Don Straits - Dragon Slayer

Yesterday we elected a new President....an African-American. Whether Barack Obama was your selection or not, we should all celebrate the greatness that is America.  America voted for him, not because of his race, but because they believed he could be a great leader for our nation.   We should all respect him, support him when possible, and provide reasoned opposition when we disagree.  That is the foundation of our freedom.

But today, just one day after his election, we were reminded that our nation faces uncertain times and challenges in our economic marketplace.  Today, the Dow dropped almost 500 points.  Companies profits have almost disappeared with the exception of oil, unemployment is on the rise, and there is no immediate end in sight to the devastated housing market.

What does all of that mean for each of you?  Whether you are employed or in the job market, you should be planning NOW for your future.  Do not sit and wait for the world to change around you.  Take control of your own destiny.  Here are some thoughts to point you in the right direction:

• Bring your resume up-to-date.  You should always, always, be in the market for new opportunities that are most suited to your leadership and expertise.  It doesn't mean you have to change jobs now, but you don't want to be out in the desert when your ship comes in!
• Never let your education stop.  Continually enhance your skill set and knowledge base across functional areas so that you give yourself several options if you need to transition.
• Learn how to buy or start a business in case the job market becomes so difficult that you cannot secure a position.  There is more security in being your own boss than in working for a company.  Think about it.
• Build an extraordinary network.  The old boy network just isn't what it used to be.  Take advantage of all the internet business and social networking sites to expand your "reach".  It will be invaluable whether you are looking for a job or need those contacts as customers when you start your business.
• Save for a rainy day, but don't become overly cautious.  You need to continually invest in yourself to insure growth.  Those people who cocoon in difficult times usually have a more difficult time surviving....and are the last to be hired.   A certain amount of measured risk is necessary to give you a competitive edge over everyone else.
• Establish a powerful reputation...in your community, in your industry, and on the internet.  Today's internet world enables you to easily do that.  Write articles on your area of expertise.  There are many sites hunger for content.  Your article can easily be online with 24 hours after you write it.  Even shoot videos of your expertise and put them on sites like You Tube.  These simple steps will give you high visibility and ranking on the search engines.  It is a necessity in today's technology driven world.

We have just touched on some of the issues, but hopefully they will get you thinking about taking control of your future.  There are difficult challenges ahead.  How you respond to them is up to you.

Reminder everyone, join me on Nov. 19 at 9 PM EST for a live webinar on Avoiding Executive Job Search Mistakes.  Click on the widget on your right for details and to sign up.  See you there.