A 2009 study conducted by Rutgers University’s Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, "The Anguish of Unemployment", was a comprehensive survey of 1,200 Americans nationwide who, over the past year, have been unemployed. In today’s climate for unemployment, it may not surprise you that the study found nearly 80% have not yet found work. What may surprise you, however, is that almost 80% of the recently unemployed received less than three weeks in advanced warning – among them, 60% received no advance warning that they were to be unemployed.

This is a call to action.

My intention is not to make you nervous or add to your stress level. (I promise, my goal is to see everyone as anxiety-free as possible.) My intention is to motivate you to change your relationship with work and own your career destiny. (If you are really not sure whether your job is at risk, please take this interactive tool.)

Whether you are 100% secure in your job – or your job may be at risk, there are three things you can do to change your relationship with work and own your career destiny.

1. If you rely on your organization for training and development, begin enhancing your skills outside of the organization, on your own. Invest in yourself consistent with how you want to grow your career. Employers pay for (hire and promote) the people who possess and can demonstrate the skills they need. The more unique and necessary your skills, the more you employable and promotable you are. Corporate training budgets will always be limited so I would not recommend relying solely on your organization for development. Invest in yourself by gaining the skills you want to add to your repertoire for the future career you hope to have. If your company still offers a tuition reimbursement program, now is a great time to take advantage of it for a degree you would like to pursue.
2. If you rely on your organization 100% for your income, begin thinking about adding multiple sources of income (i.e., multiple career acts). Just as the riskiest investment strategy is to have all of your money in one place ( unless the money is secure) -- the riskiest career management strategy is to have all of your income flow from one organization (unless your job is secure). There are many ways to add a career act: Do you have a profitable hobby? Do you have a talent or interest you could turn into a revenue stream? Do you have an idea to generate passive income?
3. If you rely solely on your organization to plan your career through promotions and organizationally-determined succession plans, start owning this process and manage your own career plan. Promotions occur as organizations need progressive experiences from their employees. You are moved because of the skills you bring and the skills you are expected to develop in the future. Take more ownership of what you really want to be doing in the future and the steps that will help you get there – whether with your current employer, a different employer, or working for yourself.

I realize this was a heavy post, but the nature of employment has changed so drastically in the recent past that I believe we all need to change our relationship with work and own our career destiny.

Wishing you a great week,

Paula