7 Ways to Distinguish Yourself From the Crowd in a Recession

By James Adams

Recessions bring danger and opportunity to your career, so it’s important that you rise to the challenge and distinguish yourself from the crowd so you can prosper. Perhaps the most danger lies in the sense of job security where you think that your experience and tenure means that you will survive the bad economy.

As hundreds of coworkers and unemployed workers compete for your job, many of them have more qualifications than you and show willingness to work for less money, so staying competitive in the workplace is more important to you now than ever before.

Here are 7 ways to distinguish yourself from the crowd in a recession:

1. Keep your resume updated: Do not make the assumption that you will have a job tomorrow. Dust off that resume or start making a new one now. Make sure it includes all your latest accomplishments and offers reasons that demonstrate why you are a valuable asset who can boost an employer’s bottom line.

2. Have a good attitude: A recession can mean that people from all walks of life have trouble maintaining their lifestyle, causing a doom and gloom environment at the office. Distinguish yourself by remaining upbeat. Bring a ray of sunshine with you everywhere you go and you will get the attention of supervisors, managers, and executives as a person they need to help the company through difficult times.

3. Get beyond the paper and market yourself: Insiders have already picked over jobs advertised in newspapers and on online job boards, so relying on those sources leave you at a disadvantage. Competitive job markets mean that you must find ways to get to the people with real hiring authority. Market yourself as a product essential to success. Employers need people like you who can make a direct impact on their bottom line. Bypass traditional job ads and contact decision makers directly. Online sources such as ZapData can provide names and mailing addresses you can use as you market yourself.

4. Use social networking to connect with opportunities: Take the time to build your social network on Facebook and Twitter. By making connections now, you will have access to more referrals when you need them. This type of strategy can take time to implement, so get started on it now.

5. Make yourself stand out: While at work, you need to get out of the shadows and into the limelight. Let your company see you as a problem solver, a self-motivated creativity engine willing to take the lead on new projects. Don’t make it all about yourself either: praise others, ask questions, and let it be known that you are a team player who is vital to the success of your company.

6. Improve your productivity: Working long hours may contribute to the perception of your value, but you probably will stand out to your employer by producing more in less time. Efficient workers produce the most and will likely survive layoffs more than those who stay content with the status quo. Look for ways to do your job better and faster and you will remain while others are gone.

7. Develop your skills: Difficult economic times represent good opportunities to go back to school. You can learn new, recession-proof skills or you can develop your existing skills that increase your value to a new or existing employer.

By following these 7 ways to distinguish yourself from the crowd in a recession can make the difference between prosperity and the unemployment line. Get started making your own opportunities now so you can excel during troubling times.

Author Information

James Adams is a full time analyst and writer at a leading UK based ink cartridges specialist where he spends his time writing reviews of new hardware like the HP 350XL.

Photo Credit: Harrison Keely

Freelancing Angst: When The Work Never Ends!

Far be it for me to say that someone is working too hard, but when I read an article this week in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) detailing the endless work week that some freelancers are experiencing, I immediately thanked God that I wasn’t in their shoes. In, “For the Self-Employed, It’s an Endless Workweek,” the WSJ showcased an emerging trend among some freelancers who fearing the current job market, they cancel or shorten vacations; leave home fully connected with laptop, blackberry or cell phone nearby; or embrace some other behavior that leaves everyone else miserable and themselves tired.

I Work All Night I Work All Day…

Life can be like a ball and chain if you never get a break. But for some freelancers, work is a never ending quest as they worry about getting the next gig and paying their bills.

I’m not surprised that the trend to work all of the time has been emerging. After all, with work hard to come by and with more freelancers then ever to count among the competition, any delay getting back to a potential customer could mean lost business. Perhaps forever. People know that if you’re not available someone else is, especially if they’re looking to use you to work on a one-off project such as writing a press release, updating web content or helping them with a time sensitive marketing campaign.

But I have to say that if I worked as hard as some of these people do without taking a break, then something has to give. And that “give” would likely come in the form of harming my health; neglecting my wife and children; or simply failing to deliver my best work because I’m tired all of the time.

…To Pay The Bills I Have To Pay…

Last month, my family and I packed our stuff up and headed from our home in North Carolina to see family in New Jersey where we hail from. We left on a Thursday and returned on a Tuesday, a short trip but long enough for us to see just about everyone, including some relatives we hadn’t seen since our last trip back in 2006. Yes, I brought my laptop along and I had my cell phone on, but we still managed to have a good time as I limited my “work” to checking my email once in the morning and again in the evening.

Thankfully, there were no fires to put out and, even though I didn’t tell most of my current clients that I was going away, the one query I had was able to put off until the day after we returned. There is no way that I would have canceled the trip – I needed a break personally and our family needed to get away together. I returned refreshed and ready to tackle the world and as for my immediate family they were thrilled to reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins they hadn’t seen in some time.

…Ain’t It Sad!

I’m of the mind that some work that can’t wait is not worth doing in the first place. I suppose that this is easy for me to say when my workload is heavy, as it has been throughout the year, but there comes a point when a few days of uninterrupted break is not only beneficial but necessary if you are to recharge your batteries and connect with family and friends without being permanently tethered to your work.

So, how about you? Have you been able to take a break yet this summer? If so, did you take a “working break” or did you manage to disconnect from your computer and connect with those whom you love?

Photo Credit: Jeff Prieb

Song Credit: Abba — Money! Money! Money!