Alternatives to College

Inc. published an interesting article on a relatively new program run by Google that is a modern-day equivalent to vocational school or apprentice programs. They offer career certificates that Google considers the equivalent of a four-year degree for specific jobs that are very much in demand. Given the precarious state of higher education right now, this may prove to be exactly the “right thing at the right time” for many.

Google has received both positive and negative feedback on the program. On the positive side, enrollees learn the skills needed for employment in less time and far less cost. While those enrolled may be very disappointed when they finish and are NOT offered a job by Google, Google has amassed a group of 50 big name employers who recruit directly from this program, including Walmart, Intel, Sprint, Bank of America, PNC and more.

Criticism is mostly centered on the “other” skills supposedly acquired during a four-year college experience, like problem-solving skills, soft skills, and emotional maturing. This can be debated, as many young people acquire those skills before getting to college.

Will this prove to be the start of a disruptive trend in education, where employers offer their own versions of relevant training (as a revenue stream), and them pull the candidates they want into the company, or select people based on personality and basic skills, and train them to be what they need? Time will tell.

Career Advice

Career coach Adunola Adeshola shared key career moves to make during the pandemic recently in Forbes, but this advice is really appropriate for anyone and any time. (Grab her free guide.) She boiled it down to five things (her terms):

• Aim for Excellence--don’t let perfection slow you down, but prioritize and strategize to get things done well.
• Advocate for Yourself --speak up, don’t wait to be noticed.
• Build Genuine Connections--go beyond your current group of friends/work group and don’t wait until you are looking for another job to expand your circle.
• Adopt a “How can I help?” Mindset—if you look for opportunities to help others, you will become known as a problem-solver.
• Cultivate Your Growth Zone—you need to leave your comfort area if you are going to grow. Don’t be afraid to be a student and ask for help.

Along similar lines is a Harvard Business Review article on creating your own career luck. Many successful people credit “luck” at least in part for their success. How can you bring yourself more luck? Dr. Christian Busch of Columbia University discusses “nurturing serendipity: the unexpected good luck resulting from unplanned moments, in which proactive decisions lead to positive outcomes.” Again, using his terms, there are two key ways to do this.

• Setting Hooks—during networking-type conversations, don’t ask the typical “what do you do” type of question. Ask something a bit different and unexpected that maybe allows for a more personal response, and if asked that basic question, expand your answer to include something different. The goal is to get people interested in you, and to find out what is interesting about them. It helps you “connect the dots” between/among people you encounter, which could lead to opportunities down the road.
• Planting Bombs—make use of low-risk technology, like email or messaging in LinkedIn, to reach out to people beyond your known circle.  I know that I usually respond positively to these efforts to make a connection with me, and I usually respond to see where it might lead.

The title of this Forbes article threw me, but it basically says that now more than ever, soft skills are vital for employment, not just a differentiator.  In the age of remote work, one needs to be resourceful.  Emotional Intelligence is more important than ever, and people will need to be able to adapt to all sorts of changes down the road, and learn new technology all the time.

The Pandemic Jobs Outlook

If you have been perusing the weekly reading lists on the NGPF blog, you will have seen the unemployment statistics posted weekly since the pandemic began.  It is indeed troubling to know that tens of millions of people are currently unemployed.

This graph from Tracktherecovery.org shows that higher wage jobs are mostly back to normal, but this is definitely not the case for lower-wage workers. Tracktherecovery.org is a great resource if you are interested in digging deeper into how Covid-19 is affecting employment in your region. Check out the site and click on the link for an interactive window.

This is obviously not the best time to be looking for a job in the entertainment or travel business, or to be opening up a restaurant. There are many segments of our economy that will take many years to recover from this pandemic. If you had your heart set on a career in one of those areas, you may need to pivot. For many, any paying job will be sufficient. So which employers are looking for employees? If you think about how you and your family have adjusted to this new normal, you can probably make a good guess:

Delivery businesses (UPS/Amazon), grocery stores and their associated delivery services, online learning companies, and communication companies (like ZOOM). Right now would also be a good time to look for work in the field of childcare. Many families are desperately looking for alternatives to in-person school and childcare, many of which will not reopen. Parents are forming “pods” with other families to share remote learning and childcare responsibilities, and many are willing to pay others to do this for them. (The Muse)

Anything to do with the Internet would also be a good bet. Most of these jobs involve programming/web development, but not all. The job titles include: software developer, user interface designer, web front-end development engineer, big data development engineer, database administrator, and more general job titles include project managers, testers, internet marketing, and the timeless “insurance salesperson.” (Salary)

Which professions have weathered the pandemic storm fairly well financially (we won’t get into the physical and mental health)? Think about everyone who has continued to work, weather AT work or from home. Nurses, corporate employees, veterinarians, teachers, people who work for non-profits, physician assistants, lawyers, physicians, and topping the list—government employees! (Student Loan Planner)

Employment News

The percentage of US workers who tested positive for drugs in 2019 rose to a 16 year high of 4.5%. Much of this can be attributed to the legalization of marijuana in many states. The use of opiates has slowly decreased. We do not yet know what the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be on these statistics. There is much concern that the stress on employees will drive the number up further for 2020. (WSJ)

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