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Poll

Recession-Proof Your Career

Hold on to your job in tough economic times with these 5 strategies.


Think of ways to cut costs or generate revenue.  That brilliant idea you had that would open whole new markets for the company, but require substantial spending to get started? Scrap it for now. Concentrate instead on finding places to pinch pennies, or identifying cheap new sources of revenue. Or both.

Make yourself visible.  This is not the moment to take an extended vacation or roll in at 10am.  Be logical about the choices you make.  If you possibly can, figure out a way to stand out and distinguish yourself.  No one is going to lay off a sales person with great numbers for example. 

Keep your perspective broad.  Doing just what you are told might not be enough in these tough times.  Get in the habit of looking for action and pitching in whenever you can.  The question is when your organization is making a list of who has crucial skills, will you be on it?  If your answer is no it’s time to make a change. 

Cut the whining.  Attitude does count…a lot in difficult times.  Management wants people who can boost morale during tough times.  Happy workers are less likely to get laid off than people who seem to dislike what they do.  The reasoning may become that if you grumble about your job all the time, then maybe giving you the sack would really be doing you a favor. 

Keep your skills up to date.  Companies get rid of people whose skills are obsolete and replace them with people who are already trained.  Take classes, join trade organizations, and prove you're plugged in.  It might even be time to hit the books again and find a night class. 

Source: money.cnn.com