A hyper-connected world, part 2

An absolute must read from Forbes (captioned and linked below) detailing Why Your Kid Can't Get a Job and mentioning seemingly half of the flatteners Friedman (2005) introduced.

Indeed, there has been almost a perfect storm in the convergence of Globalization and the off-shoring of labor, productivity gains from information technology, the Great Recession (and the evaporation of millions of entry-level jobs), and the rise of impersonal “robo-hiring” via computer modeling and software filtering (where test scores and checked boxes count more than life experience).

 

 

 The key to becoming hirable may be an individual's ability to independently market his or her skills independently...

Freelancing is likely to be their future anyhow, so why not start and learn the skills (from DIY bookkeeping to marketing) of being an entrepreneur now?Young job hunters need to rethink their social media presence. Social proof is critical to employers. Ditch the frat party photos, avoid the drunken tweets. Turn your public social media presence into a showcase of your personal brand and portal of interests and skills. Connect the dots for the prospective hiring manager. The best way to combat a thin resume is with photos, video, endorsements. Be unusual and memorable: if, for example, you reached Level 60 on World of Warcraft, tell your future boss why that means you have monster leadership skills. And, show you have a big and growing network that comes with you when you get hired.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemalone/2013/03/29/why-your-kid-cant-get-a-job/print/

Reference

Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Picador.