With health care costs, food prices, and the unemployment rate on the rise, you need to do everything you can to protect yourself - and your career - from the danger of recession.
Take a look at this ARTICLE from MyEduSeek on 5 Recession-Proof Industries that Pay.
As the impact of the economic crisis takes hold, employees from Wall Street to Main Street are feeling nervous about their jobs, and with good reason. As of September, 760,000 jobs have already been lost this year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And a quarter of U.S. employers expect to make layoffs in the next 12 months, according to a recent report by consulting firm Watson Wyatt.
But which industries will suffer the most? Experts say certain sectors are more vulnerable to layoffs than others. To read which ones, click HERE to get the full article from CNN.com
You can view this posting on YouTube by clicking HERE
It seems as though each week the economic news gets worse. The unemployment numbers continue to rise as the news from Wall Street worsens. More and more of my clients are beginning to question their own job security. Everyone wants to know if their position is safe.
With that in mind, I thought I'd put together a mini-series on how to have job security for life.
Now I know that sounds a little over-the-top.
Perhaps you'd expect to hear a statement like that from TV pitchman Billy Mays
who pitches must-have products like Steam Buddy and the Hercules Hook.
It's really not though. Having job security for life means that no matter what the circumstance, you'll either be retained in your current position or be extremely marketable for other positions. Let me give you an example.
Let's say the New York Yankees ownership made a few too many bad investments on Wall Street and wound up completely bankrupt. If the team needed to be disbanded, how long before Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and a host of other superstars from the Yankees found other teams to pick them up? Not very long. And here's the reason. It's not because they played for the storied Yankees, it's because they perform at a superstar level for the Yankees.
You too can be seen in that same category. The key is to continually add value to your organization. You do that in 3 ways:
It's simple stuff. You do that on a continual basis and continue to grow and progress professionally and you'll have job security for life!
Now the big question is HOW?
Over the next few weeks, I'll give you simple steps to follow that will help you grow your self and your career to superstar status. All you have to do is implement to process. Do we have a deal?
This weekend we celebrate the 32nd birthday of the United States. Although not the official birthdate of the U.S., the 4th of July is traditionally recognized as the BIG DAY.
Most of us now make a brief reference to Independence Day,
then move into full BBQ and fireworks mode while enjoying a 3-day weekend, the
only holiday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For work-weary Americans,
this is a long dry spell for holidays.
Hopefully you're well-versed in the history of the U.S., the War for Independence, and all those famous people who signed the official Declaration of Independence. No doubt there are some who have no clue why people ask for their John Hancock on a document they need to sign (FYI, Hancock's signature is the biggest one on the document) so perhaps it might be a good idea to crack open a history book. That's not my focus here however.
The U.S. craved independence from a tyrannical British rule. Freedom as you've heard isn't free, but it sure feels good! This year, why not take a look at some of the baggage you're carrying around that you'd like some independence from? Here are some of the most common:
This July 4th, why not declare your own independence from some of the conditions above? Every one of us could use some freedom from that baggage. If you look at it this way, you have an opportunity now for a clean slate much like we think of on January 1. I can personally identify a few on the list I'm going to declare independence from. How about you?
I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel...
Johnny Cash
Two weeks ago, I taught a 5-day workshop entitled Making the Transition to Executive Leadership to a very senior group of managers. It was one of the toughest things I've done in about the last two years. The group was great to work with, but they challenged me on nearly every point I made. Each morning, I woke up at 3AM to prep for the upcoming day. At the end of each day, I was physically and emotionally exhausted.
The good news was that I not only survived the week, but received outstanding critiques. I really had to work hard for this one and it paid off.
I do so many workshops that at times I am tempted to put it on autopilot and just coast in. I never do though, my audiences deserve far more. It's quite rare however that I put in so much prep time before each day. That week I learned that challenging myself is a great thing to do. My last two subsequent workshops have been really good - not only have the audiences been pleased, I've been pleased at my effort as well. A good challenge brought out the best in me.
One of the greatest fights I ever watched was Buster Douglas's knockout victory over Mike Tyson in 1990. Tyson took the 42-1 underdog Douglas too lightly and paid the price. Tyson's prior string of easy victories caused him to disregard preparing for Douglas and was never the same after that fight.
When was the last time you really challenged yourself?
Are you at a place right not where what you do on a daily basis is so easy that you could do it in your sleep? Does excellence come so natural to you that you don't work at it anymore? If so, why not challenge yourself this week to do something totally different? Shake things up a little. Here are some suggestions:
Mediocrity is the eventual result of a life without significant challenges. Don't allow your rut to guide you into poor performance. Don't be lulled into just existing. Maybe like the lyric above, you need to hurt yourself to see if you still feel (figuratively of course!). I know now that excellent performance needs to be worked at each and every day. Let's commit to working toward that together this week!
This past week I facilitated a leadership seminar for a very senior group of Federal managers. This is a group who is on the cusp of promotion to the Senior Executive Service (SES). Members of the SES serve in the key positions just below the top Presidential appointees. SES members are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the Federal work force. They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 Federal agencies.
One of the highlights of the week was on Thursday where several current and retired SESs talked to the group about their career path, what they did to attain promotion, and passed along advice on career planning. I was curious (although I'm not in the Federal service) about their career paths as well, wondering what it took to promote in the system. What I heard was a little surprising.
When asked when they made the decision to go on a track for SES, each speaker told the group they never did. They simply worked hard to achieve the mission of the Agency and take care of the people, and the big promotion was a by-product.
This was interesting to me since most folks in at least the private sector have to claw their way to the top, leveraging relationships, sometimes employing Machiavellian tactics, and in many cases stepping on top of others to make progress. I was under the assumption this was the same in this case (and maybe in some instances it is) but either way, I was pleasantly surprised!
It made me think about the right attitude to have if you're on a career track for high level promotion. The attitude should be one of service. The harder we work for ourselves, the more challenging leading an organization becomes. It's a very unselfish role to be successful at the top.
In some parts of the world, monkeys are trapped in a very unique way. A glass jar of marbles is placed on the ground and monkeys, who are naturally curious, stick their hands into the jar to get the colorful little prizes. Once they get a handful, they try to pull their hand out of the jar, but their fist blocks the exit. Unwilling to let go of the marbles, the monkeys are easy prey for the trappers who snatch them up in a burlap bag.
If you're trying to get to the top at the expense of others and your organization, you're really no different. The harder you reach for something, the more you have to lose. This has nothing to do with working hard, as I spoke about in my latest book Endeavor to Persevere: 10 Steps to Achieve Breakthrough in Your Personal and Professional Life, it means we respect others as well as ourselves as we do it.
This week, take a look at your career goals. Are you doing the best you can for your organization as well as yourself? Remember, one you get that big promotion, you'll have to lead people. Will there be anyone left to lead if you're promoted through a path of destruction? Just a little food for thought this week.
If you haven't seen it today, the most recent unemployment numbers were just released.
The jobless rate for the month was 5.5 percent, up from 5 percent in April, the Labor Department said. That was the largest swing in a single month since 1986. The result stunned economists, who had expected the rate to rise only to 5.1 percent. The report also said the number of jobs on employers' payrolls fell by 49,000.
The data are new evidence that despite recent signs of stability in financial markets, the U.S. economy is still troubled. For most of the past two months, the stock market has been rising and some measure of normalcy has returned to world markets. Economic data have been weak but not horrible. Today's report, however, undermines a budding consensus that the economy is holding up. You can read the full report HERE.
Now why is this "good" news? Well, technically it's not for the United States as a whole, but for the individual job seeker, it means that the BEST candidates will quickly rise to the top of the heap when there is more competition for jobs. Usually, people who are laid off experience significant depression. That's normal. Sadly though, many don't leave this state. They carry that depression into the search, resume process, networking (or usually lack of), and how they present themselves for interviews. The good news for you is that if that's your competition, you'll look great. The good news for job seekers is that you can regain this confidence! You have to in my opinion, because the alternative is simply unacceptable.
If you're in the job market, get your chin up, get off your ass, and get back in the game. Companies are still hiring, they just want to get the best candidate for their money.
There are a ton of resources on this site to help you - some are free and some aren't. I'm going to recommend my book Marketing Yourself for Your Dream Job: How to Get the Job and Career You've Always Wanted as a resource. I also have a great audio course that you can get at a discount if you get my book. You can also contract with me for individual coaching which is a more expensive option but will give you faster results. Scroll through my site and check out the resources.
Keep your chin up!
Malcolm
We're finally at the end of my
series of 10 Principles of Success. I think we saved the best for last,
but as a reminder, let's take a look at the previous 9:
The last principle is for anyone who
has found early frustration in life:
Each of the people above embody my
last principle of success: Never Quit!
All of us have experienced
failure. It’s inevitable. Failure is even more likely if we
continue to try new things and become more determined to achieve our goals.
Failure can eventually paralyze us if we let it. Soon, we’ll quit trying
something new. Worse, we’ll begin quitting things we’re already
doing. Before you know it, the slippery slope of failure will turn us
into wallowing wimps, content only to complain about what we don’t have and
become envious of those who seem to have everything.
Don’t let it happen to you!
All the celebrities mentioned above worked beyond theirs and society’s
expectations of them. It doesn’t matter where you start, only how you
make the best of what you have and finish in a better place.
This week, if you start facing
failure, quit doing the "self-fulfilling prophecy" thing and change
your mindset. If you can't possibly figure out that math problem, get
help and get it done. If you think you'll fail if you go in to ask your
boss for a raise, get in there and do it anyway. There are plenty of
people who will tell you to quit. Hang around with those who tell you it
can be done.
The 10 Principles to Create Breakthrough in your Personal and Professional Life can now be found in my new book Endeavor to Persevere. If you found this series helpful, I'd encourage to got right now to my website and pick up a copy! If you know someone who needs some breakthrough in their life right now, why not get them a resource.
Life is too short to consistently
fail. Take the 10 principles above and put them to work in your life!
I know today is Mother's Day (and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there) but I'd like to talk a little about another milestone many adults are hitting this weekend: Graduation.
College graduation falls a little earlier in the year than High School but in a sense, it's a little more significant because not only is a new chapter started, but also a completely new life. For full time students, it means taking on a full time job to pay off the student loans. It could be a big change in lifestyle. Weekends of partying on campus now exchanged for weekends preparing business presentations or readying for travel. For parents, it could mean an empty house and the realization of their own dreams of some quiet time together.
If you are graduating this weekend, congratulations! From here on out, your career success is in your own hands. Take some time to map out some career goals and plans for your future. Be sure to select some good mentors and learn the ropes in your new organization. If you're now starting your job hunt, make certain you have a plan and work it.
For those who have family and friends graduating, celebrate with them! Offer what assistance you have in helping them get connected and started off well in their career. It's an exciting time and you'll want to be part of it.
Finally, if you're looking for some great gifts for a new graduate, click HERE to check out some of the book and coaching packages I'm offering to help you, help them.
Congratulations class of 2008!
********************************************************************************
A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells
thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that
"individuality" is the key to success. ~Robert Orben
Just about a month from now I'm set adrift, with a diploma for a sail and lots of nerve for oars. ~Richard Halliburton
There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement
exercises." Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning. ~Orrin
Hatch
Your families are extremely proud of you. You can't imagine the sense
of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time
to ask for money. ~Gary Bolding
The tassel's worth the hassle! ~Author Unknown
The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse. ~Edward Koch
All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the ladder. ~Author Unknown
Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate.
Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life.
If you can grasp that, you'll make a difference. ~Arie Pencovici
At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope is
that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear
sombreros. ~Paul Freund
When you leave here, don't forget why you came. ~Adlai Stevenson, to college graduates
Graduation day is tough for adults. They go to the ceremony as
parents. They come home as contemporaries. After twenty-two years of
child-raising, they are unemployed. ~Erma Bombeck
You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think
of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an
alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world. ~Tom
Brokaw
Click the player below to hear a message from the coach!
This past week I had coffee with a client who is wrestling with a decision on whether or not to leave the job she currently has. The job pays well and yet there are some things that simply don't work well for her there. In the end, she will probably stay, as least until the current economic situation improves, but one thing she told me really got me thinking. She told me that in spite of the situation, she would just learn to manager her frustration.
I had never heard that term before, but it makes total sense. Manage my frustration.
Management is the science of putting order into chaos. The early management theorists like Frederick Taylor even went so far as to measure hand placement on the shovels of coal miners to maximize efficiency. Management is man's attempt to take the unwieldy and unknown and make it adaptable. Managing frustration then is the art of leveraging what we don't enjoy into a useful tool.
Another way to look at it would be to think that frustration is the result of dealing with an outcome other than what we really want or need to happen. If that's the case, then we need to develop an action plan to let change the current situation into the ideal. The alternative is to bitch and moan about our predicament. To do that, I have several suggestions:
We were never promised a life without some frustration. There will always be something standing in the way of our success and happiness. Take some time this week to develop strategies to get you through those tough periods and you'll find the lessons you learned from frustration will become building blocks to future success.
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