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How Do You Know if Your Career is Recession Proof?

The following is a ten question quiz that can tell you whether your career is on the upswing or downswing. Answer the questions honestly and you’ll soon know if your career is recession proof or not:

Question #1: Do you currently work in the healthcare, education, green, government, or defense industry?
A) Not even close
B) Your industry is related to one of these industries
C) Yes, you work in one of these industries

Question #2: Do you work in a field experiencing outsourcing?
A) Yes, many jobs around you have been outsourced
B) There are outsourcing rumors but it hasn’t happened yet
C) Outsourcing is not on the horizon for your field

Question #3: Has your field suffered major layoffs in previous economic downturns?
A) Yes, jobs are lost every time the economy sours
B) There have been some layoffs, but many folks kept their jobs
C) No, jobs have held steady in good times and bad

Question #4: Are you reading anything online or in print indicating your field may be in trouble?
A) Yes, stories abound of bad times ahead for your field
B) A few stories, but nothing definitive
C) You haven’t seen anything negative about your field

Question #5: Does the U.S. government show any signs of investing development dollars in your industry?
A) No, the government has no plans to invest in your industry
B) You’re not sure if the government is investing in your field
C) Yes, billions of dollars are going toward your industry

Question #6: Are you in a career where your skills could easily translate to a related field?
A) No, your skills are specialized to only your field
B) Your skills could translate, but it’s not a simple transition
C) Yes, your skills translate well in multiple industries

Question #7: Do you work in an industry where foreign competition is eroding your company’s market share?
A) Yes, your market share has been in steady decline
B) Foreign competition is a concern, but not a major one
C) No, your market share has held up to foreign competition

Question #8: Do you work in an industry where jobs are increasingly going to lower-paid, immigrant workers?
A) Yes, you are seeing immigrant workers take over many jobs
B) Some jobs are going to immigrant workers, but not many
C) No, the immigrant population is not taking on the jobs

Question #9: Do you work in an industry where jobs are increasingly getting automated?
A) Yes, many of the jobs in your field are getting automated
B) Some jobs are now automated, but others are not
C) No, automation has not negatively impacted job prospects

Question #10: How are changing demographics in the U.S. population impacting your industry?
A) Demographic changes will negatively impact your industry
B) Demographic changes won’t help or hurt your industry
C) Demographic changes will positively impact your industry

Okay, now for the results. See how many of your ten answers were letters “A,” “B,” and “C.” If you answered “A” for the majority of the questions, then your career is anything but recession proof. In fact, quick, decisive action may be necessary to course correct. If you answered “B” to many of the questions, then you sit somewhere between a recession proof and at-risk career. There are some facts in your favor and others you should pay attention to if you want to keep your career on track. Finally, if you answered “C” in most cases then you’re in great shape.

Do You Have a Recession Proof Resume

So how does your resume stack up against the competition? Would you get the gig or get passed over? Would you get promoted or demoted? Would you get pink slipped or slip past pink? Let’s not leave these questions to chance. Here’s a ten question quiz that can tell you exactly where you stand. These questions are geared for folks who work at companies. But if you are self employed or own a business, you’ll still get the idea.

Question #1: How much experience do you have in your industry?
A) None at all
B) Less than two years
C) Three to five years
D) More than five years

Question #2: How long have you been in your current role?
A) Not working right now
B) Less than six months
C) Six months to two years
D) More than two years

Question #3: How long have you been at your current company?
A) Not working right now
B) Less than six months
C) Six months to two years
D) More than two years

Question #4: Do you have the certifications required for your job, company, or industry?
A) You’re lacking the required certifications
B) You’re in the process of getting certified
C) Yes, you are fully certified
D) No certifications required

Question #5: Do you have the educational degree typically required for your job, company, or industry?
A) You’re lacking the education
B) You’re in the process of earning the right degree
C) Yes, you have all the degrees necessary
D) No educational requirements for this career

Question #6: What rating did you get at your last performance review?
A) Your company doesn’t do performance reviews
B) You received a below average rating
C) You received an average rating
D) You received an above average rating

Question #7: What has your boss or leaders told you about your long term potential at your company?
A) You’ve never heard anything about your potential
B) You’ve been told your performance needs to improve
C) You’ve been told you’re a solid contributor
D) You’ve been told you’re a high performer with potential

Question #8: How well do you know the computer programs and software needed to perform your job?
A) Computer skills are irrelevant in your role
B) You could definitely brush up on computer skills
C) You’re pretty comfortable with most programs
D) You consider yourself an expert

Question #9: What role does networking play in your life?
A) You never attend industry events and know very few people who do your job at other companies
B) You attend an industry event here and there and know a few people who could help you
C) Your rolodex is fairly full and you do your best to get to events and meet new people when your schedule permits
D) You’re a busy beaver, attending lots of industry networking events, collecting business cards, and staying in touch

Question #10: How many skills do you possess that could be easily transferred to another job in a new industry?
A) None of my skills are transferrable
B) Maybe one skill could transfer to another role
C) Two or three of my skills could transfer
D) Most of my skills would transfer easily

The more you answered “A” the more you need to learn about what it takes to recession proof your resume. The more you answered “D” the more you can smile knowing your resume is recession proof. Lots of “B’s” and “C’s” probably mean you’ve got some good stuff and some holes in your resume in which case we need to round you out a bit. Lots of “E” answers mean you have trouble following directions.

Keep Your Ears Open

It’s amazing how one simple conversation can change the course of your career… but only if your ears are open to listen. You see, too often we’re focused on just what matters to us in the moment. We simply can’t see beyond our current struggles, goals, and ideas to consider what could be next.

The next time someone starts a conversation with you on a seemingly irrelevant topic, give it a good listen. On the surface you may have little to no interest, but peel it back a layer and an unexpected connection just might emerge.

It just happened for me this week and it may have changed the course of my career trajectory forever. So keep your ears open, don’t discount people and conversations too soon, and your life just may travel in new and interesting directions.

Just Push Play

So I’m doing a new workout this Spring… P90X. For those of you who don’t know anything about the workout, it stands for Power 90 Extreme. It’s a ninety day workout including weight training, yoga, plyometrics, and even kickboxing. How’s that for some muscle confusion.

Why do I bring up the workout? Not because I want to brag about my efforts to get in shape before the next bathing suit season. Rather, it was something the video trainer, Tony Horton, said on one of the workouts. He said… “Don’t decide everyday if you’re going to do this program. Decide once, then just hit play everyday without thinking about it.”

Talk about some simple advice but something many of us don’t follow in life. Instead we revisit decisions constantly and undue progress. So I’m vowing to put Tony’s advice into other parts of my life… my work, my health, and my friendships. From now on, when I decide something, I’m good to go and I’ll just push play from there.

What Will You Give Up?

One of the biggest learnings in a working less, earning more life is that you can’t have it all. Sure you’ll get more free time than you ever imagined and you’ll find you can earn twice your old income in half the time. But that doesn’t mean you can have it all.

You can’t still think you’ll be a parent 100% of the time, a worker 100% of the time, a workout buddy 100% of the time, etc. It’s the balance of it all that makes the working less, earning more life really click.

Whenever I zoom out to review those 168 hours per week, I not only think about how I spend my time. I also look at which hat I want to wear when. That’s how I balance it all without mistakenly believing I can have it all.

Recession Proof Careers Hits Bookstores!

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m excited for the release of my third book today. My career began with Dating, Inc.: How To Recruit, Select, and Retain the Right Man for a Relationship. Then it was the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Working Less, Earning More. And today, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recession Proof Careers hits your local bookstore.

Check it out if you’re looking to recession proof your resume, build transferrable skills, stay nimble in any economy, or simply want to read about the 100+ recession proof careers poised for growth for years to come. Thanks everyone for your support along the publishing journey!

Listen To Your Body

My life is all about productivity… getting more done in less time to achieve my working less, earning more agenda. Still, I do have days where I just don’t find the energy… particularly with a newborn in the house impacting family sleep patterns.

I’ve come to realize that despite my desire to crank out maximum work in my working slots, if my body says I need a rest, then I should take it. There’s nothing worse than trying to crank out great work when you’re exhausted… only to produce sub-par work and feel guilty about it.

So the new me is not afraid to take a nap when my body calls for it… especially if it means the work when I wake up will be that much better. So stop fretting a little shut eye midday… it just may be the perfect antidote to lackluster performance.

Haiti and Working Less

It’s hard to surf the web, pick up a paper, or peruse a magazine without seeing coverage of the awful devastation in Haiti. Most of us can’t even imagine ever being part of a disaster of that magnitude. Having survived 9/11 myself, in fact being in the towers when the first plane struck, I do have a sense of how life changing these disasters can be if you survive. It really forces you to reevaluate everything in your life… your job, your relationships, your hobbies, your health, etc.

Unfortunately most of us soon go back to our everyday routines as the thought of change in these categories is simply too big an investment of our time and energy. But do we really even need a traumatic event like a terrorist attack or earthquake to reevaluate our lives? Why not put in the work before tragedy strikes, before you’re forced to evaluate your life trajectory?

To me, that’s what paying your life first is all about. You don’t need to narrowly escape disaster to decide that those 168 hours per week are yours to control and plan. Give it a try… start with a blank sheet and fill in exactly how you would spend your 168 hours per week if you had total control. Then see what you could change about your life to make it so!

Is Your Resume Recession Proof?

I’m starting to hear it all the time now… we’re in recovery mode, the recession is soon to be a thing of the past. It’s amazing how short our memories can really be. When things are bad we can’t imagine the sun ever shining again. When we’re flying high we can’t picture another dark day.

If in fact we’re headed toward recovery, does that really mean you can work in any job in any industry and keep that job under any economic conditions? Or might the better strategy be to own your future and get yourself into a recession proof industry now? This way, when the next downturn hits… whether it’s in five years or twenty, you’ll likely hold onto your job while others sweat the unemployment line.

In my new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recession Proof Careers, due in stores this February, I cover more than 100 jobs that are sure to be in growth mode for years to come. But we don’t stop there, because holding onto your job is about more than just the right industry. You’ve got to become a high performer, build transferable skills, and even identify the right roles that can showcase your skills.

Check the book out in February, or better yet, pre-order your copy now at Amazon and you’ll be on your way to owning your future.

That Little Voice

It’s amazing how often we take excruciating hours and days to make a decision simply because we’re ignoring that little voice telling us exactly what to do. It’s that analysis paralysis that can slow down progress in so many areas of your life.

Since I started subscribing to ready, fire, aim, my decision making process has improved dramatically. I go with my gut plus some basic information to make quick, forward-oriented decisions. I find that I can always make changes on the fly if something isn’t what I expected.

So the next time you’re stuck in a moment, consider the ready, fire, aim approach and you just might break through your own stuck moments.