Go forth in HOPE

Tough times don't last, tough people do.

There is no denying that these are tough times. We all have our own challenges and struggles that make this a particularly tough period of our lives. We all have my our own little daily drama and would probably have every one's sympathy and support if we curled into a little ball and tried to hide and wait out the horrible waves that are crashing down upon us all. BUT what good would that do? I choose to be an active participant in my own life and live and die by my choices. I choose not to give in to the sadness and the thousands of great reasons (or more accurately, excuses) to give up and not try and let life happen to me- come what may.

Personally, I haven't been doing all I could or should to keep all the plates in my own life spinning so I need to dedicate more time and resources to taking care of those critical things because I do not have much of a safety net right now. If I lost my job tomorrow, like so many, I would be in a world of hurt and for many of us that is a very clear possibility. I talk to people all the time about how to set yourself up for success. Always market yourself and keep networking. Always keep your eye on the prize and options open while staying focused on doing a great job where you are. Now is NOT the time to let the bad economy be your excuse to give up and not do what you know you need to do. Now IS the time to dig in and do 100% more than you used to and hope it gets you half as far.

I am starting to work on my own 2009 personal and professional goals and start thinking about what I want to create with my life next year. As crazy as life is right now I really do believe we are on the edge of greatness. Say what you will about our President-Elect but I can never remember having such a charismatic leader who has inspired such hope in the world. Now that he has the gig he has to execute but it is our job as citizens to make that job as easy as possible by having some hope and faith in his leadership and the power of change. We are always stronger as individuals and as a people when we come from a place of hope. Hope breeds strength and confidence and the will to MAKE IT HAPPEN. It is the oven from which creative thoughts and ideas are baked into reality. Amazing things can and will happen in the next year. Yes, some challenging things will happen too but even from them the most amazing moments can arise.

I call upon the world to take ownership of your role in this challenging time and believe in the power of change, believe things are going to get better and whatever you can offer as a solution- even if it is as little as using cloth bags for your groceries- DO IT NOW and commit to doing it everyday.

And most of all, more critical than anything else. Believe in the extraordinary and go forth in hope....

How to Recession Proof your Career

So what do you do when the lead story on msn.com reads:

Economy lost another 533,000 jobs in Nov.
Worst month since December 1974 brings total this year to 1.9 ?

Well, I guess you have several options. You can give up and stop even making any efforts to do a good job and to make great things happen in your life and career (which is exactly what many people in this economy are doing). You can go hid in a corner or under the covers (appealing but a short term fix to be sure). OR- you can use this news to refocus and dedicate yourself to doing some key things that will aid in your current search and/or make sure you are never part of that lovely statistic that greeted me as I open my version of the daily paper.

This is a short "down and dirty" version of a presentation I gave this week and am breaking down and going into much more detail in this blog. I hope it gives some quick, actionable items that you can do RIGHT NOW to set yourself up for future success.

How to Recession Proof your Career

Fact: Current Job Market- tough but top 20% never have and will never need to worry.

Be a Good Stewart of your own career- start setting yourself up now for growth and success

Learn from the Millennials- take a “what’s in it for me” approach to your current situation

It’s not disloyalty – it is being loyal to yourself first.

What can you do now?

Decide what you want to be when you grow up! Is what you are doing right now what you are passionate about? If no, where can you go from here to get you the next monkey bar over to where you want to be?

Know your bulls eye- what are your core skills? Who are the tier 1 and tier 2 companies in your niche? Get to know them all!

Always, always do a great job of where you are to set yourself up for the next move (either internally or not). Remember, the best indication of future success is past performance.

Stay focused and aware- look down and ahead often.

Keep your resume updated- no less than every 6 months (see my blog for details)

Make and carry personal business cards

Build a Brag Book- customer letters, “atta-boy” emails, ranking sheets, etc….

Solicit testimonials from clients often

Have your clients join your extended network: Plaxo, Spoke, LinkedIn (grow with them as they move around)

Hot list: Network for yourself as well as business leads. Get to know your competitors, keep a hot sheet on companies that interest you. Think about where you want to be in 3-5 years and start building relationships with those people now.

Join associations that will help you build contacts and grow your career.

Identify and get to know the power players in your world. Build personal relationship with them and pick their brains as often as possible. Ask them “If you were me…”/ Ask them to be a mentor.

Specialize. Define your world and be the best in –your- world at what you do.

Write articles in industry publications. Talk at events/trade shows. Good practice and gets your name out there.

Improve your skill set. What are the relevant certifications for your niche (or the niche you want to get into?) Especially if they can be reimbursed by your current employer.

Continued education and training. Finish or get a new degree, attend industry relevant trade shows and seminars. Keep focused on growing and learning. (this could increase your net value and raise your paycheck!)

Always be focused on your career growth, treat your career like a chess match and plan 4 moves out. Gone are the days where you will be at a company for 10 years, what will your next move be? Don’t react- plan those moves now!

Network, network, network. Be that familiar face or voice or name that everyone has heard of before. It will open doors later.

Use your network. Ask them often for their tips and ask who they are watching. ASK for referrals.

Keep polishing and building your own personal brand.

Check yourself- are you where you want to be. Make a timeline and break down your goals to get you where you want/need to be. This is where challenge partners and mentors are critical.