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1. Layoffs are happening all around me. How can I show my boss that I’m an asset?
"Stay visible, and try to connect with your manager," says Eve Tahmincioglu, who writes a weekly career-advice column for MSNBC.com. "It’s much easier to lay off the loner in the corner, regardless of how great she may be at her job." Don’t pop into your boss’s office every day asking for things to do―you’ll just come across as underemployed. Instead, try to pinpoint her exact needs and fill them. Write a monthly ideas memo geared toward saving money or creating new revenue streams for the business; volunteer to lead a special project outside your usual area; offer to mentor new staff. One partner at a business-consulting firm recently witnessed a middle manager turn from a quiet, behind-the-scenes guy into a vocal and proactive player over a month’s time. "It saved his job," the partner says.
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2. Is it suicide to ask for a well-deserved promotion now?
No, but be realistic. Although job losses dominate the news, there are other things going on out there. "In some companies, people are getting promoted and laid off at the same time," says Carol Semrad, president of the Society of Human Resource Professionals, based in Chicago. That said, tread lightly. "Start the conversation with something like ‘I recognize that the timing may not be perfect, given the economic climate,’" suggests career expert Kirsten Dixson, an online branding coach based in greater Boston. Then be clear about why you should get a bump up: Are you doing the work of two people? Have you brought in a key client? If your boss’s response is positive but a promotion is out of the question now, "ask for other negotiables, such as more vacation days or a few four-day workweeks during the summer," says career consultant Stephen Viscusi, the founder of bulletproofyourresume.com. And if you’re turned down flat? Well, at least you’re still employed.
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3. If I take a lesser job to get back on my feet, will I ever regain the career success I once had?
The goal for anyone who is unemployed right now is to be working, even if that means taking a lower-ranking position and less pay, says Ben Dattner, an industrial and organizational psychologist. "Having somewhere to go and something to do is important for your emotional well-being." (Not to mention your financial well-being.) When the economy turns around, the experts say, prospective employers are more likely to look at your career as a whole, not focus on what you did during the recession. In the meantime, you may have to "get humble," says Jodi Glickman Brown, the president of Great on the Job, a New York City–based career-consulting company, "and be willing to do more for less to be a top earner in the future."
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4. I’ve been offered a position at another company. How can I tell if it’s a risky move?
Research the new business before quitting your current position. Industries such as health care and education have traditionally been considered recession-proof. (And since President Obama has focused on them as key areas for reform, they have the potential for even more job growth.) But there are no guarantees. If your would-be employer is a large, publicly traded corporation, you’ll have no trouble finding information on its stock price, bond rating, and overall financial health on its website. (Revenue growth is a good indicator.)
But also check out the status of its clients. "If they’re in trouble, there’s a good chance any business that serves them will hurt soon, too," says economist Lakshman Achuthan, the managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, an independent business-forecasting organization in New York City. If the company is smaller, ask around to find out if its vendors are being paid; search the local paper or Google News for articles reporting layoffs or financial struggles at the firm. But don’t assume that a company that has recently shed staff is untouchable, says Viscusi: "If they’ve cut back so much that they need one or two people back, that’s a good sign."
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