How to Advance Your Career in a Tough Financial Climate
I’ve been hearing from so many of you lately that you’re feeling stuck and discouraged in this tough job market.
Whether you’re in the midst of a job search or you’ve been waaaaaaaaaaiting to get a raise or promotion, don’t give up hope.
Here are 5 ways you can advance your career in a tough financial climate:
Start by taking the financial temperature of your company. If you’re after a raise or promotion in your current company, the best place to start is an objective assessment of your company’s financial situation. If your organization has just gone through layoffs, a hiring freeze or budget cuts, now may not be the best time to ask for a raise or a promotion. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take smart steps to advance your career now…
Look for opportunities to lead. Think about the next career step you’d like to take and the skills and responsibilities required. If you’d like to gain more experience in certain areas, ask yourself: Are there projects in need of additional support? Teams that could use a hand? Express an interest to your boss that you’d like to help out the organization by doing x,y,z. Just be sure to be super specific about what you’d like to take on and be sure that the tasks you’re taking on do, in fact, help you gain the experience needed to reach your next career goal. For those in between jobs, you can look for freelance projects / assignments for companies in need. You can gain experience and income while you’re searching for your next role.
Keep track of your new skills, results and wins. Keep a document handy and update it weekly with any new skills and experience you’ve gained and any results / wins for the week. No matter how big or small - write these things down. These proof points can help you build a stellar resume or case for your raise / promotion when the time comes.
Research industries that are growing. Not all industries are feeling economic hardship right now. If you do a bit of research, you can find out where you might have better luck landing your next role. (A quick google search reveals that the top growing industries at this moment include: travel, tourism, hospitality, dining, healthcare, shipping and delivery etc. etc.)
Tap into your network and ask about other opportunities that might be a good fit. They may have the inside scoop be willing to put in a good word.
If you’re an ambitious woman looking to advance your career, build a life you love and be home in time for family dinners, I’d love to connect! Drop me a note and say “hello.”
