4 ways to keep your job during recession

"It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job.

 It's a depression when you lose your own."

                                                 

                                                           — President Truman

Unemployment rate in the US remains staggeringly high.

Contrary to economic forcast for the last 3 years, The unemployment rate in the United States still was very high at 9.70 percent in May of 2010, compared to 8.20 percent in May 2009. October last year has the highest recorded rate at 10.1 percent and so far the highest reading since December 1983.

Experts said that we are NOT in a recession YET. But whether you believe them or trust your gut instinct that we are in recession NOW, is not really the bone of contention. The real issue here is how do we keep our jobs, keep money rolling, and survive throughout the recession.

The truth is, anybody can be fired or laid off. You may be the newest employee in your department trying to make a name, or the veteran CEO in your company trying to keep in step with the changing times, or the most senior employee in your department, nobody is absolutely secured with our jobs.

Let's take for instance my company, RGIS. Any senior management staff will agree with me that for the last 12 months, most of the salaried employees, who have laid off or fired for various reasons, have come from middle management positions. There were handful from senior management who have been encouraged to retire early as well. But very little have been fired from the low ranking hourly employees. In other words, no matter what or how sensitive is your position, you can receive a yellow slip irregardless of the reason.

"But when you find that there are serious economic

leaks your company is experiencing, and assessed

that the boat will sink anytime soon, better hurry

up and find a stronger vessel and jumpship right

away before economic rescuers will find you gasping

for breath trapped inside the sunken boat."

The law of supply and demand.

When unemployment is rising, job market becomes more competitive. This results in an imbalance of workforce and work itself. Because of this imbalance of supply and demand, workers are left with a very few options: If I get fired or laid off, what are my chances that I can get another job soon.  OR, If I still work with my current company, how do I keep my current job and survive the whole nine yards.

With the impending massive layoffs in all the headlines, it is imperative to know ways to keep our jobs and stay employed during recession. Here are they:


4 ways to keep your job and survive:

First, ask yourself: "How have I been contributing to the success of my company?"
In other words, Are you the type of worker that the company wants to retain or the employee that most likely to be eliminated? On the positive side, give your boss reasons to believe that losing you would be more than sloughing off extra weigh. If you’ve been around awhile and know your business well, your experience and insight can be invaluable to your company.

If you’ve got some great ideas that may help your company or your department to survive these difficult times, now is the time to share them with your boss. We all know that most employers translate employee contributions thru monetary values. Don't be discouraged. Just do your part because it is the collective contributions of all the employees that make up the sucess (or failure) of the company.

Not all contributions to your company are measurable by monetary values, I must add. Whether you helped a newly hired employee to do things in an efficient way, or show to a newly hired auditor how to transmit data collected to the portable, or have managed to repair a faulty projector just minutes before the onset of a stockholders' meeting for your employer, is already a personal contribution to your department.


Second, Do something to gain new skills that will make you indispensable.
Assess your skills and build on them in whatever spare time you may have. Take a course or program that will enrich your career that build better employability. Be willing to learn the skills necessary to fill a need that you have identified in your company’s line of service. Because the more expertise you have, the more likely you get retained or hired. Stick to your company for a while and gain more experience.

"For RGIS auditors, there are only 3 simple rules

to follow. Just remember SMB: Show up in your

stores, on time. Meet your APH. And Be nice.

Sounds very simplistic but, when you follow

these simple rules, I can almost guarantee

that you can have an everlasting auditing

career with the company!"

IT professionals will agree with me on the following assessment: in job hunting, employers prefer experience over certification. Certifications are supplemental but it is your solid experience that keeps you ahead of the game. Consider retraining if you must. 


Third, Work effectively.
The best way to give you a better chance of continued employment when times are tough is to develop an excellent work ethic. Come to work on time. If you must be absent, or feel sickly due to hangover you got from last night's party, make sure to call your supervisor beforehand. Beat the deadline and always exceed your production quota.

In my company, One (1) no show IS a serious ground for termination. When you do without giving a serious excuse, don't be surprised when you won't receive your next schedule again from your mailbox. Show up for work or work won't show up for you. Show that you are worthy for the job and not those ones from your boss' employment waiting list. You need to be seen as being efficient and productive. Having a good work ethic can only help your future employability, too.

For RGIS auditors, there are only 3 simple rules to follow. Just remember SMB: Show up in your stores, ontime. Meet your APH. And Be nice. Sounds very simplistic but, when you follow these simple rules, I can almost guarantee that you can have an everlasting auditing career with the company!

Fourth, Learn to adapt to the changing times.
The only thing permanent in this world is change. With the economic conditions we have right now, don't be surprised when new changes in company policies are being enforced, or additional job functions or workloads are given to you. Don't be surprised when your boss or HR meets you and tells you (with a smile) that you will get a paycut, or cut your working hours, or tells you about your new "on call" status, or warn you of a possible lay off, or slap you with, "you're fired!" (But you are still damn lucky if your boss got fired first before you do!).

These are signs of changing times. Just like any company, your employer may also be struggling to find ways and means to keep the boat sailing ON the water. Here's my advice: When you find that there are serious economic leaks your company is experiencing, and assessed that the boat will sink anytime soon, better hurry up and find a stronger vessel and jumpship right away before economic rescuers will find you gasping for breath trapped inside the sunken boat. 

Unless you have a good job to fall back on, do not leave your job just yet AND keep your invectives against your company for now. But even if you have another job to fall back on, chances are, you can still get a similar working environment or economic situations just like your current employer is experiencing. These days may not be a good time to ask raises from your boss, although it is your call when you feel that you deserve one.

In a very competitive job market, and tight economic pressures, it is the survival of the fittest that stands out.  Joan W. Donaldson has summed up the very gist of this post:
 

"When the going is tough, the tough get going."

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