(From Business Insider) -- The 21st-century workplace is a brave new world—new technology, new ways to connect and do business, and new demands on workers. To stay competitive—and employable—you’ll need to anticipate and embrace these changes.

So here are five predictions for business and careers in 2012, and some tips for making these forecasts work for you:

1. Continuous employment: multiple jobs and employers

Forget about spending a lifetime at the same firm and retiring with a gold watch. Younger Baby Boomers, born just when single-employer careers and pensions were beginning to wane, reported holding 11 jobs on average between the ages of 18 to 44, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.

Technology’s accelerating this multiple-job trend, easing the move to virtual organizations as people can more easily work remotely or as freelancers. In the near term, until the economy improves, businesses can be expected to postpone hiring decisions in favor of retaining contractors.

The savvy response: Keep your eye on the big picture—your long-range goals for your work life and career—even as you aim to excel in your current position. The multiple-job trend means you don’t have to settle for a dead end.

Some workers are riding this trend by working several jobs at once, what Nancy Shenker, founder and CEO of the ON Switch, calls being a “patchwork professional.” This can provide you with an employment safety net, along with opportunities to expand your skills, networks and income.

Fuel your journey with a commitment to lifelong learning (see Tip No. 4). Stay flexible, and view each job as a stepping-stone on your career path. If you concentrate on doing your best, you will undoubtedly discover opportunities for learning and professional growth.

**2. Tiny but mighty: small businesses and self-employment will drive job creation

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During recessions, business startups boom and small businesses create the most jobs. Many workers laid off during this recession are choosing self-employment. Keep an eye on healthcare and social services (where the BLS projects 26 percent of all new jobs will be created through 2018) and information technology for employment growth and competitive salaries.

As the number of solo workers grows, so will their need for business services, such as tech support aimed at small and medium-sized business.

The savvy response: Today’s business climate may be perfect to launch your own business-to-business company. Cash in on skills you already have—marketing, IT, accounting—to serve small businesses and startups.

Not ready to go it alone just yet? Join a business-networking group to test the waters. Check out local chapters of SCORE, a group dedicated to educating and mentoring entrepreneurs and small business owners, for advice and training.

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