3 Tips to Recession Proof Your Career

Today I am going to share 3 tips to recession-proof your career. The dynamic of the job market is changing, so you can use these strategies to put yourself in a strong position at work.

👉🏻 Transferrable and soft skills 

👉🏻 Upgrading your digital image

👉🏻 Task-tracking at work 

Also a reminder that you OWN YOUR CAREER! And your career is in your hands. Let’s dive in!

DOUBLE DOWN ON TRANSFERABLE + SOFT SKILLS

⚡️ Transferable skills are corporate currency; they are skills you can use no matter what company, role, or industry you’re in. 

Here are a few (of many) examples of transferable skills: Excel, data analysis, copywriting, UX design, campaign or project management, or communication (think email writing, public speaking, etc). 

⚡️ Soft skills are the non-technical skills you have, like your ability to build relationships, manage your time, and stay productive.

These are all absolutely skills you can highlight on your resume or during an interview, so make sure you think about what you’re naturally good at and if there are any areas you can improve on. 

ACTION ITEMS:

👉🏻 Review your transferable & soft skills

👉🏻 Identify a few areas you want to develop

👉🏻 Dedicate weekly time to it (an hour a week is good to start!)

UPGRADE YOUR NETWORK AND DIGITAL IMAGE

I hate to say it but your network really is your net worth. 

Most (but not all!) jobs are filled through networking, so be sure to maintain relationships and always be focusing on developing new ones.

That could mean:

🍻 Going to the work happy hour (even just once a month)

☕️ Scheduling a coffee chat with a mentor or a coworker

💬 Sending a message on LinkedIn to connect 

Networking can be casual, and the best way to network is to do so when you don’t need anything. Focus on building relationships, and you never know who can help you when you need it most (and vise versa!)

Beyond your network – update your online profiles.

LinkedIn in great for networking, so make sure your profile is COMPLETE: 

👉🏻 Add in a profile summary with 1-2 career highlights and interests

👉🏻 Include bullet points with your responsibilities under each job profile

👉🏻 Ensure your profile picture is up-to-date (within 2 years old)

Most recruiters are looking up your LinkedIn when screening your resume, so do yourself a favor and make sure it looks clean, updated, and recent. 

START TASK-TRACKING:

Task-tracking at work has so many benefits, including:

👉🏻 Having a brag list of your accomplishments and value-add

👉🏻 Having a rolodex of information and examples to use in interviews and on your resume

👉🏻 Having an inventory of your work so you can see what is/isn’t working in your role

👉🏻 Simply staying organized in your day-to-day

The best way to put yourself in both a defensive AND offensive position in your career is to know what you bring to the table, what your accomplishments are, and what your skillset is. 

With this information, if you get laid off at least you have inventory to update your resume and nail your interviews!

Task-tracking is for you not your employer!

You can start task-tracking with the Own Your Career Template!