In-Demand Career & Apprenticeship Strategist at Maricopa County Workforce Development Board
Answered 3 years ago
The art of career cushioning is getting a lot of attention right now. It means preparing for the unexpected by polishing your resume, applying to other jobs, taking on project work, actively networking, or even starting a side gig to bring in additional income. Recession aside, regular career cushioning is a great practice to prevent stagnation in your career. Even people who are happy with their current company and role should work on at least one aspect of career cushioning. This could be taking on additional projects within the company, writing for industry related publications or appearing on a job-related podcast. Updating your LinkedIn, keeping a list of your work related wins, and writing quarterly goals are other great ways to keep your work contributions and aspirations top of mind.
One way to recession proof your career is to always be looking ahead at what's coming next and start to think about how your skills can be adapted to fit that next big thing. Right now, climate technology is growing quickly in importance, so start to think how your role and/or skills could adapt to this industry. If you're working in sales, start to research companies that are selling climate technologies. If you work in IT, think about what software systems are going to be needed to scale large Climate Tech companies. If you can constantly adapt your own skillset to meet the needs of the future, you'll always be in a good spot!
In the information age, the predominant economic theme which transcends the traditional business cycle is digitization. The economy is progressively moving away from physical locations, traditional working practices, and purely off-line work, and shifting towards a flexible digital economy. Learning to code may seem like an insurmountable task, but imagine being the only employee outside of IT who knows how to update the company website, automate tedious tasks, or analyze data without the need for expensive proprietary software. When layoffs happen, these skills will take you out of the firing line, as managers recognize your essential contributions to the smooth running of the team. This effectively recession-proofs your career, vastly reducing your risk of unemployment during an economic downturn.
Who will not want a recession-proof job? I think everyone should into a profession that is not get affected by recession much. I have the best tip to recession-proof your career. Stay relevant in the job market and for this be updated with new tech skills. Since we are living in the covid era, tech skills can be saviors for job seekers in a recession as employees can work remotely as well. Keep yourself updated with technologies like AI, AR, Cloud computing, content marketing, and many others. These technologies are at their peak and favorite of software development companies. They need employees who can work with these technologies. And because of the demand for technical employees in the market, it will always be easy for you to grab any new job even if you lose one. Even IT security and information-safeguarding initiatives are the key strategic priorities. Real estate, construction, manufacturing, and retail jobs in these sectors are more likely to be affected by the recession.
Being proactive is taking the time now to assess your current career and make a plan in case the unemployment rate starts to soar. For suggestions on how to smoothly utilize your transferable talents and expertise in a different job field, think about meeting with a career coach or mentor. Those who are unsure if they should change careers should monitor their present employer's performance to see if it makes sense to do so. Consider looking for a position in a different field if your company hasn't been exhibiting any signs of expansion and other businesses in your sector appear to be having trouble as well. Through a side hustle, you can develop abilities for an alternative job. However, I advise choosing a side hustle that you are truly passionate about, as it will be more difficult to stick with it otherwise.
If you've ever observed someone execute the same job function for many years, you know that it's not only monotonous but also unlikely to earn you respect from your employer. After all, other people may have the same skills you do now. Consider offering your help to new projects, teams, and special projects. I think that you should encourage yourself to take on new tasks at work. Additionally, keep an eye out for chances to innovate and advance business. Create the framework for that idea and a workable model if there is a department that is having trouble and a new business idea that you have for your organization can improve overall production and outcomes. Your employer will respect your initiative!
Companies keep employees who perform and solve problems. Meet with your manager regularly to ensure you're on the same page with goals and expectations and then share those wins! If you aren't in a space to meet with them regularly, email them and keep a copy for yourself. Depending on your personality or culture, this might feel uncomfortable initially, but no one will know how good you are if you don't voice your good work. You need to be known as someone who gets the job done.
Make sure that your online presence is up to date before you explore other options in the job market. Make sure that your website, social media channels, blog, LinkedIn, and other digital platforms are properly updated. Also, make sure that your digital presence provides an accurate depiction of your interests and experience should other opportunities come your way.
Adding skills and capabilities through professional development, upskilling, and other ongoing education increases your value for potential employers. It also expands the range of job titles you’re qualified for, expanding your options for finding a new job if you’re laid off or have your hours cut. This can help to ensure you keep making consistent forward progress with your career, regardless of what happens in the broader economy. The great thing about ongoing education is that it will have the same benefits in a strong economy as in a weak one, and will enable you to make more and achieve higher roles within your company if you prefer to keep the same employer. That means it doesn’t just protect your career in case of a recession, but ensures you’re poised to take advantage of raises and promotions during periods of economic growth, too.
One recession-proof tip is to manage your finances now. In general, it is always better to make sure that your expenses do not exceed your means but this is especially important in times of higher uncertainty. It can take from two to six months to find a new job after unemployment, so you want to make sure that you have that much of living expenses saved up. This is important not only to make sure that you are comfortable during this time of transition but also to give you the freedom to be discerning about your next opportunity so you don't feel that pressure of just taking anything because you don't have enough money to take care of yourself. Debt and financial obligations have a way of creating constraints that can push you to make decisions that you might not have otherwise made. Therefore, while things are good, make sure that you are keeping a budget or at least a structure of how you are managing your funds so that you can have more freedom when things get tough.
Consistently creating new relationships and nurturing old ones pays dividends in one's career whether we are in a recession or the economy is booming. As an Executive Career Coach, I often hear clients lament that they get so laser focused on their job that they forget or fail to make room for relationship building. Often they are speaking with me because this has caught up to them and they find themselves unable to progress to the next level (unsure of how to "play the political game") or worse, without a job. The mindset reframe I offer is that creating and nurturing relationships is as much a part of any job as the nuts and bolts of one's job description. I challenge clients to reach out to 5 current/former colleagues per week each week, religiously. This could be as simple as sharing a relevant article, asking about family or requesting a coffee date. Attending industry events/meet-ups with regularity is key, even when we don't feel like it, is key. Relationships matter!
Transferable skills are not soft skills, rather, they’re the ones that can be applied to different fields, roles, and industries. When hiring managers are looking for candidates, regardless of their experience, transferable skills take on a whole new level of importance in demonstrating value to employers. For example, if you’re a software engineer with strong analytical abilities, you could use those same skills in a business analyst role. If you’re an accountant with strong problem-solving skills, you could use them to become a project manager. The idea is to learn the core concepts behind each field and then apply what you know across many different roles and industries. Many of your technical or professional skills may already be transferable; it’s just a matter of identifying them and honing them further.
One of the best ways to survive in terms of careers during a recession is to demonstrate to employers that you are much better, more valuable, and more skilled than everyone else out there. There are, of course, many ways to achieve this. However, the idea of getting as many professional certifications as possible really works. As a pro tip, think outside the box. Don't just get certifications in areas in which you already have a background. Try and also diversify your skills and make yourself more adaptable to a changing work environment. For example, if you work in HR as I do, instead of just focusing on professional certifications in HR, get something on IT, Data Science, and others. This will make you more versatile.
Being a freelancer gives you a lot of opportunities to get jobs that you wouldn’t have considered before. You can start working on a side hustle with a friend or someone you know who is also looking for extra income. Eventually, you’ll be able to find work that you can turn into a full-time gig. Freelancing allows for flexibility in terms of the types of work that can be done, which can make it easier to find work during a recession when traditional jobs may be scarce. Additionally, freelancing can provide an opportunity to diversify income streams, which can help to mitigate financial risk during a recession. Furthermore, it can also be a good way to build a network of clients and connections that can be valuable in the future.
One tip to recession proof your career is to diversify. Consider expanding your skillset or switching roles entirely - for example, if you’re a software developer, consider learning a new language or applying those skills to other fields such as data analysis. This can help you remain employed during tough economic times because it makes you more attractive and versatile in the job market. Additionally, try investing in yourself; join online groups which provide resources that can improve existing skillsets and networking opportunities to keep up with industry trends. Doing so will ensure your position remains secure regardless of unstable economic conditions in the world.
COO at BoxGenie
Answered 3 years ago
I’ve worked in the printing and manufacturing space for more than 15 years and I know that the key to becoming recession-proof, or at the very least recession-resistant, is to become a supplier for a top-tier company with a proven track record. I’ve worked with many of the largest retailers in the country and our brand is a direct supplier of Wal-Mart, which continues to thrive even during the most difficult economic times. Wal-Mart’s sales don’t take a hit, so as a result, our business doesn’t take a hit. Wal-Mart performed well during the Great Recession, the dotcom bubble burst, the recession of 1992, etc. Pair up as best you can with the companies that have a long track record of doing well during economic crises. There’s a great chance you’ll do well, too.
At any time, the ability to carefully examine a problem and create strategic solutions is an essential skill. I think that this ability can be used to anticipate possibilities, come up with innovative solutions to issues using pertinent data, and foster stronger relationships at work. This makes critical thinking a useful and transferable skill that you may utilize in any industry. Even though critical thinking is seen as a soft skill, there is always room for improvement.
My name is Brenton Thomas and I'm the Founder of Twibi, a digital marketing agency. I am an experienced digital marketing leader who specializes in paid search, paid social, and SEO for various B2C and B2B products and services: To recession-proof your career, it's important to continuously develop new skills and stay informed about industry trends. This can help you stay marketable and increase your chances of finding new opportunities during economic downturns.
One tip to recession-proof your career is to continuously develop and expand your skillset. During an economic downturn, companies may look to reduce costs by downsizing or automating certain roles, so it can be beneficial to have diverse skills that can make you valuable to a wide range of employers. One way to do this is to pursue additional education or training in areas that are in high demand, such as technology, healthcare, or renewable energy. This can help you stay ahead of the curve and be more competitive in the job market.
Focus on building new skills. Transferable skills are the ones you should focus on developing to recession-proof your career. The term "transferable skills" refers to abilities that can be used in a variety of settings, occupations, and industries. Listening skills, time management, public speaking/communication, project management, and goal planning are a few examples of transferable talents. These transferable abilities will help you stand out from people in your field who only have the specialized knowledge required for their jobs. They will also increase your value to your current company and increase your employability should you ever need to hunt for a new position. By pursuing education, you can expand your skill set and boost your value. This could take the form of an online certification program or even a college degree. By improving your credentials, you demonstrate to your employer that you are serious about your profession and that you want to keep learning and developing.