The Economy: Making Career Decisions During Tough Times

Well, the news only seems to get more and more grim. Almost 600,000 jobs were slashed in January and forecasters predict that things are sure to get worse. Maybe even double digit unemployment numbers which are currently sky high at 7.6%.

Although you may be crossing your fingers and hoping you won't be affected by the mass shedding of jobs taking place across every industry, you might think twice about relying on luck instead of doing something. I know it's scary to think about the possibility of losing your job, yet in my experience, it is far better to face this fear head on. Here are a few questions to help you get started:

• What will I do if my position is eliminated?
• How does my resume look?
• Who can I call today and start networking with?

These are just a few things to consider instead of taking the "wait and see" attitude in case things do get worse.

Since I will be talking a lot about making over your career, I thought I would provide an example of how I reinvented my career during the recession in the early 2000's. During this time a lot of organizations were battening down their hatches. This was true of the company I was working for where restructuring and layoffs were rampant. Not only was my department restructured, but I participated in conducting RIFS and exited more than one tearful (and shocked) employee who had lost his or her job (yes, I was in Human Resources).

Unfortunately (and fortunately!!), I was not at all happy with my job and the turn my career had taken. I felt like I was at a dead end. So, not to sound cliche (but unfortunately doing so), I turned lemons into lemonade.

First, I knew it was time to leave. I had known for months. The position was wrong for me and I was dissatisfied. Since I really loved the organization, I decided to make my mission twofold: seek available, suitable jobs in a different department (Goal 1: explore changing careers while still in my current job) and do a whole lot of informational interviewing internally within my profession (Goal 2: gather valuable information from my mentors and people willing to speak with me within HR) before leaving.

Alas, there were no jobs available at my company that I was interested in (during this time I became very interested in marketing and corporate communications.....but my gut said I shouldn't abandon my profession and my experience). So that decision was made. No new job at my company.

After doing a lot of informational interviewing within my department to see what else the HR profession had to offer, I decided that I wasn't sure another aspect of HR would be suitable for me to move into, or, to specialize in. I took all of this information and sought advice, counsel and coaching from everyone from my colleagues to my Dad, and I made my decision: I became an independent contractor.

Right away, I. LOVED. IT. I had new found freedom. I was breathing more easily. I was independent. I was reconnecting with my strong entrepreneurial side. I set out to make it work.

Almost immediately my external networking activities landed me my first contract. I told friends, colleagues, former employers, neighbors, you name it that I was taking my career in a new direction. Word of mouth helped my first contract find me, and I had a 3 month gig performing HR duties while the HR Director was on leave. From there it only got better. My name was passed around and that, along with a simple marketing piece which outlined my services (I marketed myself as a strategic HR consultant and an "extra pair of hands") I found that I was making it. I was thriving. I was happier.

The biggest bonus I received from making this move and reinventing myself was this: I learned what I really wanted to do with my career. Contracting for 2 years revealed more information about my strongest and weakest skills, my likes and dislikes, the type of organization I liked working for the most, and the special ingredients that made a job great (for me).

So.....what will you do? I say don't count on luck. Instead, bet on yourself. Being proactive about your career means that you want only the very best for yourself. These are no doubt some very tough times, and organizations make decisions every day on letting good employees go. So think about how you can put some of the decision making back in your court, and if you want to share your story or your challenge with me....I'd love to hear from you! trueprofessions@gmail.com