ROI Nation: Why Your Entire Career Depends on Proving Yourself

Due to the poor economy, globalization and automation, corporations aren’t willing to take any hiring risks anymore and they are demanding more for their money. This is especially true because replacing you costs them a lot of money and time, from job advertising costs to training. Today, professionals have to constantly justify their worth to employers. We’ve moved from an economy where you could get ahead just by working long hours, doing your job and getting along with co-workers to one where you’re only as good as your last project and you’re judged based solely on the results you deliver. You have to prove that you’re delivering more value than what you’re getting paid. For those that are unemployed, they have to treat their job search as if they were a consultant trying to win over a client.

Instead of having a traditional resume and answering common interview questions, they need to bring case studies, metrics and evidence to demonstrate their true value. Furthermore, if you think that you will be applying with a paper or PDF resume in the future, you’re dead wrong. A Google search for your name is the new handshake and LinkedIn is your new virtual resume. For those that are employed, they have to build a case for why they are still relevant and why they are absolutely necessary to the company. By doing this, workers are able to justify their current position and win promotions.

If you think you can just float by, do the minimum work and leave early, then you are in for a rude awakening. The new economy rewards risk takers, creative thinkers and those who see opportunities where others do not. The best way to get a job now isn’t by applying, but by creating a unique position for yourself that didn’t exist before and where you can add the most value, where others can’t.

Pre-order Dan Schawbel’s highly anticipated new book, Promote Yourself: The New Rules For Career Success.