HOW TO RECESSION-PROOF YOUR CAREER IN UNCERTAIN TIMES (PART TWO)
| Category: Personal Development For Marketeers | Date: 2002-06-05 |
These observations are from my past life in the corporate world. Incidentally, I far prefer the freedom of working for myself freed of the beaurocracy of a large organisation, which usually stifles personal initiave and imagination. It suits my independant and "free-spirited" personality... anyway, not many bosses would put up with my "funny" work habits...
Firstly and most importantly,
1. Always profess loyalty to your company. Emphasize your uniqueness and being special to the firm. Make yourself essential, "indispensable" (big word!) to your conmpany. Sell yourself as hard to your current employer, as you would to a new one. Align your personal goals with the company's and share them with your superiors. Continually work on yourself, improving your skills and knowledge, ie. personal growth.
2. Ensure your company survives too. Care deeply, no matter where you are in the hierarchy. Keep an eye out for those danger signs: What's happening to sales, the share price and especially, cash flow? Ask yourself: "How bad is it?" Where do you want to be in 5 years time? Find those extra sales. Remember the "80/20 rule": 80% of sales come from 20% of one's customers. Current customers are your best prospects for new business. Use word of mouth. Always be positive about your company and it's products. Be upbeat about yourself and what you sell.
How to get a pay rise:
Reclassify your work, ie. find something else you can do Get another offer. Perhaps get a rival firm to approach you by getting a friend to drop hints that you are "on the market". Though be aware that this tactic can back-fire too, especially if you are not as indispensable, as you may think.
HOW TO RECESSION PROOF YOUR CAREER
Even if you keep your job and maintain your lifestyle, a recession can do lasting damage to your career. It weakens the company and reduces your income, so making it far harder to achieve budgeted goals. It harms promotion and is a hard time to change jobs - there are way less job ads in the newspapers. How happy are you with your job, your company, your life? What do you want to do for the rest of your life? Start with a clean sheet of paper. Ask yourself the vitally important questions: "Where, what and who".
* Where do you want to live?
* What: do you want a similar job or something very different?
* Does your current job make use of your skills? Are they appreciated by management? Is it just in your company or likely to continue somewhere else, say if you moved to another firm? How likely?
* Who? What sort of company do you want to work for? How big? Do small or big organisations suit your unique personality best?
This often depends where you stand in the age of the business. I see these categories:
1. beginner: under 25. You are learning and have infinite career options.
2. settling down between ages 20-35: You are acquiring depth of knowledge and are often torn between work and young family life.
3. The peak years between 30 and 45: These are the most productive years of hard work. Family life is settled (usually!).
4. Conflict (40-45): Tension develops, family life changes sharply. You are either "on top" or "on the way out". The danger is a huge loss of self-esteem,
5. Maturity: 50 - retirement. You may have the option of self employment (like yours truly); but along with this is a danger of ones self esteem sliding too far, as it's really uncertain and stressful. So... Ask yourself, what you really want out of work. Write down the things you value in order of priority. How much time, energy and intensity do you devote to these activities? Perhaps take early retirement (if you have that option); then use your pension proceeds to start up a business.
Set aside time for really thinking about your career or a new career. THINK hard - it's the "hardest work" there is. Find a place and time of peace to PLAN the path ahead. Take it seriously. What are your strengths, weaknesses, interests? What do others say about you? What are your objectives? What type of job: is it managing or doing? What type of job: is it managing or doing? What kind of company do you want to work for: big or small? Research and focus.
Don't jump at the first job offered. Ask yourself the question: "Do I really want to do this work? Get the word out. "Sell" yourself to the boss. Bargain and make your requirements known in one go. Make a good first impression. ("You never get a second chance to make a first impression"). If you do leave, leave your old job gracefully - you never know if you might one day want your old job back...in a state of desperation! "Sorry, too late, mate!"
"You cannot predict the future, so why not CREATE your own path, YOUR UNIQUE bright future using your unique abilities.
You have a RESPONSIBILITY (to yourself) to make the most of them through your work and make them available to the world.
To excellent health, your spiritual peace and prosperity in 2002
Craig Lock
P.S: In PART THREE we'll look at the option of self employment. I hope this "info" is helpful to you, wherever you may be down your "career path".
Eagle Productions Book Publishing
http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/books.html
http://www.novelty-gift.com/ebooks.html
and
http://www.bridgeniche.com/CLOCK/zaniestbooks.htm
* Hard copies and e-books: Fiction and non-fiction, novels travel, humour, inspiration, self help, money and business books
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE!
P.S: DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE WORLD ENDING TODAY, IT'S ALREADY TOMORROW IN "LITTLE, SCENIC AND TRANQUIL" NEW ZEALAND
About the Author
Craig Lock has been involved in the personal finance field for too many years. He is now an author of five published books with another twelve being published and marketed on the Internet. Craig has studied and written extensively on money matters: articles, brochures for financial institutions and books.
C.Lock@xtra.co.nz
http://www.elkpublications.com/godzone.htm
Firstly and most importantly,
1. Always profess loyalty to your company. Emphasize your uniqueness and being special to the firm. Make yourself essential, "indispensable" (big word!) to your conmpany. Sell yourself as hard to your current employer, as you would to a new one. Align your personal goals with the company's and share them with your superiors. Continually work on yourself, improving your skills and knowledge, ie. personal growth.
2. Ensure your company survives too. Care deeply, no matter where you are in the hierarchy. Keep an eye out for those danger signs: What's happening to sales, the share price and especially, cash flow? Ask yourself: "How bad is it?" Where do you want to be in 5 years time? Find those extra sales. Remember the "80/20 rule": 80% of sales come from 20% of one's customers. Current customers are your best prospects for new business. Use word of mouth. Always be positive about your company and it's products. Be upbeat about yourself and what you sell.
How to get a pay rise:
Reclassify your work, ie. find something else you can do Get another offer. Perhaps get a rival firm to approach you by getting a friend to drop hints that you are "on the market". Though be aware that this tactic can back-fire too, especially if you are not as indispensable, as you may think.
HOW TO RECESSION PROOF YOUR CAREER
Even if you keep your job and maintain your lifestyle, a recession can do lasting damage to your career. It weakens the company and reduces your income, so making it far harder to achieve budgeted goals. It harms promotion and is a hard time to change jobs - there are way less job ads in the newspapers. How happy are you with your job, your company, your life? What do you want to do for the rest of your life? Start with a clean sheet of paper. Ask yourself the vitally important questions: "Where, what and who".
* Where do you want to live?
* What: do you want a similar job or something very different?
* Does your current job make use of your skills? Are they appreciated by management? Is it just in your company or likely to continue somewhere else, say if you moved to another firm? How likely?
* Who? What sort of company do you want to work for? How big? Do small or big organisations suit your unique personality best?
This often depends where you stand in the age of the business. I see these categories:
1. beginner: under 25. You are learning and have infinite career options.
2. settling down between ages 20-35: You are acquiring depth of knowledge and are often torn between work and young family life.
3. The peak years between 30 and 45: These are the most productive years of hard work. Family life is settled (usually!).
4. Conflict (40-45): Tension develops, family life changes sharply. You are either "on top" or "on the way out". The danger is a huge loss of self-esteem,
5. Maturity: 50 - retirement. You may have the option of self employment (like yours truly); but along with this is a danger of ones self esteem sliding too far, as it's really uncertain and stressful. So... Ask yourself, what you really want out of work. Write down the things you value in order of priority. How much time, energy and intensity do you devote to these activities? Perhaps take early retirement (if you have that option); then use your pension proceeds to start up a business.
Set aside time for really thinking about your career or a new career. THINK hard - it's the "hardest work" there is. Find a place and time of peace to PLAN the path ahead. Take it seriously. What are your strengths, weaknesses, interests? What do others say about you? What are your objectives? What type of job: is it managing or doing? What type of job: is it managing or doing? What kind of company do you want to work for: big or small? Research and focus.
Don't jump at the first job offered. Ask yourself the question: "Do I really want to do this work? Get the word out. "Sell" yourself to the boss. Bargain and make your requirements known in one go. Make a good first impression. ("You never get a second chance to make a first impression"). If you do leave, leave your old job gracefully - you never know if you might one day want your old job back...in a state of desperation! "Sorry, too late, mate!"
"You cannot predict the future, so why not CREATE your own path, YOUR UNIQUE bright future using your unique abilities.
You have a RESPONSIBILITY (to yourself) to make the most of them through your work and make them available to the world.
To excellent health, your spiritual peace and prosperity in 2002
Craig Lock
P.S: In PART THREE we'll look at the option of self employment. I hope this "info" is helpful to you, wherever you may be down your "career path".
Eagle Productions Book Publishing
http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/books.html
http://www.novelty-gift.com/ebooks.html
and
http://www.bridgeniche.com/CLOCK/zaniestbooks.htm
* Hard copies and e-books: Fiction and non-fiction, novels travel, humour, inspiration, self help, money and business books
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE!
P.S: DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE WORLD ENDING TODAY, IT'S ALREADY TOMORROW IN "LITTLE, SCENIC AND TRANQUIL" NEW ZEALAND
About the Author
Craig Lock has been involved in the personal finance field for too many years. He is now an author of five published books with another twelve being published and marketed on the Internet. Craig has studied and written extensively on money matters: articles, brochures for financial institutions and books.
C.Lock@xtra.co.nz
http://www.elkpublications.com/godzone.htm
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