Recession-Proof your Career (Part I of II)
Recession-Proof your Career (Part I of II)
If this sounds familiar – and I bet it does for most people right now – keep reading.
Tim works in an industry that – like most – is taking a big hit right now. But when things first started to sour, he thought he’d be exempt from the downsizing. Since he’s the only one in his office who understands the software needed to run an important program, he felt safe. Now, with the next round of layoffs lurking, he’s concerned management might decide he’s not as indispensable as he thought.
Now every time his phone rings, his heart jumps into his throat as he wonders, “Might it my boss calling to request an urgent meeting so she can let me go or cut my pay once again?”
With no time to waste, we immediately got to work on what Tim needs to do to ensure he has a career, regardless of what happens to his company:
Step One – Take Notes: Tim created a list of the following: skills he most enjoys using, experiences he has enjoyed most and companies/organizations he most wants to contribute to (i.e. work for).
Step Two – Utilize and Expand Your Network: While it was natural for Tim to send a résumé to a contact or ask friends to help him find a job, the idea of simply reconnecting with old business acquaintances was foreign. The majority of people are calling on their networks to “help them,” which is why Tim (and you) needed to approach his networks differently. (Want more information on this? E-mail me).
Step Three – Target: Tim could easily name three companies he highly respects/admires and knows well. Most people shoot off as many darts as possible, with absolutely no focus, and pray something will connect. Want better odds? Pick just three companies and focus on getting to know the ins and outs of those organizations – and figuring out what value you could add to their bottom lines.
Step Four – Prepare Your Résumé and Cover Letters: Tim’s current résumé and cover letters were not unique, so he needed to do something different to stand out. First, he geared each cover letter to the company at which he was applying. Most people create one generic letter and hope someone will see value. Mistake! Pretend you are a hiring employer. Wouldn’t you want to know how each candidate could make your life easier? So, be specific about how you can add value to this particular company.
Step Five – Conduct Informational Interviews: Tim is currently making phone calls and sending e-mails to the HR departments and to people in specialized positions within the companies he likes, requesting informational interviews. He understands the purpose of these interviews is to ask questions about the companies and learn about the people – rather than simply talking about himself and asking for a job. His plan is to begin developing relationships with these people. If he lands a job in the process, great!
Step Six – Focus: Tim was finding himself regularly engaged in “the sky is falling” conversations with co-workers. Those water cooler conversations are a huge waste of time and energy. If the conversation isn’t serving you, don’t serve the conversation. Disengage and refocus on your job and steps 1-5.
To ensure you never have to worry about your job again, stay tuned for Part II of this series.
Rock on!
RecessionProof your Career Part I of II - To learn more about this author, visit Misti Burmeister's Website.
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He called me, panic in his voice, looking for support in finding his next job. While he made it through this round of layoffs with “minor” bruising (a pay cut), Tim knows his company is on a downward spiral – and his job is on the line.
If this sounds familiar – and I bet it does for most people right now – keep reading.
Tim works in an industry that – like most – is taking a big hit right now. But when things first started to sour, he thought he’d be exempt from the downsizing. Since he’s the only one in his office who understands the software needed to run an important program, he felt safe. Now, with the next round of layoffs lurking, he’s concerned management might decide he’s not as indispensable as he thought.
Now every time his phone rings, his heart jumps into his throat as he wonders, “Might it my boss calling to request an urgent meeting so she can let me go or cut my pay once again?”
With no time to waste, we immediately got to work on what Tim needs to do to ensure he has a career, regardless of what happens to his company:
Step One – Take Notes: Tim created a list of the following: skills he most enjoys using, experiences he has enjoyed most and companies/organizations he most wants to contribute to (i.e. work for).
Step Two – Utilize and Expand Your Network: While it was natural for Tim to send a résumé to a contact or ask friends to help him find a job, the idea of simply reconnecting with old business acquaintances was foreign. The majority of people are calling on their networks to “help them,” which is why Tim (and you) needed to approach his networks differently. (Want more information on this? E-mail me).
Step Three – Target: Tim could easily name three companies he highly respects/admires and knows well. Most people shoot off as many darts as possible, with absolutely no focus, and pray something will connect. Want better odds? Pick just three companies and focus on getting to know the ins and outs of those organizations – and figuring out what value you could add to their bottom lines.
Step Four – Prepare Your Résumé and Cover Letters: Tim’s current résumé and cover letters were not unique, so he needed to do something different to stand out. First, he geared each cover letter to the company at which he was applying. Most people create one generic letter and hope someone will see value. Mistake! Pretend you are a hiring employer. Wouldn’t you want to know how each candidate could make your life easier? So, be specific about how you can add value to this particular company.
Step Five – Conduct Informational Interviews: Tim is currently making phone calls and sending e-mails to the HR departments and to people in specialized positions within the companies he likes, requesting informational interviews. He understands the purpose of these interviews is to ask questions about the companies and learn about the people – rather than simply talking about himself and asking for a job. His plan is to begin developing relationships with these people. If he lands a job in the process, great!
Step Six – Focus: Tim was finding himself regularly engaged in “the sky is falling” conversations with co-workers. Those water cooler conversations are a huge waste of time and energy. If the conversation isn’t serving you, don’t serve the conversation. Disengage and refocus on your job and steps 1-5.
To ensure you never have to worry about your job again, stay tuned for Part II of this series.
Rock on!
RecessionProof your Career Part I of II - To learn more about this author, visit Misti Burmeister's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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