Five Easy Tips to Advance Your Career During a Recession

Although the recent recession is winding down, at least according to the economists, your career at your current employer may be stagnant, much like the national hiring numbers. Once lost, time cannot be recaptured. Use your workplace time to advance your career and personal brand even during a recession.

Career Effects of a Recession

A deep recession affects everyone in the workforce. Those that suffer layoffs and/or downsizing make the headlines. They have had their cash flow completely stopped, making it difficult for them to maintain their former lifestyle. Further, their lack of buying power only deepens the recessionary results.

But, those escaping the plethora of layoffs suffer career effects, too. Just reading or watching national news outlets might make others believe that those who escape downsizing to keep their jobs are enjoying every day at the workplace. However, those still working are graphically aware that this is rarely so.

Those keeping their jobs quickly learn that—

• Someone must do the jobs of the people downsized.
• Although raises and bonuses may disappear, employers need remaining staff to work harder than ever to help the company survive.
• New opportunities, even if promised by senior management, may be put “on hold” or eliminated permanently.
• Most remaining employees have no idea if more layoffs lurk in the near future.

If this sounds like a very unsettled workforce, you’re right. These conditions make it difficult to feel confident and reach high performance. Except for the missing or continued cash flow, both groups are in similar situations: career stagnation.

However, there are ways that you can keep your career moving, avoiding the inertia of stagnation. The basic methods are easy. You’ll also enjoy an ancillary benefit from following these suggestions. You may re-ignite your confidence and workplace enjoyment, since you not only have a goal—career improvement—you’ve got a simple, effective plan to achieve your goal.

Five Easy Tips to Keep Your Career Moving Forward

1. Volunteer. Want to really impress management? Volunteer for even more work. Much like those lawyers who run for public office, while trying to lose, hoping to gain valuable publicity for their practices, you win even if you don’t receive more responsibility. You’ve already impressed management by simply asking for more tasks. You can take your volunteerism plan further by making it known that you’re available to serve on advisory boards. You’ll meet new influential people and establish a new standard of respect.
2. Innovate. While always a solid activity, innovation during a recession can make you a hero in your employer’s eyes. As senior management scurries to find strategies, markets, and customers during a down economy, you might find solutions to existing problems, making you—and your boss—stand above the crowd. It may require some “outside the box” thought, but even the smallest innovation can generate career-changing effects during a recession.
3. Find an influential mentor. Locating a respected mentor, either inside or outside your company, can rapidly accelerate your career position. “Who you know” is still just as important as “What you know.” Statistics show that at least four out of five promotions are influenced by a respected mentor higher up the organizational chart in most companies. Promise yourself to keep learning, becoming more valuable, and making it even easier for your mentor to strongly support you.
4. Actively network. Increasing your personal and professional network is always important to career advancement. However, during a recession filled with layoffs and downsizing, “important” moves to “critical.” Stay in close touch with your current network with consistent communication, even just to say, “Hi.” Get out and about, joining new professional organizations, attending functions, and volunteering to take an active role. As your network expands, so will your potential career opportunities.
5. Create a “sticky” brand. You’re probably already aware that personal branding is now considered a necessary building block to a successful career. But, unless you are very lucky and have impeccable timing, you’ll find that like a one-time great athletic performance, you’re only as “good as your next game.” However, if you work to create a “sticky” brand—one that has staying power and resides in the minds and hearts of others—you will find that luck plays little part in your advancing career. Your impressive and sticky personal brand will become well known inside your company and, through your network, to decision-makers at other employers.

Always remember that the “business of business” continues in both hot and down economies. You might even learn that, during recessions, after layoffs and downsizing, it sometimes becomes easier to get noticed as a high achiever. While you should plan to be patient, as companies may be reluctant to make major promotions during these periods, you should also enjoy new levels of respect and more future career opportunities.