March 26, 2008
Are YOU Recession Proof? (Part 1)
In This Issue:
Introduction: "Are YOU Recession Proof?"
Feature Article: "Keeping Your Job (Or Business) In a Recession"
* INTRODUCTION *
“Are YOU Recession Proof?”
By many accounts, the United States is in a recession right now.
There's no question that the "credit crunch", the nation-wide
slump in property prices, and other economic woes are hitting
hard. And the pain is not just being felt in the United States,
but in other countries too.
But regardless of the media talk of recessions, meltdowns and
collapses... you do NOT need to panic. While you may be
legitimately concerned about your job - especially if you work in
the finance sector! - you also have the power to take steps to
"recession-proof" yourself.
How exactly do you "recession-proof" yourself? I believe there
are three aspects to this, based on the idea that being
recession-proof is about staying in meaningful employment
(whether a job or your own business), maintaining your income,
and building - or at least retaining - your wealth.
In this week's Success Accelerator, I'll discuss the first
aspect of being recession-proof. Next week, we'll talk about the
second aspect, and the week after we'll move onto the third.
As we discuss each element, I'm going to suggest you get hold of
some of the resources I've developed over the past couple of
years. If there was ever a good time to get hold of these
resources it might be now.
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* FEATURE ARTICLE *
“Keeping Your Job (Or Business) In a Recession”
Now, if you can maintain your income and/or build your wealth
without needing employment, terrific!
But if your job or business
is what allows you to make the rent or your mortgage repayments
and puts food on the table, then keeping your job or staying in
business is an important aspect of being "recession proof".
Whether it's a job or business your concerned about, in both
cases the key to staying "employed" is continuing to provide
VALUE to your "clients". In other words, you want to provide such
value to those you work for - whether it's your employer or your
customers - that they will LOSE by letting you go.
If for example, you are a manager - or want to go into management
- you want to show that your managerial skills translate into
bottom line results.
There's almost no question that good management skills will
deliver substantial benefits if you run your own business.
But they equally pay off for managers who work for others.
The better your ability to manage people, the better is (among
other things):
- the productivity of your staff
- the performance of your staff
- staff turnover (it's lower)
Even if you don't officially manage people, you probably do in an
unofficial or informal way. You may, at times, be managing
upwards (e.g. your boss), managing sideways (e.g. colleagues)
and/or managing outside (e.g. vendors, consultants, etc).
Management skills are important in each of these cases.
If you're eager to improve your management skills or want
a refresher, I recommend you get hold of my How To Manage People System.
In some cases, however, you can be the best performer in the
world, but no matter what YOU do, your company is struggling. In
this case you may have no choice but to find another job.
Actually, even if the company isn't quite at the point of
collapse - but is nevertheless looking a little shaky - you're
may be well advised to start looking for another job.
Just ask anyone at Bear Stearns.
Finding a job is also about showing how valuable you are. In this
case, you want to CONVINCE a prospective employer that you will
deliver such value that they can't afford not to employ you.
I don't mean attempting to "wow" interviewers by dressing
sharply and talking smoothly. Few recruiters and companies buy
that anymore - especially not now. I mean PROVING that you have
exactly what an employer is looking for... and more.
In other words, your main aim as a candidate for a job should
be to convince a prospective employer that you can do the job
they want done at a profit and in the way they want it done.
"At a profit" means that you make them money - either directly or
indirectly (by saving money the company would otherwise lose).
"In the way they want it done" means that the company is likely
to have an idea of what and how they want a job done. Show them
that you can do it.
Even if you think that your way is better - if you have another
way - the job interview is usually not the place to prove people
wrong.
Sure, impress the company with your ideas, but remember: you're
selling something (yourself!) and the fastest way to convince
someone to buy is to reinforce their view of the world... and
demonstrate how you fit in with that view. Leave the "world
changing" to when you get the job! Unless, of course, the
company is looking for a "world changer"!
As conventional as all that may sound, I suggest you try a
somewhat unconventional - but much more effective - way to
actually get the job interview, and ultimately the job. I call
this the "Insider" approach because it's based on you becoming
an Insider.
The fact is, you're likely to have a better chance of getting
a job by becoming an Insider - someone known by the company -
before you apply for the job. Moreover, by becoming an Insider
you have the chance to actually create a job where there may not
be one already.
The same approach to landing a job the "Insider way" can be
successfully used to acquire clients for, say, a consulting or
services business. In fact, I drew a lot on my experience as
a provider of professional services when writing my book,
Insider Job Secrets Revealed.
Which is, of course, the SECOND resource I reckon you add to
your arsenal of "recession-proofing" tools (see below).
As you can see, providing value and becoming indispensable lie
at the heart of being "recession-proof" when it comes to your
job or business. But even if you keep your job - or even if
you lose your job - a more urgent matter is maintaining your
income. We'll talk about how you might do that next week!
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“Two Resources To Help You Become Recession Proof”
1. Want to improve your people management skills? Here's your
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2. Need a new job or consulting opportunity? Discover how
"Insiders" get the jobs they want... and how you can too:
==> Insider Job Secrets Revealed
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