As I said in my last post: Everyone is scared — but you have the talent and tools to take advantage of this situation RIGHT NOW.
Let’s get right to it – here are the second five. Enjoy!
6. Connect with new people.
The best defense is a good offense. This may be a sports cliche, but right now, it rings true. Now is not the time to go into hiding, based on fear of the recession. It’s the time to ramp up your networking, personal public relations, and marketing to actively remind people of your presence. Go to associations, meetings, conventions that are associated with your profession. Not only will you meet a lot of engaging people, you will re-energize your batteries AND your might get a lead on a great position! Set up coffees and lunches with people that you don’t know, but want to know. We all have people that we admire – reach out to them – take them to lunch. They eat just like you do! And what is the benefit? They are always on the lookout for new talent!
7. Review your resume.
Too many people let their resumes grow old gracefully. When they really need them, they have to scramble and cobble together a mish-mash of experience that no one really wants to read. You need to get your resume in order NOW. So some tips:
- Use a professional resume writer. They should run $200-$400, but you will get an incredible, document that sells. Call me – I know the best!
- Keep it concise. Unless you have been in the business for 30 years or are a CEO – keep it to 2 pages or less. Again – people are looking for someone who can say less with impact – your first chance is your resume.
8. Get financially fit.
One of the biggest worries people have during downturns is losing their job. They crawl into a hole and hope for the best. Usually, it is financially motivated. How would you feel if you had six months worth of available funds if you suddenly lost your job? A little bit better? A little bit more confident? Start now. Having 3-6 months of current income stashed away in a cash account (savings, money market) will allow you to act normally during times like these. Worst case scenario? If you do lose your job, you have 3-6 months of full-time looking to find a new one before you begin to really deplete your savings. In addition, you probably will get some type of severance with COBRA – so stop worrying!
9. Talk with your boss.
During an economic downturn everyone is skittish and hungry for information. You’re wondering how the company is doing, whether the team is vulnerable to layoffs, or if the strategy for the next few quarters has changed. Even if the situation is tight, being upfront with your boss about your concerns creates and reinforces an environment of trust. Catch them at the end of the day – sit down and just converse with them. During a pause ask (in a very light interrogative tone): “So how are we doing? Is there anything we need to worry about?”. Your boss will probably open up and tell you info that normally they would not tell the team. Try it – it works. But if you have a boss that tends to keep information or hide things, watch their body language – if their eyes look downward or away from you when talking – they might be hiding bad news.
10. re-VISION your career.
I love downturns in the economy. Why? When executives get scared, they get going and they get SMART. They begin to look at everything they do – how can they use time more effectively? If the company is losing customers, where can they find new and different customers/clients? Take a step back and RE-vision your career – understand your key interests and strengths and investigate new opportunities in YOUR marketplace. Are you still a hot commodity on the market? If yes, great – get out there and sell YOU to potential new bidders. If no, you need to re-vision your career – measure your capabilities and apply them to the NEW marketplace. I know of a lot of realtors and financial planners that are doing this right now.
You need to partner with an expert and co-create your new career vision and direction.
So get going!
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