From where did todays silly ideals come from? It seems that people today think that they will go to school to the basics, go to college to learn a craft, then go into the world fully formed. Once out in the adult world with their college degree they will get a top tier job and make loads of money. No one ever explained to them that that is not how the job market works.
Job markets are competitive.
Have you ever heard that phrase? The “competitive job market”. Competitive means several things. For starters it means you compete for a job. You compete against other people that want that job. Some of them have more experience, some of them went to better schools, some of them had better grades, and some of them have better social connections. They will win the competition and get the job.
With the constant advance of technology, it is starting to seem that one person who graduates college today will not be as qualified for a position as the same person who graduates the same program next year. This begins to limit the value of experience in the competitive job market. Candidate A has been in the industry longer and has more experience, but Candidate B is trained on the newest version of the software, and knows the latest advances of the system.
Supply and Demand
But that is not the only thing competitive about a job market. You see supply and demand begins to become a part of the competitive job market as well. Supply is the amount of qualified job applicants, and demand is the amount of jobs available.
Have you noticed the push recently for free college? San Francisco and New York now offer free college to residents. Two of the most populous cities in the country will now be flooding the job markets with “qualified” candidates.
But that doesn’t matter as long as demand is high. Unfortunately, demand is plummeting for white collar jobs. It is far easier to create computer software to handle accounting, Financial planing, and most secretarial duties, then it is to make a robot to do labor intensive work. Research is now an interns job, and spreadsheets can be made by anyone. Jobs that employed millions in middle class careers simply do not exist anymore. And the trend is accelerating.
So you have an ever growing supply, and an ever dwindling demand. This can cause only 1 thing. A drastic decline in wages.
So How Do You Get Ahead?
There is only one way to get ahead in the business world without taking the chance on starting your own business. To get ahead, you must constantly improve yourself. You are and always will be a work in progress. This is what our school systems and colleges fail to teach our younger generation. You must always learn more.
This doesn’t mean paying for more college, or moving to New York or San Francisco (to be honest, it would be cheaper to pay for college then to live in either of those cities). No, you have a degree. Now just expand on it. Take courses from iTunes-U (they are free). Join leadership groups, go to seminars (in person or online).
The Secret to Getting Ahead
I already made a mention of the secret to getting ahead. Many may have not noticed it. It took me many years to realize it. “Better social connections”. If you really want to get ahead, start going to church and church function, join a fraternal organization like the Knight of Columbus or Masons, or Shriners. Join a club like a Yacht Club, a shooting club or a Car Club. These places will put you in an intimate social setting with other leaders of business that will look to you before they look to outsiders. Be a part of the club.
