Future Fit

It’s your responsibility to remain relevant, competitive and attractive to employers.

On September 8, 2008, Andrea Clarke was in a war zone in Baghdad, Iraq while working for a nonprofit agency. There Clarke learned to remain productive, to allow for “courteous confrontation” between co-workers and to give everyone a voice.

Today, the responsibility for remaining relevant, competitive and sought-after in less structured or nonreciprocal work environments falls onto employees. Differentiate yourself by developing eight soft skills: “reputation capital, communication, adaptability, creativity, networking, leadership, problem solving and continuous learning.” Clarke consistently invested in herself to become a valuable asset to potential employers.

Develop a personal brand and earn reputation capital to accrue tangible value in the workforce.

When Clarke returned to Washington, DC from Iraq, she launched a job search the very next morning. If she didn’t land a job within 10 days, she’d have to return to her native Australia. She contacted every person in her network and soon had leads. ...