Paying Attention to the Trends

Throughout history there have been individuals who proved they have a great sense of vision.  Not the 20/20 vision, but the kind that requires an ability to foresee what the future may look like in a particular frame of reference.  People who are visionaries in given fields have contributed significantly in the development of businesses and organizations in our country.

Peter Drucker was a business management visionary.  He was able to see the possibilities of individuals and organizations and lead them to greatness.  In his final book, Managing in the Next Society, he spoke about the factors that would be important in the “Information Age” as individuals considered career options.   One of those factors….look forward 50 years and imagine how your career will change.

Most of us do not possess a crystal ball nor have the capability to foresee the future.  But we do have the ability to access resources.  A great resource for keeping current on job trends is the website for the United Stated Department of Labor Statistics, http://bls.gov/home.htm.  This site provides information on the outlook of jobs and what the trends look like quarterly as well as long term.  This kind of information can assist in the process of “looking forward 50 years.”  While it shouldn’t be the only data used in decision-making about a career, it is an important factor to consider and worthy of spending some time checking out the website.