Sunday, August 30, 2009
Getting and keeping jobs in the great recession

This past Monday, Business Week published an article entitled "Jobs: lessons from the great

recession." The premise of the online article was that the American workforce should get

used to paycuts and "all round uncertainty."

That's putting it mildly in this troubled economy.

(All is not lost for Canada though, which showed signs this week of finally starting to make a

recovery from the recession).

Meantime, there were 2 observations:

Paycuts may be become increasingly common in America.

However, microentrepreneurs may have cause for some celebration in dealing with the troubled

economy. The article addresses that workers may find themselves becoming

microentrepreneurs, especially those in creative businesses."

This could give some solace to workers in dealing with all of the uncertainty out there.

What struck me the most was this comment by Dave Ulrich, professor of business at the

University of Michigan: "Plan for a career mosaic. Careers used to be linear with stages or

steps that people could anticipate. Now they are a mosaic where people move into and out

of positions and jobs."

In other words, don't depend on having a stable, (well paying) job.

Go out and carve out your own career future.

Melissa Martin

bilingual career coach

webinarcareercoach.blogspot.com

twitter.com/ravingredhead