Right now, everyone is worried about whether they will have a job in the next six months. When you are thinking about where you might be and what might happen to you, you will find that you may be over-thinking the obvious, that is, is your job at risk? What do you need to think about, and when you are thinking about recession-proof jobs, is it possible that you have one? While lots of people are feeling insecure during this tough economic time, there are plenty of things that you need to consider when it comes to looking at recession-proof jobs and how they pertain to you. Before you start wondering about how to get into a new one, think about your own job and decide where you stand.
1. Evaluate your skills
Don't look at your job title or your job descriptions. To see where you stand when it comes to recession-proof jobs, think about what your skills are. If someone had no idea what you do, or what your industry was about, how would you explain. Think about the training that you have, and think about how that would be of interest, and how valuable it would be to everyone in the market. What do you bring to the table that it would be hard for a competitor to match? This might be training that you have when it comes to computer languages, or familiarity with different computer programs, or you may find that it has to do with the contacts that you have made. Take some time and really evaluate where you stand, and figure out whether this amounts to you looking at recession-proof jobs.
2. Don't forget your soft skills
When you are looking at your job, you might find that you are in a bit of despair because it is hard to qualify your skills. Do not worry, because not all skills are easy to qualify! When you are looking at your skills, and the talents, that you bring to the table, do not forget, that you are also going to be thinking about soft skills. That is, your ability to deal with people, your ability to change and adapt, and your propensity for being creative and finding a solution that is not going to be in the books. Remember that even when you are looking at recession-proof jobs that soft skills mean a lot. Take some time and really think about what you are looking at. This might mean that you have a lot more to offer than you think. Having the right soft skills when you are dealing with your boss and your co-workers can really go a long way.
3. How well do you adapt?
If you are looking at recession-proof jobs, you need to remember that you may be called upon to act quickly and to do a great deal of work, all on the spur,of the moment. If you are the person that your boss can go to, and if you are someone who is always ready to stay after and do some extra work to finish up, you will find that you are looking at a much better place than you might be otherwise. Simply being friendly and willing to take on extra work is something that goes a long way. Being willing to take on extra work, and if you have a reputation for enjoying this type of work, you will find that you are in a much better place than you think.
4. What happens when you take a day off?
One great way to evaluate whether or not you have one of those recession-proof jobs is to think about what happens on your day off. Think about the last time that you took a vacation, or when you last took a sick day. How did the office look when you came back? While there are many offices out there that have the redundancy to look after the essential duties, you will still find that there are various different things to take care of that only you could do. If people didn't notice that you were gone, make sure that you think about why that was. If things deteriorated into a mess, that's hardly ideal, but you may find that it is a bit comforting. This is one way to measure how essential you are and to figure out what kind of recession-proof jobs you may be looking at.
5. Think about who you know.
When it comes to recession-proof jobs, remember that there is a chance that a very slight element of cronyism will come into play. The people who get fired first are not the people who are necessarily the least competent; they may simply be let go because no one knows them. Remember that it is always easier to fire someone that no one knows than it is to fire someone that you are on friendly term with. When was the last time you chatted with your boss about something that wasn't work?
Conclusion
Remember that when you are thinking about recession-proof jobs that you are not necessarily looking at the industry or at the level of hiring. Take some time to seriously evaluate your job and to plan for the future. The more you have thought out should the worst happen, the better off you are going to be!
