Blog Post: Stay Employed in Coming Recession

This posting will tell you how to get ready for the coming recession and stay employed.  It suggests some places to go and get some help in staying employed while others may suffer a time of unemployment.  Many of the places we recommend offer some free services. 

Please note that we are recommending several helpful places in this posting.  We do not have a connection to these companies or receive any fee for recommending them in any way.

Once again the economists are predicting a recession.  While economists have successfully predicted 30 of the last 3 recessions, this one might actually be “for real.”  The credit crunch, carelessness with sub-prime lending, the lack of foresight about ARM loans and continuously rising energy prices are creating a difficult situation for many businesses.  One of the first things to be cut in a business is the workforce.  Here are a few tips to help assure that you keep employed, even if you wind up being “downsized.”

1). Have your résumé up to date.  Now is the time to pull out that old résumé and update it.  Make the résumé accomplishments oriented, easy to read and easy to “scan” in about 30 seconds.  Quietly pass this around to a few folks in your network and make it known that you’re always open to hearing about new opportunities.  Since you should always be doing this, now is an excellent time to start.  If you’re an executive and aren’t sure how to write a résumé, just email me at jheckers@aol.com and put “RESUME” in the header.  I’ll send you a free résumé workbook and won’t try to sell you one thing.  Many other places offer résumé help to those not at an executive level.  For professional résumé writing, I recommend Michelle Angello at http://advanceyourcareerresume.com/. 

2).  Get your network up to date.  The biggest mistake that employed people make, especially employed managers and executives, is letting their network lapse.  When you’re still employed is the best time to get your network in order.  Start attending networking events every week, and start calling everyone you know to get together for coffee and a chat.  When you meet for coffee with people, ask how you can help them.  By building good will now, you’ll be able to receive help in the future when you need it.  Our website, listed below, has a section of free networking venues.  The networking Gurus at www.thenetworkinggurus.com and www.places2network.com both publish monthly lists of networking events and offer on-line updates for networking events.

Going to every networking event can bankrupt you, as some can run as high as $50.00 or more per session.  Choose only those with the best chance of helping you.  The Association for Corporate Growth(www.acg.org/denver/) is a great one for top executives at the Director Level and above.  Integrated Alliances (www.integratedalliances.com)  has events for small businesses and employees below the Director level, as well as LinkedIn events.

We offer a monthly networking event for job-seeking senior executives only.  Email me for info.

3).  Get into the on-line business network.  Sign up today on www.linkedin.com.  It is free and essential to today’s business networking.  After you sign up you’ll be prompted to invite people. To get started, invite me, John Heckers at jheckers@aol.com and my wife and business partner Nicole Heckers at nheckers@aol.com.  We’ll both accept your invitation. 

Some people on LinkedIn say that you should only invite people you know well and accept invitations from people you know well.  Others (me included) believe in building a network that includes many people.  If you’re open to networking on LinkedIn you’ll achieve more than you will by having a small and intimate network.

Invite everyone you know, especially those with whom or for whom you have worked to be part of your network.  Be careful about inviting those you don’t know, however.  If someone says “I don’t know” you, LinkedIn gets a bit upset.  If you get invited by someone you don’t know, NEVER say “I don’t know” that person.  It is very poor “LinkedIn” manners and people will dislike you for it.  Integrated Alliances, www.integratedalliances.com offers a reasonably priced LinkedIn course series.  I suggest going now while you’re employed and building your network.

4).  Get your wardrobe up to date.  OK, so you’ve been wearing jeans and a T-Shirt to work every day for the last 7 years.  Get some suits.  For women, Dillards and Macy’s are always having sales.  For men, the best place is Men’s Wearhouse, who will sell designer suits at very reasonable prices.  If you aren’t sure what to get, go to the Men’s Wearhouse on 1 st & Wadsworth in Lakewood , and ask for Roosbe (pronounced ROOse-bay) or Dennis and ask them to put together a business wardrobe for you, using my name.  This will assure that they put together a reasonably conservative, but not stodgy, wardrobe that is appropriate for interviewing. 

5).  Discreetly get on Jobing.com, and check out the offerings.  Jobing.com has been around for a long time in Denver.  They have the largest database of jobs at the greatest number of levels.  If you need help, their representatives can walk you through the process, although it is pretty self-explanatory.

6).  Know when to ask for help.  If you are new to Denver or have completely neglected your network, get help.  There are many good career coaches in this area who can assist you in networking, interviewing and finding the hidden jobs.  Be careful, though, as we have heard a few horror stories recently about some of the coaches.  “Google” them, get references, and check them out.  Certifications are helpful, but don’t assure honesty.  And be aware that Colorado does not regulate coaches in any way.  Your only protection is good “due diligence.”  That said, a good career coach can cut months off of a job search.  You’ll have “sticker shock” with a good one because they aren’t cheap.  But the truly skilled ones are worth every penny and will “pay for themselves” in a couple of months at most.  For an executive, the cost of an executive transition coach can be “paid off” in less than three weeks of salary.

7).  Get on mailing lists.  Many places have a free e-newsletter which offers career advice or networking venues.  Get on the lists.  Stay on the lists and keep attending the networking events even after you're employed. 

8).  Understand that you get what you pay for.  While there are many good free things, a quality suit, new and stylish glasses, good shoes, a great haircut, a competent coach, and registration on a well-known job board can be priceless.  Don’t be cheap or try to hoard your money.  It can cost you thousands more than you save.

NOTE:  Other than my own company, we do not have a connection with any of the companies we've recommended and do not receive any fee or "kickback" for recommending them.  We recommend these fine firms because we and our clients have had good luck with using their services.

John Heckers, MA, CPC, BCPC is an executive transition coach and small business consultant in Cherry Creek with over 28 years of experience.  He may be reached at 720.581.4301, jheckers@aol.com, or www.heckersdevgroup.com.  John welcomes your questions.