The Modern Career Landscape

by Gopal Ramasammy-Cook (Career-Creative Coach, ZestWare)

The notion of what a career is, and how it is structured has changed radically in recent decades. For most people, the comfort of holding one job for life is a distant memory, and the words job security have been virtually ripped from our vocabulary. Retrenchment and redundancy is fairly common.

On the other hand, these are exciting times for those who are able to approach their careers creatively. For the first time in history we have a substantial amount of choice and flexibility in the choice, structuring, and creation of our careers. Many people have several jobs, often simultaneously. People move from one organization to another by choice, in search of better prospects.

Advances in technology and communications now provide many individuals with access to a global scope for their careers. Many people now earn substantial portions of their income and form synergies with other like-minded individuals through the medium of the Internet. Rather than industries simply controlling individual employees, individuals are now spawning niche industries.

Many individuals reinvent themselves several times during a life-time, changing not only their jobs, but the the very nature of their careers. The power to manage a career has moved from the organization to the individual. This evolution is so strikingly evident in its nature and impact that it has been given the name protean career by Douglas T. Hall, Professor of Organizational Behavior in the School of Management at Boston University. Protean in this context is a metaphoric reference to the Greek god Proteus, who was able to morph into different forms at will in order to deal with threats from enemies and the environment. In a protean career a person harnesses all her strengths, skills, learning, experience, and other personal attributes towards crafting the career situation that most fits her personal values and her own idea of success.

While we are indeed living in times of unprecedented organizational changes and economic upheavals, individuals who are able to harness their creative resources, energies, and perspectives, will see this as an opportunity to grow and to thrive.


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