I think the same can be said for the demise of several companies over the last few years that were considered unstoppable such as Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. Like Hurricane Sandy, many people were unprepared and left in a daze after those companies folded and the impact of their demise had ramifications for everyone from Wall Street to Main Street. How can you be prepared if a hurricane hits your career in the form of a downsizing or company closing? Here are some suggestions.
Be willing to accept support. In the aftermath of the hurricane, even the proudest of people are now willing to accept help. They appreciate the generosity of their neighbors and embrace the sense of community.
Community is equally important in a job search. People often tell me that they want to manage their job search on their own. They feel that asking for help equates to asking for a favor. But a job search really does take a village. I’m not suggesting that you ask your contacts for a job, but I am recommending asking contacts for information and the names of other contacts in their network who may be able to offer support.
Prepare your job evacuation kit in advance. In preparation for the hurricane, people bought extra flashlights, batteries, and canned goods. Some were even prepared with back-up generators in the event their electricity went out. Others had no back up supplies and really had to scramble after the storm hit.
I often meet people who haven’t updated their resume in years and then scramble to put one together as quickly as possible if they lose their jobs. They are in a state of panic; they are managing their careers in a reactive rather than proactive manner. It’s best to have your resume updated and “ready to go” so you can offer it to someone on a minute’s notice.
Recognize and prepare for change. There have been signs of global warning and changing weather patterns before, and now that these “storms of the century” seem to be occurring every year, it’s difficult to ignore their growing impact on the way we live our lives. We need to come to terms with the fact that our current infrastructures may no longer be enough to support our changing environment.
Often there are signs of layoffs well before the pink slip is handed out. Yet many choose to ignore those signs. Staying current on the issues that impact your industry, company, and job function can help you predict a future career hurricane and take precautions in terms of making a career change or upgrading your skills before your career is damaged by the changes in the economic landscape.
We may not be able to change mother nature or layoff decisions that can impact our careers but we can certainly manage how we prepare for these occurrences in the future.