ALT-1 How to Adjust to changes in your Industry
Change is inevitable in any industry, whether through technological innovation, the implementation of new working practices as a result of changing management styles or regulation, or through changes sparked by economic fluctuations. If you want to continue working in your industry and maintain a professional reputation, you have to adapt to these changes, but it can be easier said than done. How best to go about making the adjustment to each new world order?
Inform
Almost every developed industry will have some kind of membership association or trade body. If you want to progress and further a career within a specific industry, it's essential that you join this and make the most of the networking and training opportunities it provides. Read any relevant trade magazines or journals - they can make dull bedtime reading, but the fact is that they are designed and written for people like you, talking about issues and developments that affect your livelihood (if you think they aren't, you're reading the wrong publication). And if you feel there's something important missing from the publication, contact the professional body in question and ask to write a piece for their magazine. Establish yourself as a thought leader, and help to drive changes in your industry rather than reacting to it.
On a similar note, try to attend any professional events relating to your industry, whether that's a full conference or a business style 'breakfast briefing'. It's a great place to find out what's happened and what's about to happen to change your working life, and to share your own tips on how to prepare for change. Ask the question of speakers: "what changes do you see affecting the industry in the next five years?" If you know change is coming, you can prepare for it, not just adapt to it.
Upskill
If you are approaching the end of your working life, you can probably remember when companies had just one computer at most, locked away in the accounts office. Now there's at least one on every desk. This is just one obvious sign of the changes that have swept across the working world in the last couple of decades, but IT is also a major stumbling block for many seasoned professionals. If a challenge or a new way of working comes along, for which your education did not prepare you, then head back to school.
Don't just muddle through - whether it's a new software programme or new accounting standards, you'll become frustrated, disillusioned, and written off as a dinosaur. Accept that times are changing and look into part-time qualifications to plug your skill or knowledge gap. Depending on your circumstance and industry, your employer may even pay your fees for you, so you have nothing to lose but a bit of TV time.
Network
As the industry changes, you and your colleagues will probably find yourselves moving from organsiation to organisation. Make sure to cultivate contacts throughout your career so that you can be forewarned of job opportunities if your particular corner of your industry changes in a way which you're not prepared to accept. Events are a great place to meet useful new contacts, and take equal care to manage relationships with clients and suppliers - if you find yourself needing to move job, your experience is often just as useful to your company's suppliers as it is to its competitors.
Summary
Not everyone responds well to change, but it is inevitable. Adjust to changes in your industry by accepting their inevitability and being pro-active. Read professional publications and websites and attend conferences, seminars and briefings to find out about forthcoming developments, and make sure you have the skills in place to meet new challenges. And if all else fails, keep that address book up to date with friendly contacts!
