Think Positive for Future Success
By Megan Martin
The mass layoffs and credit freeze of early 2009 may still be fresh in your mind, but believe it or not, companies are realizing that things are getting better, and they’re gearing up for the future.
According to a March 2009 Associated Press article, home sales are up, the demand for goods is increasing and the White House is optimistic about the nearly 20 percent improvement in stocks.
While the psychological damage of the past year may take time to wear off, companies are beginning to look forward. Meanwhile, candidates and employees alike are suffering from low morale, living in fear of layoffs, or are just fed up with devoting themselves to a company that can’t give them the incentives that they need.
It may be time to adjust your attitude.
“Economic indicators are saying things are better,” says Scott Webb, Managing Director of SALO Project. “The best thing candidates can do is stay positive.”
If you’re feeling shaky about your future, here are some ways to help yourself look at the bright side.
Take a Media Vacation
If you’re spending all your time monitoring the news for updates on the economy in order to “be prepared,” it may be time to take a break.
“The mass media approach is to capture negative news,” says Webb. “But the reality is the news is generic; it isn’t individualized. You should challenge it, and ask yourself: How does it apply to me?”
Webb notes that people tend to become overwhelmed by the generalizations made by the media, and it creates a feeling of dread about the future.
“Understanding the reality is one thing,” he says. “But take it in bite-sized chunks, and say: How I am fitting in with this? What am I truly affected by? Everyone is at a different stage.”
Webb uses the example of the “skyrocketing” unemployment rate.
“If you’re currently employed, then it isn’t affecting you as much in the here and now. If you are unemployed, you should say to yourself: How many individuals have my skill set? There is a silver lining to every cloud, but the media sometimes makes it hard to see.”
Rather than taking the news at face value, ask yourself how it relates to you and your current life. Evaluate the positive position you may be in.
Unemployed? Show Off Your Value
If you are unemployed or looking for a new position, you have to be willing and able to sell yourself. Companies may be looking for short-term consultants to implement projects they’ve left on the back burner for too long.
“In today’s market, companies are looking for consultants with a strong cost, analytic and profit analysis background. Clients see that they can utilize individuals with increased skill sets,” says Webb.
Revisit your resume. Consider the positions you’ve held over the years. Take inventory of all that you’ve done and learned, and rewrite your resume to include the range of your skills.
“If you can show that you have a wide skill set, you’ll be seen as more valuable,” Webb says. “The greater the diversity you have, the greater the likelihood you can help with new projects and initiatives.”
He also recommends that consultants in particular represent themselves as someone who is on the cutting edge of their field.
“Consultants have a wealth of knowledge from other companies they’ve worked with, so they need to bring that fresh insight to new companies and show how valuable that can be. Management will often be blinded from working with the same people for so long, and consultants can bring new knowledge and share best practices.”
This may be true of anyone who has held a range of positions—if you can show what you’ve learned from the companies you’ve worked for, and how it can benefit the new organization, you’ll be seen as someone whose special knowledge and insights can be used to help.
It’s also important to think about how you can translate your skills into new positions. How do your talents and abilities align with the new economic reality? How do you fit into a chaotic market? What strengths can you offer?
If you’ve helped other companies transition during difficult times, don’t be afraid to describe just how you helped. Companies may indeed be looking for people with experience in these difficult areas.
Employed? Think Positive
It may sound difficult or even impossible to smile through tough times with a company whose future is uncertain, but it is the key to retaining your position and moving ahead.
Here are some tips:
- Communicate with your supervisors. Communication is often the first thing to go during tough times—supervisors and higher-ups are focused on keeping the company afloat, and fear conversations about layoffs or the uncertain future. Now is the time for employees to build relationships with their supervisors. Ask questions, keep supervisors abreast of your current projects and seek feedback on your work.
- Create new relationships. If your company has undergone layoffs and restructuring, look at the bright side: You have a smaller team and the ability to create deeper relationships. Look to other team members as people from whom you can learn new skills, or with whom you can collaborate to come up with new initiatives.
- Sell yourself. Just because you’re in a currently stable position doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking forward. As you communicate with your supervisors, give them tangible examples of how you have contributed to the company. Communicate your own goals for the future, as well as personal goals you’ve achieved.
- If the work environment isn’t ideal, focus on being thankful for what you have. It will make you easier to work with, and others may benefit from your positivity.
Expand your Skills
Whether you’re employed or not, if you feel your skill set could use some work, now is the time to expand it. Be brave and realize that in order to move forward, you need to always be learning and growing.
Even if you’re currently seeking work or have been in the same position for years, the fact remains that there are creative ways to learn and make yourself more marketable, both in the office and out.
Webb recommends education. “Whether you’re looking at a technical college or an MBA program, these are places where you can learn and gain new abilities. Don’t write anything off. What would you like to learn? Where can you get that knowledge?”
Other possibilities include volunteering, creating mentoring opportunities and networking to learn from others about how they have expanded their own skills to achieve their goals. It’s important to put yourself out there. Even if companies aren’t hiring now, it is still a great time to make connections and set up relationships for the future.
Within your own company, pipe up and ask supervisors if there are opportunities to learn specific skills from your co-workers, or from your supervisors themselves. It may be the perfect time for some informal training.
Webb highly recommends focusing on both technical and non-technical skills. Volunteer for tasks you may not usually be thrilled about: Are there opportunities to improve your public speaking, presentation or communication skills? Take on new responsibilities to increase your knowledge of the company, rather than limiting yourself to what you’ve always done in one specific niche.
Do What You Love
“I think this is really the time to ask yourself what you’re truly great at, and what you truly enjoy doing,” says Webb. “Then take that a step further and look at how you can best contribute in this new economic reality, given what you love.”
More often than not, what you love is what you get joy from doing, and we usually get joy from the things we do best.
Look for ways to reinvent yourself and see yourself as valuable to the current economic situation. How do you tie in? How could you help? What strengths do you bring to a company that may be floundering?
If you can master even a few of these tips, people will begin to notice, and you just might learn something new!
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