BY DONALD JACOBSON AND SHELLEY SAFIAN,
OPTIMUM SUPPLY CHAIN RECRUITERS
laborpool
survival strategies for uncertain times
MASS LAYOFFS, BUSINESS CLOSURES, RESTRUCturings … the bad news from the employment front
just keeps coming. And as we’ve learned by now,
logistics/supply chain jobs are as vulnerable as any
other in this recession.
All this turmoil may have you worried about keeping your job or, if you’ve already been laid off,
stressed about your prospects of landing a new one.
But there are steps you can take to survive the recession with your sanity, if not your career, intact. Here
are some tips:
; Volunteer. If you’re lucky enough to be employed,
volunteer to do something extra—whether it’s staying late, coming in on a Saturday, or taking on the
responsibilities of someone who was laid off. That’s
not to suggest that you should let your bosses walk all
over you. This is about raising your profile with your
own boss and perhaps your boss’s boss. Managers
like to surround themselves with people who are
helpful, have a good attitude, and are team players—
and that’s especially true in difficult times.
So when the call for volunteers comes, don’t hesi-
tate to raise your hand. Just don’t ask what compen-
sation you might get for your efforts. Right now,
keeping your job is compensation enough.
; Make sure your contributions don’t go unnoticed.
Any experienced salesperson will tell you that the
way to close a sale in a tough economy is to convince
the prospect that he or she can’t afford not to buy the
product. In this case, you are the product, and you
need to make it evident to all concerned how
absolutely necessary you are to the company.
; Increase your value to the company. This is a great
time to take classes to update your skills or learn to use
that new inventory software that was shelved because
of the economic downturn. And you might not have
to spend any money. Look for seminars offered by
professional organizations. Visit the software developer’s Web site to see if it offers training programs. Or
check out a book from the public library.
But what if you’ve already lost your job? In that
case, keeping your sanity intact calls for slightly dif-
ferent tactics. Instead of looking to improve your
position in the company, you’ll be looking to
improve your position in the marketplace. What fol-
lows are some suggestions:
; Give back to the profession. In between sending
out résumés and following up with potential
employers, volunteer. Contact organizations like
CSCMP, WERC, and APICS to find out what openings they have on their committees. For a few hours of
your time and a few conference calls, you could see a
big payoff. Not only will you
be giving back to the profession, but you’re boosting
your visibility in the field.
Plus, you can make great
contacts that way.
Beyond that, these volunteer projects can be valuable
additions to your résumé
and help fill those awkward
time gaps. And keeping busy with meaningful work
can help stave off the unemployment blues.
; Polish up your skills. While you’re waiting for the
job market to pick up, why not go back to school?
Colleges across the country have federal and state
money for grants and student loans. And nowadays,
you don’t have to worry about being locked into a
rigid course schedule. Online programs give you the
flexibility to go on interviews and still keep up with
your coursework.
Bottom line: It won’t be easy to stay upbeat in a
shaky job market. But a positive attitude and a few
strategic maneuvers can make the difference between
surviving and thriving in these uncertain times.
Don Jacobson is the president and Shelley Safian is vice president of marketing for Optimum
Supply Chain Recruiters, a recruiting organization that specializes in the placement of management personnel in the logistics field on a nationwide basis. You can reach them by calling
Optimum SCR at (800) 300-7609 or by visiting the firm’s Web site, www.OptimumSCR.com.
