This reflective essay examines how the global economy shapes one future career in forensic science. Writing in 2011, the author surveys major economic signals — including the U.S. GDP slowdown, China's rapid growth, the Arab Spring, and the Occupy Wall Street movement — and argues that economic turbulence should function as a call to lifelong learning rather than a source of despair. The paper contends that specialized knowledge, intellectual passion, and personal trustworthiness have replaced institutional guarantees as the primary drivers of career success. Drawing on sources from economics, e-commerce, and media commentary, the author concludes that individual initiative and continuous self-improvement are the most reliable responses to global economic uncertainty.
The continual uncertainty of global economies presents exceptional opportunities for those prepared to move quickly — with intelligence and insight — to accomplish their goals and objectives. There is an abundance of negativity and doom surrounding the future of global economies (Quiggin, 355). What is missing is a roadmap, a compass, for how to better navigate economic uncertainty by relying more than ever on insight, intelligence, knowledge, and a passion to continually improve and learn over time. From the personal standpoint of studying forensic science, it becomes increasingly clear that employment guarantees will not come from organizations or institutions; they must begin with a commitment to always improve, continually learn, and stay current. The intent of this paper is to define how the global economy will impact my future at a personal level.
The year 2011 began to show just how fragile the global economy is, and how quickly citizens of many nations took to the streets to make their voices heard. From the Arab Spring that led to Egypt creating its own democracy to the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States, the unifying theme of all these events is citizens' dissatisfaction with the distribution of income and wealth. Aside from the political arguments for or against these movements, they bring into bold relief just how critical it is for each person to take total responsibility for their learning and earning potential today, rather than waiting for any institution or government to help them.
The global economy is more turbulent than ever, with the balance of economic power in question. The U.S. has a very slow GDP growth rate of below 3%, while China is achieving a GDP growth rate above 10% (Dees, Saint-guilhem, 473). For U.S. consumers, this translates into much higher levels of inflation and uncertainty about future economic growth. For the Chinese, the overall direction of their country toward becoming the global manufacturing and production leader means that basic production management and manufacturing skills will be in the greatest demand. In the U.S., pockets of economic growth will increasingly demand a very high level of specialization and knowledge. What this means for the average American is that insight, intelligence, and a passion for knowledge and learning have never been more crucial to sustaining and growing their incomes.
The popular media continues to highlight advances in China and India with regard to science and mathematics (Ramirez et al.). Some Americans have begun to concede the global leadership role in these areas to emerging nations. Yet if they could only see that excelling in math, science, and other physical and challenging academic disciplines is actually a path to earning a decent salary — and to attaining something the majority of the world does not have: the freedom to live the life they want. One of the main factors in choosing a career in forensic science was that it allows for continual excellence in an area of advanced science that is genuinely fascinating and worthy of sustained passion.
The global economic condition easily inspires fear and anxiety in students who are attempting to secure their first career positions. Unfavorable comparisons of American students to their Chinese and Indian counterparts do little to inspire confidence in American abilities (Ramirez et al.). Yet instead of adopting a negative perspective on their futures, American students need to rise to the challenge and compete intellectually and with passion in their areas of interest. The global economic condition should serve as a call to become competitive through aggressive intelligence, not as a reason to give up.
If anything, the more challenging the economic condition, the greater the value of specialized knowledge and intelligence becomes for anyone pursuing career objectives. In good economic times, the flexibility of the job market is so elastic and agile that it is relatively easy for almost anyone to get a job and launch a career. In continually challenging economic times, it is the candidate with the greatest depth, expertise, insight, intelligence, and knowledge — along with proven experience — who secures the best career positions.
"Trust and expertise replace institutional job guarantees"
Looking at the future through the lens of trust and knowledge, the outlook appears quite promising. Aspiring to be trusted, respected for a passion for learning, and recognized as one of the best in the field of forensic science seems far more secure than any promise from a company or institution. The continual focus on trust and its quantification is also dramatically reshaping e-commerce and web commerce (Ho, Kauffman, Liang, 409). This is another indicator of how global economic conditions are driving companies to hire only those they can trust to meet and exceed expectations. For the student, the call to be passionate about excelling in one's chosen field — the call to excellence — has never been louder. Rather than descending into gloom and despair, students need to recognize this moment as a call to excel at what they love.
The global economy impacts my future by serving as a catalyst to concentrate on core abilities and the resolve to be one of the best in the world at what I plan to do. That is a high goal, but working toward anything less feels like surrender in an increasingly competitive, fast-paced, and deeply skeptical world. The global economy will open up pockets of opportunity for those who choose to invest in preparing for them now, rather than complaining about present conditions. Even in tough times, the future is what you make it.
Dees, S., and A. Saint-guilhem. "The Role of the United States in the Global Economy and Its Evolution over Time." Empirical Economics 41.3 (2011): 573.
Ho, S., R. Kauffman, and T. Liang. "Internet-based Selling Technology and E-Commerce Growth: A Hybrid Growth Theory Approach with Cross-Model Inference." Information Technology and Management 12.4 (2011): 409.
Quiggin, J. "What Have We Learned from the Global Financial Crisis?" The Australian Economic Review 44.4 (2011): 355.
Ramirez, Eddy. "All Eyes on the Competition: A New Film Says Chinese and Indian Students Have an Edge." U.S. News & World Report, 25 Feb. 2008.
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