pew Research 

From neighborhood handymen to freelance computer programmers, Americans have long taken on piecemeal work in lieu of (or in addition to) traditional salaried employment. But today a variety of apps and online platforms are making it easier than ever for people to connect with customers who might like to hire them to do any number of jobs – from performing various types of online tasks to driving for ride-hailing services or cleaning someone’s home. (Full article here)

Today's word: Reinvention

Today's Word: Reinvention

If you had a job loss and can secure a new job that was comparable in salary and benefits to where you were, Good for You! You are in a select group.  For the rest of us, the new landscape dictates a new approach. Check out this article from AARP

Career Reinventions

Posted on 07/5/2012 by Deb Silverberg | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Interesting article on legitimate work from home jobs:

http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/work-from-home-jobs/?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=doughrollernewsletter&utm_content=33+work+from+home+jobs%3B+2017+tax+brackets%3B+5+quick+fixes+to+your+FICO+score%3B+How+to+use+Google+Docs+to+track+your+cash+flow

"When is everything gonna
get back to normal?" 

In the brilliant TV show "Mad Men" Roger Sterling said the line above in reaction to all the changes he was seeing in his co-workers circa 1967. As a viewer it's fun to be sitting in 2015 knowing the answer to his question is, "It's not going to happen and in fact, you ain't seen nothing yet!" At the same time, it's chilling to think that I've had the same thought Roger expressed. As we all know, things don't go back. We end up with a new reality.   

  

Expert marketer Seth Godin talks about how the nature of work used to be a structured system where for the most part you were told what to do. While some of that still exists, the modern worker is expected to navigate the job and the outputs.  Like any big change, it has its positives and negatives.  But make no mistake, the landscape has been permanently altered. There's no going "back to normal."

In case you've had your nose firmly fixed on the grindstone, here's a scorecard on the what's changed for the employee.  

As free agents, our product is our labor, talent, problem solving, etc. that we hope to sell until we decide it's time to leave the workplace. What happens when you you don't get to set the terms but you still have to "provide value" and stay in the workforce longer than you had planned?  Spoiler alert: it's happening already to millions.  

3 top issues for workers delaying retirement

The No. 1 retirement strategy today is — don’t retire.

Today retirement, for many, looks like work. Whether your plan is full-time or part-time work or even consulting, can you make the business case to stay in the workplace?

Despite the unending barrage of retirement images depicting combinations of sun, sea and sand designed to engage people in savings and investment the majority of the next wave of retirees don't see beaches and golf courses in their near future. AnAARP survey revealed that nearly 30% of older baby boomers plan to retire at 70 and older, another 40% say they plan "to work until they drop."

Read the full article here.

Part of being an alert free agent in today's world is understanding the meaning behind terms used in business-speak.  Pay attention the job you save could be your own!

HR Speak Decoded: The Real Meaning Behind 7 Common Phrases That Can Fool You

Sometimes, navigating office politics—and speak—can feel a bit like trying to decipher the meaning behind smoke rings.

Rather, you could just be one in a sea of overqualified people vying for the position.

Case in point: While in the interview seat, you’re told that you are a “competitive candidate”—but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got the job.

Or maybe earning a “title promotion” may sound like you’ve scored a career coup … or have you?

Read the full article here.

This post from Jared Bernstein's blog from back in 2012 accurately notes the notable shift.  

You’re on Your Own vs. We’re In This Together

September 6th, 2012 at 11:17 am

In a speech that was as compelling as it was persuasive, President Clinton (“the hoarse whisperer to the middle class”—this AM’s WaPo) made a number of references to the difference between the two starkly different political philosophies: “you’re on your own,” and “we’re in this together.”

These two different political philosophies came into stark focus for me in the early 2000s—the GW Bush years—and I wrote about them at length in the book All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy.  The “common sense” part is a reference to Thomas Paine’s famous pamphlet which seemed relevant then and more so now (you’ll see references below).

Read the full article here.

The ideas in this article are exactly what I've been talking about on allfreeagents.com. Nice to see them getting out there.

Let’s Fix It: Disenchanted with Work? Be the CEO of Your Destiny

As so many of us know, work isn’t working.
Employees are disenchanted with their jobs. Employers can’t find people to fill their requirements. The problem really stems from something simple. Work has changed — and many of us have not caught up. It’s a problem that’s easy to fix, and it begins with blowing up yesterday’s employment pact. 

Read more here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141013220522-37225230-let-s-fix-it-disenchanted-with-work-be-the-ceo-of-your-destiny?trk=eml-mktg-inf-m-fixit-1015-p3

How to be More Effective When Working from Home

Good read from Harvard Business Review:

Here's the full article on being more effective when working from home.

Insurance for Freelancers

Fascinating story on identifying the trend toward freelancing and taking action.

Don’t Have Health Insurance? Start Your Own Insurance Company!

How Sara Horowitz created affordable health care benefits for freelancers.

By Seth Stevenson|Posted Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, at 4:45 AM ET

Sara Horowitz

Courtesy Sara Horowitz.

Sara Horowitz was born into a proud union family. Her father worked as a labor lawyer, her grandfather as a vice president of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. So it felt like kismet when, on the first day of a new law firm job, Horowitz discovered that she and several other recent hires had been classified as independent contractors. “We weren’t given retirement or health insurance benefits. We called ourselves ‘the transient workers union,’ and I was made president. We joked about it, but for me it was a significantaha! moment. I started realizing there was this whole new way that workers were being treated.

Read full article here. 

Fascinating Article on "Solopreneurs"

The Orange County Register covers the trend of 'solopreneurs' defined as "adults who work at least 15 hours a week as independent contractors, consultants, freelancers or project workers."

'Solopreneurs' capitalize on changing workplace

Almost 17 million Americans are now "solopreneurs," 900,000 more than in 2011, according to the second annual "State of Independence in America" career study by MBO Partners. And another 27 million U.S. adults are considering a shift to this form of work.

MBO loosely describes solopreneurs as adults who work at least 15 hours a week as independent contractors, consultants, freelancers or project workers. MBO also includes small-business owners who have fewer than five employees.

Read the entire article here.

Creating a "No-Fear Career"

If you accept that each of us is the CEO of our brand and our careers, then fear is a challenge that we have to confront.  Oh sure, you don't want to let on that your're fearful, never let them see you sweat, etc. but in those quiet times it helps to have a plan to deal with the single most destructive challenge we all face.
Robin Fisher Roffer shares this advice to attack the challenge of fear:

3 Steps to Creating a No-Fear Career

By Robin Fisher Roffer

Trying to foresee or control the future is pointless. With a tough economy, technology advancing every minute, hiring and firing policies changing on a dime, an election looming, and employers continuing to operate from fear, things have never been more uncertain or the challenges so great. 

Where we fall short is in our response – when we look for someone to blame – rather than let go and surrender to what’s happening and manage the chaos one step at a time with grace, and with faith. 

Read more on the Simply Hired Blog: http://blog.simplyhired.com/2012/08/3-steps-to-creating-a-no-fear-career.html#ixzz25bZk3Vlv