10 point checklist for taking control of your career in difficult times

By Richard

John Lees, a career transition coach we respect enormously (and a contributor to our 25 Top Tips to Kick-Start Your Career Change), has recently published a list of 10 tips to help anyone survive and thrive in more difficult economic times.

They are:

1. Look at what's working, rather than what isn't. Which parts of your job are still effective even in difficult times?

2. Find leverage. Concentrate your efforts on projects which are seen to be fireproof, or ways of protecting your income stream.

3. Find a fast-track mentor - an informal arrangement with someone more senior than you who can help you decode your organisation while it's going through tough times.

4. Don't ask for a pay rise just because everyone else is reacting to rising costs. Demonstrate your value - not your cost.

5. Go way, way beyond your job description in value-adding ways. Career progression, ultimately, is not a question of what you do, but how far you are seen to be doing the things that matter.

6. At the same time, work smarter not harder on tasks which your organisation recognises as things that make a difference.

7. Stay on winning teams. This is the time to negotiate a move away from a dead-end role, or a part of the organisation which is seen as under-performing or peripheral.

8. Stay in touch with changes in your sector, and don't stop networking - both for industry knowledge and for insider tips on the hidden job market.

9. Don't adopt cynicism of the marketplace. Not all organisations and markets are in decline - don't miss opportunities by seeing your glass as constantly half-empty - adopt a glass half-full mentality.

10. Stock your lifeboat before jumping ship: understand what you are really looking for rather than passively reacting to advertised or headhunted opportunities. Well-informed job seekers find great jobs in tough times.

The fifth edition of John's book, How to Get a Job You Love, will be published in October this year.


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