During the recent recession, workers both young and old, found themselves jobless after relying on a false sense of security in their full-time job.
The recession not only caught us all off guard but showed us that we became too complacent and dependent on others for our success.
Did you suddenly realize that your safe and steady income wasn’t so secure anymore?
This is something I discovered before I decided to become debt free and start my own freelancing business.
It gave me a much needed kick in the butt to pursue other career passions and revenues of income. One of the best ways to avoid this mistake again in the future, is to recession proof your career.
What is Means to Be Recession Proof
Recession proof is a term used to describe anything that is resistant to an economic decline. It also has to do with your mindset.
- The economy does not dictate your job choice
- You can say NO to jobs that sucks the life out of you
- You have control over your lifestyle and career
- To be happy in your work is possible
Creating a career and income that’s recession proof is simple. It’s all about doing something you love, while earning an income that supports the lifestyle you desire. That’s the goal of anyone who wants to live an epic life.
So how do you make your career recession proof?
As with other obstacles in life, whether they’re financial or career based, You’ve got to be proactive not reactive! Here’s how to start making life happen right now and recession proof your career.
1. Do selective work for free
Doing work for free is all about strategy. Because obviously I’m not talking about going out and getting random jobs for low or no pay. What I’m saying is to search for the right kind of work. Something that will bring in more benefits than just money.
And yes, there are many other benefits a job can offer besides just money.
To properly recession-proof your career, you need to find selective contacts that will build your network, increase your skills, offer invaluable recommendations or that give you once in a lifetime experience.
In the event you ever lose your full-time job or have to recoup from a freelancing slump, you will have no problem jumping right back into the game, because you’ve established the right connections.
2. Cultivate your network
Now that you’ve made the right connections, you should never stop cultivating them, because only reaching out to your network during times of distress will most likely backfire.
No one wants to only hear from you when you need something, so be sure to offer aid and assistance without asking for anything in return.
As long as a genuine relationship is maintained, your network will become more readily available and may even reach out to you in a time of need.
Remember to cultivate both your online and offline relationships too. It’s very easy to get consumed with all the online activities and social media, that we forget to touch base with our real life support team.
3. Make yourself more valuable
The best way to create a solid backup plan is to invest in you and your skills. Your health, happiness and well-being are just as important as increasing your marketable job skills, because all of these aspects combine together to make you a complete human being.
An important strategy to implement is to make yourself more valuable, either as a freelancer or an employee (or in my case both).
Some of the activities you focus on may or may not increase your bottom line directly, but it will have positive effects on you and your self worth – which does have a direct affect on your business.
Things like taking a yoga class, learning to dance or spending quality time with the people you love, will breathe a little magic back into your life. And will have a profound effect on your wellbeing overall.
And you can even recession proof your small business by taking control of your cash flow.
Did you lose your job and have to recover from a career setback?
