Jobshift: How To Prosper In A Workplace Without Jobs Paperback – October 16, 1995

This book was recommended to me by a colleague who read it back when it first came out. And I can understand how this book might have really jarred some people at the time. The fact is, people in the 90's were freaked out that their job was going to be outsourced and no one knew what to do. "Self-employment" was still a dirty word in many circles. The idea of being a "freelancer" or a "consultant" was still new. Until fairly recently, this was a path chosen only by malcontents who were unable to hold steady jobs. The idea of embracing this lifestyle instead of a career path job was, back in the day, completely outlandish and scary.The thing is that the world Job Shift predicted has come and gone. People fled their offices to become consultants and "solo practitioners" of their craft and now they are clamoring to get back into the corporate world with the sweet embrace of dental insurance and all of the many perks of selling your soul. Perhaps more importantly companies aren't as willing to shell out megabucks to one-man consulting shops the same way they were before. HR consultants were hit particularly hard in this area. Following the advice of a single bad consultant could bring you millions in judgments. Swarms of unemployed lawyers also entered the business and pushed out countless HR, safety, business development and even sales consultants with their sexy JDs lending credence to their words.In short, this is a great book if you happen to be reading it in 1998. If you are reading it in 2016 there is very little in it that you will find useful. You might enjoy thumbing through the pages and having a chuckle as the author opines whether a person will ever be able to work from home more effectively thanks to "electronic mail" but other than a nostalgic trip or an anthropological view into how we lived back in the 90's this book holds no real value.I'm hanging onto my copy only because the used copies online are selling for pennies and it wouldn't be worth the effort to sell it.

I got the book for information on how to manage in a world where jobs are disappearing. While the author discusses the job landscape that was taking form almost 20 years ago, the discussion is still valid today. Most importantly, the author describes how people can best manage the transition period between losing a job and finding another which is as relevant today as it ever was.

I liked the book , -and delivery was in time

A timeless classic, which every single professional should own. I highly recommend it.

Bridges argues that you must make yourself relevant to the changing economy by managing your career as solo business, finding the unmet needs inside of your company and increasing your contribution to your company.The traditional workplace, where tasks are broken up into `jobs' with specifically defined duties, is disappearing fast says author William Bridges. Many companies that try to cut costs simply cut jobs. However, more innovative companies are changing the way their employees work altogether. The trend has been to move away from work divided into specific tasks, to work based on teams and project work. People are brought together to work on specific projects and then break up when the project is completed. If this is happening at your company, you can apply for a job someplace else, but the chances are good that you're just exchanging one vulnerable job for another.The better answer, says the author, is to change your attitude towards work, forget about your job position and start looking for opportunities to fulfill your company's needs. Increasing your contribution to your company will also increase your value to the company.· Treat everyone around you as a customer, and start looking for unmet needs. Think of your workplace as a market.· Align your desires, abilities, temperament and assets with those of your company or find companies and projects that are right for you.· Manage your career as an outside vendor, not as an inside employee. You must find products and services to sell inside your company to ensure your employment. Do market research on your own company.· Manage your job insecurity by preparing yourself for constant change, and using new interpretations of work that will help you bring order to chaos.