Job Resolutions

Written by Angel Gomez | 11 December 2008

By all accounts, in 2008 the United States faced the worst economic times since the Great Depression. Every American has felt the effects of the financial downturn in one form or another. Many have lost their jobs as companies struggle to stabilize their bottom line with budget cuts.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the unemployment rate among U.S.-born Latinos reached 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2008, seasonally adjusted, while the rate for non-Hispanics stood at a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.7 percent.

As job losses mount, Latino employees need to step up their game to hone their skills, stand out from the crowd and increase their value to the company.

And that includes you!

Now, more than ever, you need resolve – a firmness of purpose – about your career as you face an uneasy job market in 2009. While you may not feel completely in control in this period of uncertainty, you can certainly take steps to secure your job.

Consider these New Year’s resolutions for your career.

REVAMP YOUR BRAND
Every year, career experts tell us to update our resumes as the New Year approaches. These days, simply updating your resume won’t cut it.

You need to revamp your brand – your image – as a valuable employee. That means reworking the resume you’ve been tweaking for years to project a fresh image as someone who achieves results and adds significant value to your employer.

It also means making sure your profiles on Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, etc. all project a professional and consistent image.

Also, make sure that your biographical documents are available in digital read-only formats, like PDF, for easy electronic delivery.

RENEGOTIATE GOALS
For many companies the economic crisis hit well after they completed their 2009 planning and budgeting process. That means that many of your goals and objectives were set under very different economic conditions, which may no longer apply under the current circumstances. Well, it’s time to renegotiate your success in 2009.

Meet with your supervisor and set new goals, redefine expectations and renegotiate for the resources necessary to meet your plans. You do not want to reach the end of next year having failed to meet even the most unrealistic of expectations.

SECURE WINS EARLY
Once you have renegotiated success, nothing builds your value and credibility like identifying and achieving early wins in the new year.

Look for ways to create significant value for your organization. Keep in mind that value is not only generated by increasing revenues, but also by lowering costs, which may be of greater value in this challenging economy.

Focus also on improving processes, driving efficiencies and building strong relationships with co-workers to increase your value.

INVEST IN DEVELOPMENT
Obviously, now is not the best time to be asking your employer to send you to conferences at fancy resorts. Regardless of whether your employer foots the bill, you must invest in your professional development to stay on top of your game.

Take the time to attend continuing education programs in your industry. If your industry offers advanced certifications, get certified. Companies are less likely to let go of those individuals in whom they have invested development dollars. Likewise, having a few extra consonants after your name highlights the aded value you bring to the table.