The Future is Now

No one can accurately or consistently predict the future. That said, it is important ,like Richard Worzel- known as “The Futurist “(futurist@futuresearch.com), recommends that you have plan B and even C ready to be implemented, especially when it comes to your career.

For instance, whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the Canadian economy is affected by the American one- more than 70 % of Canadian Trade is with the US and so our economy is very much interconnected .

With respect to career planning, it is best to use scenario planning in order to have Plan B, and C ready to go , if necessary. Use different scenarios based on your research and development, and professional network and memberships to help design your career plan strategies. This is one way of being “ proactively creative” in a very difficult market place..

List all your skills and competencies and see how they can be transferred to different fields. You will quite impressed to know that your skills can fit in with many other professional fields, particularly if you have to change fields due a layoff or a restructuring process.

Personally, to maintain “the future is now” mentality, I try to keep up on the trends -looking for declining sectors and future areas of growth by watching the channel- CP24, reading the online version and e-updates from the Canadian Business magazine ,Business Week, Globe and Mail, and Macleans.

Watching the Business News Network or subscribing to their e-newsletter/updates can also keep you in the “know”. You can also subscribe to the e-updates/ newsletter for Money Sense, and Profit magazines that can get you up -to -speed with what is happening in the economic world.. Other sites like Statistics Canada and Manpower can give you current information on various sectors and demographics for doing your scenario planning.