Things change with the fast advent of time and so do the career strategies. Previous generations were familiar with a vastly different career strategy. To get a government job was a very easy and the biggest requisite of the olden days. Thus, there was a set career plan to work upon. Even the qualifications required for the jobs at that time were limited. At that time thus, to climb up the corporate ladder was very easy.

But, now the times have changed. Even to get a simple clerical job is equal to crossing ample of hurdles. Today the management is flexible and ever changing, employees are expected to change along with the company and its operating environment and companies are not stable entities with mergers, acquisitions, and attrition resulting from increased global competition.

Employees today need to be better prepared for change. Even the knowledge required for the jobs has met new parameters. The basic is to change the attitude towards job market. People create their own careers. The career is not only restricted to hard work and learning, but also from their personal ingenuity and attitudes. Attitudes that must transform from personal focus to a team focus, for a corporation/employer is akin to a team whose goal is to perform even as it replaces players and managers/coaches as the needs arise.

So in an environment that embraces continuous change and the need to stay competitive, there is more churn. Now this can mean both good and bad things for employees depending on their economic cycle, their qualifications and the needs of an industry. As more people enter the job search market and do so with more frequency, it is essential for job seekers to circumvent the traditional job search avenues in order to gain an edge. The person who can network their way to a decision maker has the best chances of landing even the most highly sought after job position. Once in the job, you must start the cycle once again of adapting to your new environment and continually improving yourself by adding new skills and qualifications.

In order to create an efficient plan for job search one must follow a logical process. The first step is either seeking a job or changing careers is research. One must figure out where the jobs are, who is hiring, and what are the prospects for the future. This need to be followed up by "Self Assessment" of how capable you are. You need to figure out what you are good at and what is stopping you from enhancing your current position. Next in line would be a plan to market yourself. The most commonly perceived way of marketing yourself is the resume, but other marketing efforts including networking are also key elements. The final step in the process is the interview, the face to face interaction that is the final factor in the employer's selection.