Wall Street Fallout: 5 Ways to Take Charge of Your Career Stability

My friend and radio show co-host Lindsey Pollak has a brand new blog over at Fast Company.  Her first, post, 5 Ways to Take More Control of Your Career, comes at a perfect time as we all sit in shock over the demise of long-established, powerful financial institutions Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch. 

 

Many people who would like to change careers don’t, and why?  Because they believe that they are “safer” sticking with an organization that can provide for them in the long-term.   But recent events have shown us that this is a myth, and in fact there is no better time to prepare yourself for a career outside your company box.   Some wise tips from Lindsey include:

 

Be the first to know everything. Set up free keyword news alerts for companies, industries, products, events and people (including yourself!) related to your industry. This will ensure you’re the very first to know about -- and then spread the word about -- new products, new management and new business opportunities. People want to know people in the know.

Be a leader. Not advancing fast enough in your current position? Then create your own leadership track someplace else. Raise your hand to lead a committee for a trade association or a nonprofit board. Leadership in any organization or group adds to your experience, connections and reputation.

Don’t ignore the most obvious networking opportunity. College and grad school alumni networks are among your best lifelong connections. Attend reunions and events, offer to speak on panels, join online networks and send news to your alumni magazine.

Take a writing class. Wonder why the “I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar” group on Facebook has almost 300,000 members? Even in the days of IM, texting and Twittering, writing and speaking skills still matter. Being a great communicator is like being the best dressed person in the room: it commands instant respect and admiration.

Be your own publicist. Success is not just about who you know; it’s about who knows you. Whenever you receive a mention in the media, win an award, get a promotion or close a major deal, announce it on LinkedIn or other professional social networks. Post your announcement with a great professional headshot and the news will spread even faster.

Comments

[Grace]

Almost everyone finds it difficult to choose the right profession, and it can be even more difficult to find help that isn’t vague and general. The stakes are high; find the career path that suits your personality and interests, or risk landing among the 45% of all college students who drop out or fail out. At www.findyourcareermatch.com, you get substantive advice on the careers you are most compatible with, based on a comparison of your attributes to those of actual top performers in a variety of fields. Rather than presenting students with a list of job titles that may or may not interest them, SmartHire’s career match tool helps students understand how their strengths translate into opportunities! Read more at www.findyourcareermatch.com

[Erika with Qvisory]

I think it's endlessly fascinating to study the trends in people's mentality about work. I think our generation's job-hopping ways are a natural response to the new reality that no company is ever really safe.

[Alexandra Levit]

Grace, thanks for sharing this excellent resource. We are all about solutions here!

Erika, agreed. In this day and age it would be foolish to think a company would support you for life even if you think you'd be happy with that situation.