We live in a world in which change is both rapid, unexpected and never ending.

Our age has been described as the age of technology, the knowledge-based age, the information age, the age in which national and job security have been and continue to be challenged, the age of competitive advantage, the age of computer and internet, to mention a few.

Globalization, the movement towards the creation of the “global village”, has had an impact on all nation-states, not necessarily in the same way. But what we can say, is that it has an impact on the world of work, the likes of which we have never seen before.

Perhaps the greatest impact has been no job security. The need to remain competitive has seen organizations automating, reducing staffing levels, employing persons on a contract basis, contracting out work that was previously done “in-house”.

Job security as we knew it has become a thing of the past. No longer can we expect to work with a single employer for life, no longer can we expect that the skill/qualification/training that we brought on the job in the first instance, would sufficient to retain the job. In the very competitive environment of today’s world of work, job specifications change to meet the challenge of competitive advantage.
This is the real world in which you are seeking employment. You would do well to remember this as you read this guide.

Best of luck!