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Student Services / Center for Academic and Professional Success / Office of Career Planning / Managing your career in an economic downturn
Managing your Career in an Economic DownturnWhen the job market is tight, its even more important to stand out from the crowd. Meet one on one with our career advisors to create a unique strategy to ensure you put your best foot forward. Consider attending any of our Professional Development Seminars to polish your career management techniques and skills.In the meantime, here are some tips to consider during your job search:
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Be Proactive: Continue to Manage Your CareerUpdate your resume You should always update your resume when you get a new project or expand your job responsibilities. But, in case you haven't been keeping your resume up-to date, now is a good time to add in all the accomplishments that have yet to be recorded. Please use our resume guide for suggestions and guidelines when creating your resume. Join a professional association (or two)Professional associations are great sources of information for advances in your field, job opportunities, areas of growth and, of course, networking. Most professional associations have annual and sometimes quarterly conferences. These conferences are wonderful opportunities to meet your colleagues as well as expand your knowledge and update your skill set. Use the CAPS Resource Library to find relevant Professional Associations Network Either on-line or in-person, networking is one of your most valuable tools. Create a LinkedIn account and reach out to old colleagues or friends before you need their help. Post questions and answers, join in discussions. Attend professional meetings, career fairs, workshops and even parties and talk to one person you have never talked with before. You never know who you will be able to help, and who will be able to help you. GGU has a LinkedIn group to help you get started with the networking process- for more information click here. Read the paper, industry blogs, and trade journals Stay up to date on what is happening in your field. You don't want to just read the changing economic news, but also the newest technologies, government contracts awarded and where your industry is headed. If you can stay on top of the latest news, you will be one step ahead of the competition (and have something interesting to say when you are networking!). The online CAPS Resource Library has lists of websites and journals in your field. Do something fun Join a sports team, book club, cooking club. Make sure that you are still enjoying yourself and finding time to unwind. Do something that you enjoy once a week. This will help you relax and remove some of the stress of these changing economic times. As an added bonus, if this is a social activity, its another chance for you to meet people and network. For information on free and cheap activities click here. Help out a colleague You can help out in all kinds of ways, from taking on a project they need help with to writing a LinkedIn recommendation for them. It's a great way to build karma and in most cases, to get your name out there as well. You never know what kind of skills you will build as you take on additional work. Volunteer Giving back to your community can be a great way to build your resume. If you are an expert accountant, volunteer to help others with their taxes. If you can create an expert marketing campaign, offer your services to a small non-profit. You can add this experience to your resume, help others and meet other volunteers to expand your network. Below are a couple great resources for volunteering.www.volunteerinfo.org http://www.taprootfoundation.org/ http://www.idealist.org/ Take a class or workshop to update skills We all need to keep up with the changes in our field. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a class or a workshop. Again, it's a great resume builder, it keeps you ahead of your competition and you gain valuable tools to use at work. Keeping up to date on your skills also shows employers that you are interested in and committed to your chosen field. Bay Area community colleges offer many low cost courses in a variety of fields and industries. Don't take your job lightly During a recession, your boss is in the driver's seat, and you'll have to reapply for your job every day. Each day, focus on what you're giving, not what you're getting. Be stronger, tougher, and more positive, and you'll stand out above the crowd - this positive image could help you keep your job. Polish your brand Take time to really consider what it is that you can uniquely offer an employer and then sell this. Post to blogs, write book reviews, and refine your LinkedIn summary. You can use these venues to really showcase your brand. | |
Tips for dealing with a job loss
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