Guess what? America is due for a recession. It’s doesn’t matter which political party is in charge of this nation. It does not matter what the status is of world politics or global conflicts. The world has a pattern that will not change. However, for the first time in America’s history, the recession is being delayed. Experts around the world have their opinions of when and why the next recession will hit. Their opinions are irrelevant.
What is relevant to your career planning for the future in 2020?
You should evaluate your health and other generational issues that might affect your opportunities. You should also assess your formal and informal education.
Ask yourself these questions:
Can I relocate for a career?
Can I retire?
Can I start my own business?
Who will be displaced in the next recession?
- More women will be displaced than men.
- Older people will be displaced rather than younger people.
- Minorities will be displaced based on location.
- Baby Boomers that haven’t updated skills will be displaced.
- Generation Xers that are making too much money will be displaced.
- Millennials with a useless college degree will be displaced.
Careers are based on age first and gender second. To all the guru’s telling people that “career changes are comfortable”; “age and gender don’t matter”; and “you can make your dreams come true with positive thinking”…you are wrong.
The best place to begin to evaluate your life during a recession is to examine the underlying realities of life.
Solutions.
Let’s focus on solutions. The next recession will be very different from past recessions. The best place to begin is by reviewing what careers will be needed in the next three to ten years. This will give you an idea of where to focus your efforts; you need to gain a return on investments. Investing time and money, along with a change of lifestyle will be required if you need to be employed over the next ten years. Most experts agree that some technical knowledge will be necessary to obtain jobs available and livable wages. Thus, it makes sense to start by learning to participate in your current position with teams in different time zones.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “I don’t particularly appreciate working with a group of people. Why can’t the team be in the same time zone?” Stop whining about working on teams. Global teams that require you to learn different time zones and work remotely will outpace standard dreaded cubical and office time.
Now is the time to get re-educated and gain certifications that will match future demands. Consider obtaining a college degree that is worth the cost.
Some ideas to pursue:
- Healthcare management
- Cybersecurity degrees or certifications
- Industrial distribution
- Engineering
- Nursing
- Nurse practitioners
- Primary care physician
- Trades – categories that are not be replaced by technology
Some ideas you should not pursue:
- Journalist degrees
- History degrees
- Human resource degrees
- Fashion design degrees
- Communication degrees (I have one. It has never paid off.)
- Ph.D. (Unless someone else is paying for it.)
If you think that the above topics that should not be pursued fit your personality, then minor in the subject. A $120k Journalism degree pays $40k a year. It cannot compete with Artificial Intelligence (AI) that writes a lot of what is being read today. Being a paid journalist will be a hobby soon. Technology is developing and becoming extremely cheap to implement. Never underestimate the power of making money over employing humans.
