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Great Long-Term Career PathThe Interactive Job Markets
Yes, there's been a downturn in Internet stocks and significant downsizings at many Internet companies. Yes, many employees who had hoped to get rich quickly found out that they had to take a slower route.
This turn of events was predictable and does little to affect the long-term prospects for the Internet industry. For years, we have advised our job hunters to stay away from the five-person start-ups and instead work for established firms. Those people have generally made out well.
The Internet industry will continue to grow for some time. Those outside the industry can get in and make themselves more valuable in the long run.
* An owner of a bulk-food import / export company is now head of data mining for a mid-size Internet company.
* A former tax accountant now has a job as head of Internet sales.
* Many Five O'Clock Clubbers are getting jobs in Internet sales and marketing, back-office operations, Internet research and analysis, and so on. A few other points:
* Those who lose their jobs with Internet companies are getting jobs elsewhere very quickly.
* People can move up the ranks fairly quickly in Internet-related firms.
* More older people are getting hired, but they have to search aggressively and learn new skills.
* Those who find Internet jobs don't just follow Web job postings to get interviews; they use the Internet aggressively for job-search research, and also get meetings through targeted and direct mailings as well as search firms.
* Internet companies are now starting to pay real wages and standard benefits rather than offering stock options and the hope of getting rich quickly. In addition, Five O'Clock Clubbers are getting large pay increases within the Internet industry: One Five O'Clock Clubber just increased her salary by 50% within the past nine months; another doubled his salary within 13 months.
* Most jobs are created for talented people who are available. That means job hunters need to make themselves known to managers who are not hiring for a specific job at the moment. In these situations, job hunters have a better chance of customizing jobs.
* Resumes that better position the job hunter are becoming more crucial as companies receive thousands of resumes for each opening‹because of the Internet. People looking for Internet positions need to highlight their Internet experience in their summaries.
Luckily, the labor shortage will probably continue‹despite a few projected recessions‹over the next ten to twenty years. With so much opportunity, it makes sense to plan: Job hunters need to chart a course, rather than just take whatever crosses their paths. So pay attention to your Forty-Year Vision and chart your own course.
Kate Wendleton
President and
Editor-in-Chief