Taking charge of your career
The news remains scary.
“A minimum of 10,000 workers at Merrill Lynch & Co. are likely to lose their jobs after the company is acquired by Bank of America Corp. Ladenburg Thalmann analyst Richard Bove wrote in a note to clients Tuesday. ‘Bank of America’s slash and burn style following acquisitions is likely to be pronounced at Merrill,’ Bove said. “
“Separately, Bloomberg reported that Merrill plans to cut about 500 jobs in its trading unit as Chief Executive John Thain reduces the workforce to position for an economic slowdown.” Market Watch, October 22, 2008
In these unsettling times it s not surprising to wonder, “Am I next?”
Certainly this is not the time to be thinking about what we might like to do—work-wise. But rather, this is the time to fly below the radar and hope that we will make it through this rough economic downturn with our jobs intact. Yes, that is one strategy, but it is not the only strategy, and in the long run, it really is not a good or healthy strategy.
Think about doing something different “this time.”
Whatever the external circumstances and our internal challenges, when it comes to the work we do, it is in our best interests to have a backup plan. Why would we want to leave our work lives to “chance” or give others the exclusive power to determine our futures?
Actually, I think that this is the worst time to let inertia be our strategy. There are warning signs screaming out to us and we pay a very high price if we choose to not pay attention. Having strategies for our work, like the earthquake emergency kit that we promise ourselves that we will one day pull together, if only we could find the time is critical to our safety. So, let the current turmoil of the markets, like the last temblor, be the impetus for finally crafting our “work survival kit.”
Unlike “earthquake survival kits,’ you must create your own “work survival kit.”
Here are three things to keep in mind as you begin:
1. Don’t start by updating your resume.
Like most of us, you probably have not updated your resume since you started your current job. Yes, you will need to dust it off and make it current—but before you so, there is more important work to do.
2. Don’t operate from a base of fear.
Reframe how you are thinking about work and start looking for the possibilities. “If I wasn’t doing this work, what work would I want to be doing—and where might I want to be doing it?
3. Don’t assume that the way things are today is the way things will be tomorrow.
If you do, you will be disappointed. Things will not be the same, so try and imagine how they might look and develop strategies for applying your skills and experience.
Yes, the headlines are scary, but “this too shall pass”—and where will you be/