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What to do when your Supervisor does not Report your Complaints to the HR

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You might be working with a difficult boss or co-workers and often reporting certain extreme complaints about your manager might not make it to the HR. Approaching the HR directly with your complaints may land you in the “trouble maker” books as you might anticipate and even part of your personnel record, but depending on the seriousness of the complaint you have to choose how you want to take on from here.
Here are some tips on what to do when your boss does not report your complaints about him/her or other problems at workplace to the HR even when you have requested him/her to do so?

According to attorney Jonathan Segal, a sought-after speaker on HR legal topics, “You must tell your supervisors and managers that they are required to report complaints, says Segal—even if the employee asks that it be kept confidential, and even if the supervisor thinks the claim lacks merit. The decision of whether to investigate is yours, not the manager’s.”

Certain academic institutes maintain a Grievance Procedure to review complaints regarding terms of employment and working/academic conditions.

If there have been previous such incidents where a particular manager has failed to report your comments to the HR or upper management, you must approach the HR directly and inform of your complaints. Of course taking the first step first, reporting to your immediate supervisor first, asking him or her to escalate the issue to the HR and if you see that there is no response or action from your boss – then the next step must to be to approach the HR directly with your written complaint.

However in case of complicated situations dealing either with your manager or an employee conflict where you want to play safe, protect your job, identity but also go ahead with a proper reporting procedure it is usually suggested to contact certain law firms dealing with employee workplace conflicts and grievances.

All said, I must mention an article in the BusinessWeek some time back titled: “Caution: Don’t Count on HR- You can’t assume that your confidence will be kept, and chances are only your boss’s boss has the real power to solve your problem”
Well the title says it all, Liz Ryan adds: “The fact is sharing your woes with an HR person can be a self-destructive move.”
If this is all true in most companies then the system surely sucks.

If there are any employee grievance attorneys or senior HR personnel reading this post, would you comment on the possible solutions for an employee in a fix – whether to approach the HR and how?
Or perhaps you have had any such experience in the past – how did you deal with it?

Maybe you’ll enjoy this one too: Bad Bosses – Profiles of today’s bad bosses - A video on BusinessWeek.

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Tips to Prepare for the Performance Review

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Checking the results of a decision against its expectations shows executives what their strengths are, where they need to improve, and where they lack knowledge or information.
~ Peter Drucker

That’s perhaps how I would define Performance Management!

Be it the year end review or the beginning of the year goal setting meeting, you feel as if it is just another meeting to get done with. Well, think again your performance management and reviews impact you in different ways. It could mean a higher raise, a promotion and even protecting you from a possible layoff further down the year.
Consider it an opportunity to enhance your career and an essential step towards your professional development.

DEFINE GOALS

  • On Setting Goals: What were the goals defined at the beginning of the year? Did they change over time? Ensure that the goals set for you are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound).

Read more about goal setting in the book, Managing for Dummies by Bob Nelson and Peter Economy.
An excerpt from this book
Specific: When goals are specific, they tell employees exactly what is expected, when, and how much.

Measurable: If your goals are not measurable, you never know whether your employees are making progress toward their successful completion.

Attainable: Goals must be realistic and attainable by average employees. Goals that are set too high or too low become meaningless, and employees naturally come to ignore them.

Relevant: Goals must be an important tool in the grand scheme of reaching your company’s vision and mission.

Time-bound: Goals must have starting points, ending points, and fixed durations. Goals without deadlines or schedules for completion tend to be overtaken by the day-to-day crises that invariably arise in an organization.

 

GETTING READY TO MEET THE BOSS

  • Get your Documents in place: If you have been proactive towards your career development you would have documented the tasks and projects you were assigned during the year. If not, well try to document them right now, you must have in writing what you want to present in the meeting.

DURING THE MEETING

  • During the Meeting: Be clear and comprehensive in understanding the expectations from the management towards your role in the company. Communicate effectively and rephrase and understand the tasks assigned to you during this meeting.
  • Your growth plan for the year: what are the set objectives, do you and your boss agree with them? This is the time to carefully evaluate what the expectations are from both sides and negotiate on your terms if possible.
  • Be proactive and ask for a mid year review to re-evaluate your goals and discuss new challenges that you might possibly undertake during the year. And don’t just plan on a tentative meeting mid year or in a couple of month – act now and set a date and time to meet next. These things if postpone for a later decison remain postponed forever.
  • At the end of the meeting: Ask for constructive feedback and request if your manager can provide you this feedback in writing – it is most essential to document your accomplishments and receive as many testimonials as you can.

POST MEETING

  • Post meeting: If you are interested in a new assignment or responsibility do not wait until the next round of review. Interact and communicate well to your boss – rise above the rest by taking the initiative of professional growth, every company and management admires such a move.

WHAT NEXT

  • During the months till your next performance review, visit online your performance management system and keep in regular touch with your boss on any updates to your tasks. Keep your visibility high and you will never fall under the radar.
  • Although you might consider it an overpreparation but actually there is no such word. It is a good idea to role-play the entire meeting either with someone or just with yourself in isolation before you actually meet your manager in person.

 

This is one of those articles to which I can say “I wish I knew then what I know now.”
Your performance management is your responsibility and the results affect you in every way, like it or not, you better take charge now.

 

What has been your experience in being proactive toward your performance review?

 

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Best Jobs to have during Recession

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What is recession?
According to Wiki definition, a recession is a decline in a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), or negative real economic growth, for two or more successive quarters of a year.

We fear recession since it could result in more than normal job cuts, financial tension and the burden of managing the needs of the family increases. With less or no employment growth the scenario looks bleak.
Although you might have Googled the Internet on the best jobs to have during recession hoping to receive a comprehensive answer to this question and in all probabilities have received a lot of information already, but my advice first is to research outside and research within to find the right answer.
By “research outside”, I mean finding out the present industry strengths, researching job market trends, following the stock market and investigating on the future of some promising careers.
By “research within”, I mean delving deeper into your present expertise, your abilities and your inclination and passion towards a particular career.
Once you understand the working dynamics of these two together you can surely come up with your jobs search or career search strategy. Although, if you are already a victim of a layoff and getting a job is a priority, the career exploration phase has to wait (if financial responsibilities are pressurizing you and the first step is to land a decent job which helps you pay for your family’s health insurance as well).

Protect your Present Job
Before you venture out to look for new jobs or those that will hold on during recession it is best to try to protect your present job first. When there are few employers hiring the best bet is to stay where you are (though not entirely in your hands, but you could try to be one of those not handed the pink slips in the coming weeks or months). I have some tips on how to manage your career during recession which you might find helpful now.

Where are the Jobs – Jobs that are “Recession-Proof”

If you are searching for recession-proof jobs, then the BLS statistics of the first quarter of the year 2008 says it all:

  • Health care continued to expand in March, rising by 23,000 employees. Hospitals accounted for the majority of the job gains, growing by 14,000. Over the past 12 months, health care has added 363,000 jobs.
  • Employment in natural resources and mining rose by 6,000 in March; the results are in line with the steady growth the industry has recorded over the past year.

Although these are the sectors where new jobs would continue to continue to grow, do not expect that it would be easy to undergo a career change during recession, however channelling your skills in new areas can be done easily with little time investment.
A complete career change demands time and more efforts towards new skill development as compared to changing jobs in your current field. If you are in a layoff and finding it hard to find jobs in your field it could be one of the best time to continue on developing your skills, either towards present career enhancement or towards a long-term career change.

What are the Present Industry Trends?

What have you observed in the papers, which companies are still advertising the jobs and what are the predicted trends? The trend could be more towards jobs in the environmental or solar sector or some new jobs which are government sponsored where money is being pumped in research and development in certain areas.
There are quite a few cities which are working towards increasing jobs in the “clean-tech” area. Read the newspaper and articles on the economy and you shall get some pointers on where the funds are being pumped in and where they are being taken away.
Find out more about those jobs that interest you the most. And if you are in a layoff and are looking for a new job then explore those jobs that are in demand at present. Recession or an economic downturn could be the right time to diversify and reorganize your skills. There are some reports published periodically on the trade magazines, job boards and other job related websites which predict or analyze the career and jobs which will be in demand over the present year or mark a trend for the rest of the century. For example check these out:

Update for 2009:

  • Top 25 Careers to Pursue in a Recession - This article suggests the following careers that can be expected to thrive during an economic downturn:
    Health Care, Energy, Education, Utilities, International Business, Food, Pharmaceuticals among others.
  • CNN Money has a good report on Best careers to have in a recession. They have there the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of 30 occupations expected to grow fastest over the next decade, then asked compensation experts PayScale to identify the 10 white-collar jobs among them with the best combination of high pay and high security.
Getting out of the “Slumped” Job Sector
If you anticipate a layoff, the best bet is to be proactive and start planning on war footage your next moves towards either getting a new skill set to jump to another job area. For example the present housing market slump has resulted in major cut down in realtor jobs and other house financing jobs.
Do a reality check on your skill set and either work toward developing new ones or if you are passionate on getting back to the housing jobs, research on some part-time jobs which could help you to “ride-out” the recession period.

“Recession Proof “Jobs for 2009-2010

When it comes to a major economic downturn affecting the world, there are virtually no completely recession proof jobs as such, but of course there are some industry sectors which are close to “recession-proof” and witness growth even in a bad economy.

Website Developer and Creative Web Media Expert

Many of those in the layoffs are seeing entrepreneurship as an attractive alternative to full-time office work. And your business in the 20th century thrives on a creative web presence. If you have the skills to develop some creative interfaces and websites, there are many seeking help and expertise in web development to get their business up and running in the shortest time during a recession and this means that you could be in business in no time. All you need coupled with the technical skills are good marketing and sales skills. You are how you market yourself.

Sales and Marketing

During the tough times, businesses need to aggressively market their products and services and skilled sales and marketing people will always be in demand. Keep your portfolio up-to-date and quantify your achievements; even if you are in a layoff right now, with good records and right personal marketing you would land another job faster than others in different tech positions.HandymanA plumber and a handyman in the US can make around $50 to $200 per hour and there is always a demand. True some people might want to do-it-themselves to save some money for the small fixes at home, but note that with more people staying home and more appliances and activities in the house, the usage and wear and tear is on the increase. Repair jobs are required and your services can be more in demand now than before. If you have the interest and some relevant skills, then it is time to train on some handyman skills.Law Enforcement and Security PersonnelA major downside of tough economic times is increase in crimes and security breaches. Look up your local government and other private offices job requirements and you might see the “open” jobs in law enforcement or need for police officers staying on the list. Get trained soon, if you have an aptitude for such jobs.Energy IndustryOf course, you will say. Are not all major funds being directed towards renewable energy industries and towards clean tech? Sure enough, follow the trends see where the money is and you can have that recession-proof job till the next recession at least. For example; according to a California government press release:
California is projected to need tens of thousands of additional workers to fulfill current and future green occupations in various industries. Green jobs can be found across all industry sectors, but frequently exist in eco-friendly industries like those generating or storing renewable energy (solar, wind and water); dealing with recycling existing materials (recycling processers, wastewater plant and environmental cleanup); and dealing with energy efficient products (weatherization, solar panels and dual pained windows).

Launched in early March, the initial phase of the Governor’s California Green Jobs Corps will place at least 1,000 at-risk youth ages 16 through 24 into green jobs over the next 20 months. Investing at least $10 million in Recovery Act funding and $10 million from public-private partnerships.
Green Jobs Corps recruits will train for technical, construction and other skilled jobs, complete community service while training and receive job placement assistance.
Recessions are Temporary
G. Michael Maddock in an article in Business Week says: Recessions by definition are temporary. Great companies and great executives don’t abandon their growth strategies in light of temporary setbacks. They attack aggressively, while everyone else is pulling back.

Do not overreact; it is best to be prepared but did you know that the 2001 recession was over in around eight months (but note again that the jobs were not coming back that easily even after a year). Perhaps it is good to fall in some such cycles to help us be prudent about our spending and proactive towards our careers.

What I have above are just some suggestions from a career expert, but as always you are the best judge for your own good.

Be inspired by Ayn Rand here:

“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision.”
~ Ayn Rand

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Am I going to be in a Layoff?

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What are the signs of a layoff?
Though not all discussed below may be concrete signs of an impending layoff, it is good to be aware of these reasons which could result in job cuts:

Recession – Downturn in Financial Markets
Also look up the world market health, in the 21st century the financial markets are all closely twined together, a major dip somewhere has ripple affect everywhere.

Budget cuts and Hiring Freeze Within Company
There are talks about projects being scaled down or tough budget cuts being announced by the management. Usually the budget cuts are followed by hiring freeze.

Stock Prices of your Company Dipping
Stock prices dip because of sluggish profits or other reasons. The company may decide to trim costs by reducing a certain percentage of the workforce.

Takeovers, acquisitions or Mergers leading to Job Cuts within the Company
Mergers and acquisitions often lead to reduction in the workforce. Consolidation of workforce and projects follows mergers to reduce costs and also to eliminate redundancy.

More Jobs are being Outsourced
The new projects and some positions that were empty are being out sourced to different location or country. These could be signs of a company’s prudent money saving approach but could also mean the transfer of jobs from the present location to a cheaper one. As one company leader explains, outsourcing is typically a financial decision. When the case is grounded in economics, it can be more difficult for IT professionals to argue against it.
“You could be doing everything right, you could have great tech skills, be a strong performer, keep up with your education. However, if your company decides to outsource your function, entire teams and entire departments get replaced. I’m not sure that you can do much about it, other than try to get out of jobs that seem to be on the outsourcing trend,” said Tom Mochal, president of TenStep Inc. says in an article titled 5 signs you’re about to be outsourced.

Managers being asked to Relocate or move to another Position
Before an impending layoff cycle the ‘efficient’ managers or those that the company wants to retain usually get to know before the employees of the company that the projects or teams could be phased out. Some managers are asked to relocate to other countries or positions to protect them from a group layoff further down the months or year.

You are being offered to Relocate
In a meeting your manager offers the few in the group; “We have a couple of new projects open in India, would you like to relocate by the end of the third quarter?” Right now this is a question, but what lies beneath is for you to investigate.

No new Projects being assigned to the Group
The manager does not show much interest in carrying forth the present project for future development, the project falls under maintenance and no new projects are on the horizon. It might be a time to investigate deep into what are the plans for the year for the team.

Management not interested in Employee Performance Appraisal and Training
Your boss has been showing you a cold shoulder off late and there is no talk about employee training or mid year performance appraisal. The present performance appraisal was also a “matter-of-fact” approach.

Bad Performance Review – not getting along with the Manager
A bad performance review for you this year? Not getting along with your manager? If some of the signs above are visible within your company, could you be on the pink-slip list?

Rumors of reorgs or Layoffs
Rumors are afloat within the company and in newspapers around, there are fears of layoffs within the company though the company has not confirmed so far. Could be true just keep your eyes and ears open.

Dwindling Company Funding
Is your company on VC or government funding? What are the projects for the coming year? How can an organization pay its employees if there is no funding being pumped for its survival?
Article related to this topic on WSJ:

They Ponder Layoffs, But Executives Still Face Gaps in Talent

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Countering Recession the Tax Relief Way – How are you going to Use the extra Bucks?

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A slightly off-track blog post not focused on the career advice but definitely related to the present discussions on the US economy in recession.

In a recent announcement to help the “suffering” US economy, the US government is ready to shell out the extra $600 or so person towards tax relief to abate recession and help consumers to spend more.
Would it help or not only time will tell but when you do get the check in mail in June, how are you going to spend it? Or would you have already “spent” it and waiting to payback to the credit card company?

Some thoughts from Economic Stalwarts on the announced Rebate

From the NPR article titled: Weighing the Impact of a Possible Tax Rebate, by Adam Davidson,
“But some economists warn about potential pitfalls. Once the federal government opens up the floodgates of spending, it may be difficult to rein it in – especially in an election year. Another potential sticking point is that Americans may not spend their rebates. Putting the rebates in savings accounts, for example, would have no stimulating effect.
John Leahy, a professor of economics at New York University, says it is theoretically possible that a tax rebate will indeed stimulate the economy. But other economists are skeptical that a stimulus package will work.”From 10news.com:
“In 2001, the government shelled out rebates of $300 and $600 to fight the last recession. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson took issue with critics who say those rebates failed to stimulate the economy. “The evidence was that people spent between a third and two-thirds of the money and spent it quickly,” he said. So it is in fact “injecting money back to boost the economy.”
It’s like being in that vicious circle where whatever we do ends us in not being good at money management, if consumers don’t spend, the market suffers, and if we spend we tend to overspend making our own finances tough to manage.”

Yet again the question is – is the tax relief pay-off a “cookie” incentive? You get a large cookie, you eat it and feel full, and the sugar rises and makes you feel good. But how short-term is that? I hope they can do more to teach and train people to make cookies so they can enjoy for a much longer time and help others as well.

Would it be better to save this extra money, invest it or spend it right away?
What would you do and why?

Related Posts:

Careerbright – Career Article and Information for Professionals and Working Women
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How to Talk to your Boss about your Career Goals

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Performance reviews and appraisals are not the only time when you discuss your career goals with your boss, the goals can be set either at the very first meeting when you join in a new job or a new team/division or anywhere during project changes or set up in timely recurring meetings throughout the year.

Whether you had a great or a bad performance review for the last year, now is the time to ensure a more positive one for this year. Plan and prepare to meet with your boss on goal planning for the current year. Most of us just chuck it under the carpet or roll our eyes, wanting our best to delay as much as possible, either the goal setting meeting with your boss or discussing your performance review before it happens. But taking charge of your career is in your hands and you better be diligent and proactive about it. If you don’t take control now no one would and the outcome may not be to your liking.

Eric Jackson in an interesting article in Forbes says:

“…most employees don’t know what they’ll be doing in 5 years. In our experience, about less than 5% of people could tell you if you asked. However, everyone wants to have a discussion with you about their future. Most bosses never engage with their employees about where they want to go in their careers — even the top talent. This represents a huge opportunity for you and your organization if you do bring it up.”

Performance management is as much your responsibility as your manager’s, well in fact more of yours. Your company’s performance management system may be a real sucker or even one that changes every now and then (a personal experience – when a previous year’s performance appraisal was very conveniently ‘lost’ by the system. I ignored it then, with the “who-cares” attitude; but now realize the importance of what it truly means to be better informed of the performance management reports and what it means to visit them often to be on top of personal career development).

Not tomorrow nor later – today is the time to take initiate: if you have never had a goal setting meeting or performance review (whether new to the company or have been there for ‘don’t-know-how-long’) – now is the time. Managing your performance review and setting career goals with your boss strengthens your communication with upper management and brings forward your work and achievements within the company. You have to market yourself continuously to be visible as a valuable contributor to the organization, if you do not toot your horn no one else will – so take charge now.

Setting up a Meeting with your Manager

Initiate a meeting to discuss on goal setting plans for this year.
When? Ensure that you and your boss are not in a hurry to join another meeting or a Friday evening when all you have in mind is to be out of the office as soon as you can shake off that last task.
Email request: Send a meeting request email or just walk in and talk to him/her about it. (Though it should very well come from your manager but why wait if that has not happened since long – when you initiate you display abilities to lead and take charge of the situation).

Start your Email or conversation on these lines (after the ‘usual’ polite greetings and salutations):

“I want to meet with you to discuss the career goals for this year and to explore further growth opportunities within the company. During this meeting I propose that we take time to assess each other expectations on my current projects and also I shall have the opportunity to get clarifications on future prospects of my career development.”

Ask your boss for a convenient date and time for this meeting. Try to adhere to his timelines.

Such a conversation or communication enables the management to see “what’s it in for them” though rightfully they should be more concerned about how to develop the employee, but yet again if you are not in that set of environment – it is important to realize that keeping on top of your career growth is your responsibility and in a way recession-proofs your career as well.

 

What and How to discuss with your Boss in this Meeting

  • Discuss in depth the expectations from the present and planned projects and keep the task measurable.
  • Draft a process for continued communication or seek suggestions on how your manager plans on keeping track of the tasks and deadlines assigned to you. Don’t be shy to communicate if the expectations do not match and/or you have a proposal to work on some other tasks within the team.
  • Ask your manager on how the feedback system would work – on the task accountability and appraisals going forward.
  • The goal setting discussions should not be just one-a-year-discussion, take time to find out through your company policies if mid-year reviews are supported and ask your manager if he endorses multiple reviews (twice or quarterly) in a year.

Tip: Use good communication skills during this discussion and be a good listener.

Post-Meeting Action Items

  • Document what has been discussed in the meeting. Prepare a concise outline and send your manager for approval, from here on it should be the manager’s responsibility to follow-up with HR to get your goals well placed in the performance management system of the company. But do not hesitate to follow-up a few days or a week later to find out how the process finally shaped up and if there are some action items on your plate now.
  • Document again the final goals set and visit your performance management system if and when the need arises to update tasks on their status or add new ones.
  • Further during the year your tasks and responsibilities may change, make sure that you edit it on the review system as well in your personal documentation.

Take charge of your career, manage your career well and reap the benefits of growth every year!

 

Question: What has been your experience talking to your boss about your career goals? Please share in comments below.

 


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Creating more Jobs can help Abate Recession

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Create more Jobs
Whether it is the creation of the green collar jobs or the blue collar jobs, the point is to create and keep those jobs here to help abate recession.

The government contingency plan must be to allocate money for free employment training to those looking for jobs or in a layoff this year. I also endorse Senator Hillary Clinton’s plans to broadening unemployment insurance for those who are struggling to find work. Though a quick note to those making the higher decisions in the government: try to involve public opinion and do your best to gather information from the general public right now before you implement and pass bills on all the planned ‘reforms and actions’. The more you ask for public input the better solutions you can come up with. It is not a simple patch-up job that people need, a long-term solution but with a shorter implementation period is the call of the moment.

Manage your Money
Apart from creating more jobs and providing the much needed tax relief government must also take some actions on educating the general middle class on immediate savings options and reducing the credit card bills. One prudent approach towards money management would be to at least cut back on using one credit card or better still just not using any for some time; live the old fashioned way on a weekly money allocation and see if it helps you with your spendings. Once that is taken care of (or better still to be done side-by-side) maximize your savings.
Thinking about it practically, all these daily management work comes to mind when one is free from the fear of a layoff or when not in the daily brawl to find a new job.
I strongly believe that making more employment opportunities for most in the country is where the concentrated efforts should be at present.

And Make more Money
As I said before, recession is not the time to slow down, it is the time to innovate and try new untested grounds (if possible).
Here’s a nice article I found while searching for how to create new jobs during recession: How to make money during a recession.

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Dressing up for an Interview

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Tips for dressing up an interview are all over the place and even though you may have been to many interviews it’s very often the case that you stand in front of your wardrobe and think, “I have nothing to wear for this interview.” Or, “Would this be appropriate?”

I remember a job interview I was in around 7 years back and had that uncomfortable twitch as I walked in the reception area, I felt I was “too dressed-up”. I was just in a skirt suit with a well done hair-do and light make-up but even that looked out of place in a very casual work environment – none of the HR personnel were in a suit or formal wear and as I entered the lobby and saw everyone walk around, I felt out of place. Though slightly conscious, I was confident enough during the interview process and thankfully it did not hinder my getting that job.

It depends a lot on what type of job you are applying for. A trendy workplace would expect the interview to be at par with the dress culture at that place whereas a cool laid-back work place would snub your stiff suited appearance. It depends on how appropriately dressed you are for that particular work environment. Dress for success and showcase your confident self.

So when you are applying for an IT job in a casual workplace as the Silicon Valley, appear professional yet use some laid back professional separates for the interview. However when in the fashion city New York, your look could be entirely different.

Your Style and Comfort
A smart jacket or a vest on well ironed pants or skirts would look professional. Add style with light jewelry and emphasize on good hygiene. Spruce up your aura with good smelling, fresh well-combed and styled hair and there you go.
If you are uncomfortable in a tight skirt or a high heeled shoe, just don’t wear it. The idea is not to let go off your style completely and be a different person for the interview, but keep in mind if you have a flamboyant dress up style or someone who is used to dressing up as a teenager, it is better to be on the conservative side if you want to get that job and not be assessed on what you wore for that interview.

When you look good you feel better. But don’t forget that looking good also comes a great deal from what you feel within so exude a positive attitude and confidence and when coupled with a well groomed look, you are out there to get it all!
Note that it is not your attire that you are being finally judged for but it does represent a part of your overall confidence statement. How confident you feel in an interview comes from both states – external and internal. Next time when you are getting ready for the interview keep these few tips in mind.

See some examples of dress ideas for men and women on the Dress to Impress webpages on the WSU website.

Some No-Nos for the Interview

For Women

  • Revealing clothes
  • To much perfume – annoys many or distracts from the main objective of an interview
  • Too much makeup – again distracts and interviewer can get opinionated on your personality
  • Showing off your tattoos or body piercing
  • Excess jewelry
  • Chewing gums

For Men

  • Being too casual – no torn jeans and spiked hair unless the job demands so
  • Showing off your tattoos or piercing (again, unless the job required you to, though I wonder…)
  • Out-dated suits or excess jewelry
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Managing your Career during Recession

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Keeping your Job
With talks of global recession taking over the media and in general discussions, it is a good time to think on how to keep your present job and recession-proof yourself.
Keep abreast of news around your company’s performance and your division’s importance, be ready to evolve and also be ready to change. Remember that “Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come” (my reference is here to the “Who moved my Cheese” if you have not read it, perhaps a good time is now.)

A recent interview at NPR in Talk of the Nation, Stephen Viscusi, author of On the Job, offers tips on what you can do to protect your finances and your job. Some tips that he offered:

  • Learn how to work, be valuable
  • Be more visible at work and do a good job
  • Be on time, it is not a time for big vacations
  • And be practical

It pays to be persistent with trying to keep your career healthy. It is always a good time to start paying attention to your overall career health and strive to maintain it so.
Continue and try your best to integrate more work related training courses in your current schedule and work towards developing your skills – it must be an integral part of your ongoing career development. Always remember that your skills are what will be with you forever, jobs come and go. Never compromise or slacken towards personal and professional development.

Move Beyond your Current Job Capabilities
Taking on additional responsibilities is also a smart move to recession proof your career. Take initiatives brings forth your leadership qualities. Although it is never suggested to take on responsibilities more than you can handle, but going an extra mile to help in another project or area/division of the company portrays your commitment and dedication to work.

Also continue to build on your network.

Some Career and Personal Questions to Ponder on during Recession
The questions to explore during the recession time are:

  • Which types of industries and job definitions are seeing the most layoffs?
  • Is demographics affecting the availability or restricting certain jobs?
  • Am I ready to move on to a different sector if need be? If yes, how prepared am I?

Other than the questions on the best jobs during recession it is time for some present and future planning as well. Think about these questions as well:

  • What can I do to protect my present job?
  • If I am in a layoff this year, am I prepared?
  • How can I maximize or consolidate my savings to survive the recession?
  • How can I react positively to a recession?

Preparing for the worst is a good approach but being paranoid about it would not help. Again I take on quoting Who moved my Cheese (I highly recommend you to read this book or revisit it if you have read it once already this is the time to prepare and move with the cheese).
“As time went on he began to wonder if it was realistic for him to expect to find New Cheese. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew. Then he laughed, realizing that he had nothing to chew on at that moment. Whenever he started to get discouraged he reminded himself that what he was doing, as uncomfortable as it was at the moment, was in reality much better than staying in a Cheeseless situation. He was taking control, rather than simply letting things happen to him. …. Just realizing he was not letting his fear stop him and knowing that he had taken a new direction nourished him and gave him strength”

Don’t let the fear of recession stop you in your growth, when you move on and strive to do better at what you are doing now you are contributing towards pushing away the recession. After all, recession is just “the act of receding or withdrawing”, all you have to do is to help things move forward and contribute to growth and development.

Ponder on this writing on the wall:
“When you Move Beyond Your Fear, You Feel Free.”

Strengthen Skills during Recession
If you were in a layoff and finding jobs at present is a hard nut to crack, it might be the best time to focus on strengthening your skills. Also it is an opportunity to reinvent your skills. Work towards building new technical skills but keep focus on the soft skills as well. Narrow your focus on towards the present industry trends and the skills that are most in demand. All you need to do now is to ride it out and once the hiring opens up, you would have an edge over many others.

Just Keep Moving
Don’t get put off when everyone talks about recession, it does not mean you have to slow down in what you are doing today. Negative discussions on recession fuels rumors and often results in detrimental reactions in a community. There was an interesting story I read somewhere which talks about how two people reacted to the news of recession (might be slightly abridged as I write here from memory of this story and my own interpretation of it) –

The news on recession was all around in the big town, everyone was talking about the bad shape of the economy and that things would be on the downhill from now on. Everyone dreaded that everything would be extremely expensive, many will lose jobs and it would be the beginning of the depression era – the fear was evident in all social and professional discussions. The story is about how two small business owners reacted in different ways. One of them was pretty depressed, he started hording stuff and stopped investing in further development of his business – in short he stopped growing. He had visions of expansion of his store but he thought it would not be a good time to do so. Slowly his sales dropped and the profits dipped. He was disheartened and he told everyone “I told you so, it is the recession time, and there is nothing I could have done about it.”
While the other small business owner went on to continue with what he wanted to do although with diligence and caution. He continued to grow – he invested in areas where he analyzed there was a slightest growth potential. He focused on products and services which might help people in these times and continued his research and execution with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. He continued to thrive even during recession and in-fact contributed to the upturn of the economy.

There would always be people around you crying wolf, it is up to you on how you take the call. But of course, it does not mean that you close your eyes to the news and predictions of economic downturn or upturn. The point is to learn to move with the cheese and be prepared for all possibilities.

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