Archive for August, 2009

Unemployed? What you can do to be un-unemployed!

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Unemployment is no joking matter. It’s scary to be unemployed right now, but if you’ve just been laid-off, recently quit your job, or are scared that your job won’t even exist in a few more weeks, know that you can still find jobs out there. And finding a job as quickly as possible is the goal.

But to ensure that you minimize the amount of time that you are unemployed, it is key to not dwell on the fact that you are now unfortunately not employed. You have to remain focused, optimistic, and – most importantly – flexible to get yourself un-unemployed and back to work.

I think you can quickly guess why I say that you have to be focused and optimistic when it comes to your job search, but the flexible part may be a bit puzzling to you. I’m sure you’re thinking that you’re more than willing to be flexible when it comes to a new job: maybe you’re willing to take a pay cut, a lower title, or work a job in an industry you never thought of working before. That is not what I’m implying by being flexible though.

Being flexible in this economy means being willing to take on a job that you may never have thought of working before. Maybe you were scared that someone would scoff at you for dreaming of being a Deputy Supreme Knight, Product Design Manager, or even a Playboy Bunny. Before you completely write me off, take a look at the salaries of the positions that I just listed. I guarantee you that each one of those jobs is being paid more than someone who is standing in an unemployment line.

New Grads are Unemployed and Flexible. Are You?

New Grads are Unemployed and Flexible. Are You?

Take a minute to really look at the entirety of your career. You may have held the title of CEO, Director of QA, or Marketing Manager. Take that title and think about if you were really happy working that position. Maybe you really loved your computer coding class in college, or you want to have the option of making an unlimited amount of money working in sales, or you really want to help people. This could be the time for you to press the reset button and start a new career in something that you’ve always wanted to try. It doesn’t even have to be as drastic a change as I implied above. I’ve heard there’s a growing demand for Ruby programmers and keep in mind that a company will always need Sales Managers to ensure the cash keeps flowing.

Posted in Companies, Job Tips | 3 Comments »

How to avoid being laid off

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

There have been quite a few layoffs in 2009, as it’s been quite a tough economic year. Just about everyone is looking over their shoulders now, trying to ensure that they’re not next in line to go up on the chopping block. So how do you avoid getting laid off in this down market? The economy is tough, and whether you’re a large corporation like GM, or a small company like a start-up, you have to abide by the first and most important rule of capitalism: making a profit.

What this means to you is that - whether you’re the employee, manager, or somewhere in the middle of the corporate ladder - you have to make absolutely sure that you’re pulling your own weight at the company. Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, etc. have all proven that there were employees out there with bloated, ridiculous incomes, but those employees were laid off for good reason. So where do you fall in that spectrum? Are you overpaid, or are you working your butt off to earn every penny of your salary?

One way to keep your salary safe

One way to keep your money safe

A good way to find the answer to that question is to take a close look at other salaries in your profession. Take a look at your company’s competitors and what kind of salaries the people there are making. Take a look at the responsibilities of comparable job positions. Are you making a competitive salary - and I don’t mean in terms of if you’re making more, but - are your responsibilities equal to your “salary cost” to the company as an employee?

One reason that the economy is tanking right now is because there were employees out there who took liberties with what “wealth creation” actually meant and were rewarded for it. But capitalism shouldn’t - and thankfully doesn’t - work like that on a long term basis. In a truly competitive market, we eventually have to produce something worthwhile for a company and be paid fairly for that work. If you think your salary is competitive, both in terms of compensation for yourself and for your company, then you have to keep it up, stay positive and keep showing your worth as an employee that can’t be cut. If not, you might want to think about taking on new responsibilities to ensure that you remain a competitive employee that is earning a competitive salary, to ensure that you don’t get laid off.

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