We all know that the economy is struggling right now. But how does that affect your job hunting and career advancement? Last time we discussed that Microsoft itself is strong and their technology is a value leader in the marketplace. But that in itself is not enough to help you land a job or skyrocket your career. Here are three things you can do:
1. Be Patient. Whichever side of the job market you are at (employed or unemployed), you need to be patient.
If you are unemployed, your full time job is working to find a job. Do all the right things – polish your resume and cover letter, give your web site a face lift focused towards your job search, network with everyone you know, work on getting your certifications updated. Try not to do something desperate like using your life savings to start your own company. Conventional wisdom says that 80 percent of new companies will fail within 5 years. And the failure rate is above 90 percent in Multi Level Marketing (MLM). Let me put it another way. You have a better chance of success playing Blackjack or Poker in Las Vegas than you do starting your own company.
If you are employed in a failing company or troubled sector, don’t wait to get laid off. Do all the things listed above proactively. It’s easier to find a job when you have a job, so take advantage of that before it’s too late.
If you are employed at a stable company that is able to weather the storm, then count your blessings and don’t do something stupid like leaving for a less stable company and a 10% raise. I have a friend who made this mistake a few weeks ago, and he was laid off from his new company in less than a week. It wasn’t much fun, especially since he was the only wage earner for his family.
2. Diversify your career. Just like a smart investor diversifies their portfolio in order to minimize the risk of financial loss, a smart I.T. professional needs to diversify their skill set in order to minimize the risk of job loss. If you are a generalist (for example, a Windows Sys Admin), then learn something specific, like I.T. Security or Messaging Infrastructure. If you are already highly specialized, then make your self more employable by developing your generic skill set. For example, if you are an Ecommerce Project Manager, then ask for your next project to be a different area other than Ecommerce. Stretch yourself by volunteering to take on new responsibilities that are outside of the box compared to what you normally would do.
3. Network. Whenever someone leaves your company, make sure that you get their contact information and try to stay in touch occasionally via email. When you leave a company, make sure you give your contact info to everyone that you worked with. Did you know that up to 80% of the jobs available never get advertised? Networking is how you find those jobs. According to CareerXRoad’s 2007 Annual Sources of Hire Survey, 34% of new hires brought in from outside an organization were due to employee referrals. Don’t miss out on the many opportunities that networking provides.
