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7 Reasons to Stay Up in a Down Economy

December 28, 2008 | Author: Jessica Howard | Filed under: Career Change, Job Hunting, Layoffs, Moving Up

We’re moving into a new year that will be tough on many in terms of finances, job security (their own or someone close to them) and personal goals. But it’s not all bad. There are signs of hope, and there are many reasons why we should remain hopeful when it comes to our careers. Here are 7 Reasons to Stay Up in a Down Economy:

1. We’ve Been Through this Before and Survived. Even CNN Says So.

Economists are predicting that unemployment in the U.S. will go from 6.5 per cent currently to 9 per cent in 2009. But a recent CNN article helps put that in perspective. That rate is “no more than it was in the early ’90s and far lower than the rate in the not-so-distant recession of the early ’80s (11%).” Perhaps it’s a good idea to tune out economic news a bit. There’s not much you can do about it, anyway.

2. Fear is Counter-productive.

In his post on TechCrunch, titled Fear Kills Businesses, Dead, Brian Solis elaborates on the idea that “Fear inspires desperate actions. Hope (combined with clarity and inventiveness) galvanizes action and engenders opportunities.”

3. It’s Not Soooooo Bad for Gen Y

Penelope Trunk’s blog post Reason to give thanks: There is no job shortage for young people explains that opportunities still exist for recent college graduates and beginner-level job seekers. “On November 19, JobFox announced that, “Skilled professionals remain in demand despite the economic downturn. While the unemployment rate rose to 6.5 percent in October, the unemployment rate for professionals with college degrees remains manageable at 3.1 percent.”  Trunk says the mainstream media favors baby boomers, so we hear less news about opportunities for younger people.

4. Periods of Recession Spark Innovation

“For better or for worse, collective action for change often requires a period of collective discomfort, or collective anger,” writes Julia Levitt in an article about Recession and Innovation. “Lean times can arguably beget innovation that is smarter than the innovation that springs from fatter times; innovations that are more practical and effectively more sustainable from both a social and financial standpoint.”

5. You Can Take a Layoff and Make Lemonade

If your worst-case scenario is being laid off, there are plenty of positive stories about how people rebound. A post called Living With and Learning from Layoffs on Get Rich Slowly, talks about how USA Today has followed 15 managers who were laid off from a turkey processing plant in the 1990s. Many of the people followed ended up doing just fine. “After the initial shock, they took steps to pursue their dreams.” Career expert Anita Bruzzese writes a great post about life after job loss, raising the question: Can Losing A Job Save Your Life?

6. Remember Your Successes and Repeat Them

Alex Kjerulf, author of Happy Hour is 9 to 5, wrote a great blog post about a novel way to look forward to 2009. Remind yourself of all your personal bests in 2008 (rather than thinking about the things that didn’t get done). “The best way to be happy at work in 2009 is to find out what worked for you in 2008 and get yourself more of that.” He lists 10 questions to ask yourself about the past year, in order to better approach next year.

7. Your Career is Still in Your Hands

While the economy stalls, you can put your hands on the wheel of your career and keep driving. Set goals and map the way. Network. Choose a mentor. Learn more about how UpMo can help you.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 28th, 2008 and is filed under Career Change, Job Hunting, Layoffs, Moving Up. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

xygoxen

1 person has left a comment

nice thougts, can help anyone to be come out of their bad times.
nice work done

mukesh kalra wrote on January 3, 2010 - 3:09 am | Visit Link

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