Copyright 2008, Measure Up Place LLC
Recession Session #1: Be Prepared
It’s here and we have no choice but to weather the storm.
The deep cuts of the American economic crisis are continuing to hemorrhage jobs at an unmatched pace.
A recent U.S. Labor Department jobs report shows the economy lost 524,000 jobs in December and 1.9 million in the year’s final four months following September’s credit crisis. With the unemployment rate climbing toward 10% and the underemployment rate a staggering 13.5% many people are left wondering— how will we survive?
While I cannot offer a solution, I can hope to provide some tools to educate the recession weatherer.
The first step towards ensuring recession safety is preparing yourself. As so many companies are downsizing, the last place you want to find yourself is looking for a job during this growing period of high unemployment rates… but if you do find yourself in such a situation it is important to be prepared.
Update Your Resume
It’s a new year and a good time to update your resume. A current CV is important to have, and takes a bit of stress out of an unexpected and often unwelcome search for a new job. Below you will find some links to help you get organized:
Monster.com Resume Writing Tips
Associated Content : How to Update Your Resume
Career Management Alliance: Update Your Resume
Keep Your Contacts Close
Now might be a good time to put in a call to some of those dusty contacts. Make a list friends and colleagues to call— see how the new year has been treating them so far, play catch-up, say hello. This list should include not only those that may hire you, but also those that can spread the word and keep a look out for job opportunities.These might just be the same contacts you will find yourself turning to should you find yourself in search of a new position. It never hurts to stay in touch.
Acquaint Yourself With Job Resources
In the digital age opportunities don’t always knock, but they are available to those diligent seekers who refuse to wait passively. Depending on your experience and field of work, you may find job opportunities in any number of places. But just as important as knowing what you are looking for is knowing where to find it; here are a few online resources, including some that specialize in 6 figure income jobs.
Monster
Hot Jobs
Job Hunt
Career Builder
Simply Hired
6FigureJobs
TheLadders
There is nothing certain about what the future may hold, but the first step towards a positive outcome is being prepared.
October 13th, 2008History Repeats Itself – All At Once
A description of the current state of affairs in the United States has all the appearance of a shuffled scrapbook of 20th century American history. The economic ghosts of 1929, meet the Cold War stirrings of the late 40’s, and the political tone of 1960, forming what is to become a very interesting period in U.S. history. As Election Day nears, the candidates make their final-hour attempts and a nation readies itself to choose a leader. Will November 4th, 2008, find the presidency and the future in the hands of republican John McCain or democrat Barack Obama?
At a time when it seems there is little room for self-interest, both Obama and McCain stand in the public spotlight offering what they hope will be a successful compromise between social pressures and individual integrity. The McCain campaign has seen such words as hero, maverick, and survivor helping to define McCain’s “I” style idea of leadership. The Obama campaign has been marked less by titles and more by ideas. This “You” campaign is grounded in the ideas of community action, solidarity, and interpersonal connection. In this time of uncertainty are Americans looking for a leadership of fierce independence, or a leadership of communitarian organization and action?