The New American Economy
"There's a global paradigm shift going on," [said] Mohammed El-Arian, CEO of the huge investment firm PIMCO from 7 New Rules For Getting Ahead, by Rick Newman, Yahoo Financial News, May 2010
Starting in 2007, American companies began shedding payroll jobs at an unprecedented rate, and now numerous economists think many of the 8.4 million jobs lost during the recession are gone for good, with a tumultuous period of adjustment ahead. Firms have learned to make profits with less; technology combined with outsourcing = fewer and fewer payroll jobs for the American worker. Real Unemployment is at 17% (includes discouraged and part-time workers who desire full-time work), which means that 1 in 5 in the US is unemployed (US Bureau of Labor, 2010).
What are the results of this new employment paradigm?
“What is disappearing is not just a certain number of jobs -- or jobs in certain industries or jobs in some part of the country or even jobs in America as a whole. What is disappearing is the very thing itself, the job." William Bridges, author of Job Shift, How to Prosper in a Workplace Without Jobs
Many economists believe that traditional “jobs” are quickly becoming extinct. Millions of highly educated, experienced, and skilled US workers are having to shift to Entrepreneurial endeavors and are learning how to consult. Many lessons have been learned from this recession, and as we view the new economic landscape, we see that we are now the “boss”, paychecks are not guaranteed, we need more than one source of revenue, and we need every advantage we can get!
New Tools for the New Economy
“More and more of us will need to learn how to make a living as self-employed professional independent contractors or as entrepreneurs who start our own businesses.” from “Here's the real story on America's unemployment” by Steve Adams, Sunday Reflections Contributor, WashingtonExaminer.com, December 27, 09
The Consultant is the new US worker. This is a monumental change in the way the US works. With so many talented people starting their own gig(s), there will be new competition, lots of competition. How then, do you get an edge and create opportunities in this new environment? Keeping up with technology IS taking advantage of new opportunities. As millions of new entrepreneurs flood the marketplace, the savvy consultant must take advantage of all the new tools available – many of them at their fingertips!
How to Leverage Online and In-Person Networking as a Consultant
Once you decide that consulting is a viable option for you, here are a few tips to capitalize on new technology to create on online Marketing Campaign.
Use Online Social Media to Market your Consulting Services:
Use LI to market your business – why your profile should not read like a resume.
Use Twitter to spread the word, offer specials, create dialogues, and get more clients.
Use Facebook to interact with your clients and potential clients. Use their new apps, i.e., “Like” Use Plaxo, Digg, EArticles, and other sites to get your name/brand out there!
Use Press Releases to get publicity and drive hits to your website.
Use Eblasts, build your mailing lists, get people to opt in by offering a valuable freebie.
Write and build your blog – then use it to promote “everything else”.
Host a show on BlogTalkRadio, it's free and you can have guests, upload it to iTunes, etc. Hosting Webinars and Teleseminars are smart and effective.
Use these tips to create an in-person networking buzz:
Use Meet Up to create an event and promote it on all of your online sites. Use your online presence to create a buzz for your events – need to be ACTIVE!!
Get sponsors for your networking events – give them a minute of time in return for a small fee. Get Speakers for your networking event – give value to your attendees.
Use in person networking to introduce your services/products to firms.
Invite your online contacts in LI and FB to your in person events.
About the Author: Kristi Enigl is a Career & Job Search Consultant who brings over 19 years of Hiring, HR Management and Executive Recruiting to her professional practice. She helps professionals identify, create, and market their personal brand so they reach their career goals – FAST. She is a public speaker who regularly participates in career workshops and roundtables. For more information about Kristi, please visit her website at http://www.kristienigl.com.
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