Keep Your Job

In January 2008 I was overwhelmed with new clients ready to latch on to new careers, broaden their horizons and harness the current labour shortage.

With January 2009 came a new kind of client who wasn't dreaming too big, reaching too far, or expecting too much. They all want one thing - to keep the job they have.

If you are feeling the same, then I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news first: there is no magic bullet and with economists predicting job losses over 250,000 in Canada for 2009, almost everyone is vulnerable. The good news is that there are strategies to help you keep your job or even to get ahead in the new employment landscape.

Most importantly you must have a clear and thorough understanding of what you have to offer. This is not an easy step, but it is essential. I recommend both William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson's book, Career Distinction, and Buckingham and Clifton's book, Now, Discover Your Strengths. Both books include free online tools to help you extract what is unique about you. If you prefer a personalized approach, find a career counsellor or coach or a Personal Branding Strategist to work one-on-one with you to illuminate your strengths.

Next you must communicate what you have to offer through everything you do. Make sure that your value is clear to anyone in your network, and that you consistently follow through with demonstrations of your value. Up the ante wherever you can by adding more value in the areas that you are known to have strength in. If you are tops in sales, see if you can attract some new clients. If you are tops in systems support, see if you can proactively come up with some time or money saving strategies for your organizations' systems. The list of possibilities is endless.

Be careful to keep your message consistent: don't blur it by trying to be all things to all people Know your strengths and leverage them as much as possible. Keep your performance and level of engagement consistently high.

Give back, put your strengths to work for others by mentoring or coaching, volunteering or supporting others in some way. Share your expertise with any willing audience through blogs, articles, speaking opportunities, community service or any other venue you can think of. There are thousands of opportunities to give back to others - look, I just did it.

Susan Easton
Illuminating the C-Level Potential of A-List Managers in Western Canada