If (God forbid) you lost your job today, would you be in a position of power to land a new one? Layoffs happen. You work in a connected world where employers are drawing on a global talent pool, outsourcing and virtual teams are becoming more and more cost effective, and company restructuring is leaving workers in the lurch.

Luckily, your personal brand carries over from job to job for the rest of your life. Are you taking the necessary steps to protect yourself should the worst happen? Here are 5 tips to proactively manage your career and protect your position of power in the work world.  These are steps that everyone should take to recession proof themselves:

1. Constantly maintain your support network. Every time you get handed a business card or meet someone new, they become part of your network. Even if you think they have no immediate benefit to you, the reality is they know dozens of people you may never meet. Their network is an extremely valuable resource to you because the majority of job openings are filled through word of mouth, not public job postings. So always keep your acquaintances close. They are your first and most important line of defense after losing your job. The bigger your network, the more opportunities will present themselves to you. It is  likely that someone is saying to themselves right now, “I wish I knew some one with XYZ skills.” They are looking for you!

2. Leave a good impression at every turn. If a client gives you a hard time, don’t burn your bridges. Conflict is an opportunity to develop a stronger and deeper relationship. The more people saying good things about you, the better your chances when looking for employment.

3. Have your resume ready at the drop of a hat. Keeping your resume up to date allows you to take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities, and put yourself out there much faster. Having your resume already prepared will give you one less thing to worry about - isn’t the job hunt stressful enough already?

4. Prepare a list of potential companies. Always have an updated list of employers you’d love to work for. You want to be able to hit the ground running and save time searching for new jobs.

5. Keep on learning. One of the biggest problems the workforce today faces is obsolete workers. You are no good to a company if you can only do one task. Anyone can do one thing, but a person that is learning constantly and taking on new responsibility is much more valuable. As companies restructure themselves, the ability to move their workers into different areas is very important to retaining your job.

There is nothing that anyone can do to make sure that they are 100% recession proof but it is important that you take all of the initial steps possible to recession proof your brand.

Support us by sharing this post: