By JUDIT PRICE
Sun Correspondent
Lowell Sun

Change is a fact of life and we must learn not to fear it but to embrace it. New opportunities and careers are constantly emerging and require meeting these challenges with an open mind, astute planning and advanced training.

It is imperative to keep up with marketplace trends and needs to survive and thrive into the next millennium. The world will change even more in the years ahead as different types of jobs require whole new sets of skills.

Here are four important myths you might want to think about:

• Just do your job and you will do fine.
• Please you boss; he is the one who evaluates you.
• I am too old to learn. I have earned the right to delegate.
• I am trained as an engineer (or other profession) I only want to do engineering work.

Success dimensions are the following:

• Opportunities for those starting careers will continue to improve.
• People will have to assess their own careers, understand their strengths and weaknesses, plan school options and seek job opportunities.
• Compensation will be tied more to performance with increasing emphasis on incentive bonuses for meeting specific goals and less expectation for yearly salary increases.
• The move to 401K will continue. This will transfer pension risks to employees.
• People constantly have to upgrade and retrain, developing new skills that respond to market demands. They must also learn to understand business issues beyond their own jobs.
• Management levels are being reduced. Workers will be reorganized into teams, making decisions on how to do the job including addressing issues previously reserved for management, such as hiring, and firing and other matters.
• Students will divide their day between school and jobs in work-study programs, combining practical experience with study, developing skills and good work habits.
• Outsourcing will expand. More companies will contract functions to other companies.
• Companies will insist that employees exhibit skills beyond specialties.
• Those who continue to develop new skills will continually be successful.
• The corporate triathlete will be on demand. These are employees who are well versed in computer skills combined with technical knowledge and business savvy.

For further Information email: jprice@careercampaign.com or call: 1-800-965-0482 or 978-256-0482

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