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.