The Simple Strategy for Career Control in a Shaky Job Market

You can’t control market downturns, company restructures, or even management decisions. But you can control how you prepare and respond.

By Julie Norwell

It was a rough summer for the American worker. Job losses rose to a five-month high in August, and job openings fell to their lowest level since the pandemic. Meanwhile, company plans to hire were down 41% compared to the same time last year. 

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that MarketWatch reported last month that 70% of Americans are “bracing for job cuts.” According to its “Layoff Anxiety Survey,” 40% of workers say they’re saving more of their income and 32% are keeping an eye on job ads in preparation for a possible layoff. 

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has only exacerbated rising employment fears. More than two-thirds of workers believe AI technology will lead to more unemployment.

On a positive note, the Fed just began aggressively lowering interest rates. Lower interest rates will incentivize businesses to expand operations and, possibly, ramp up hiring, so many of these fears could blow over before long.  But no one knows for sure. 

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter because what happens in the employment market is entirely out of your control. What does matter in a shaky job market is focusing on what you can control. After all, other professionals are facing the same headwinds as you. To the extent that you can carve out a competitive advantage, you will benefit.

For that matter, focusing on what you can control is also an excellent strategy when times are rosy. And for the same reason. To be successful in your career, frankly, your goal should always be to optimize your professional opportunities regardless of the economic conditions. How? With good career management!

Whatever career change triggers you’re encountering, it is difficult to make smart decisions when you are feeling off kilter.

Know Your Goals and Your Value

So, what is good career management? It is making conscious, strategic, and ongoing efforts to advance and secure your career and ensure long-term success. The key elements needed for this endeavor are generally the same (although, admittedly, the proportions needed for success may vary from person to person).

The first element is ascertaining what success means for you. Stepping back periodically to assess your goals will give you the clarity to chart your next move – and the moves after that. Call it a roadmap for your career. Taking stock of the skills, strengths, and interests you offer as you go, too, will enable you to demonstrate to others that you are the right person for a job and make it easier to seize opportunities as they arise. 

Knowing your goals and your value will also help you stay on track when the going gets tough. Many people find themselves in the throes of a career change in response to an external event. They’ve been laid off, passed over for a promotion, or they’re facing a personal crisis. Sometimes people feel pressed to head for the door due to the slow creep of dissatisfaction, maybe from new leadership or just boredom.

Whatever career change triggers you’re encountering, it is difficult to make smart decisions when you are feeling off kilter. Good career management, therefore, starts with pausing, reflecting on what you want, setting clear, achievable goals, and then creating a plan to reach them. 

Be Proactive

Another essential element to good career management is being proactive about achieving your goals. As the great Wayne Gretzky famously said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

There are innumerable ways to be proactive in your career and exercising creativity in this regard can yield surprising rewards. But there are plenty of tried-and-true techniques that are key to getting ahead, too. Continuous learning, developing new skills, and keeping current with industry trends are all givens in the pursuit of a successful career. 

It’s also important to differentiate yourself. Develop and maintain a strong personal brand on LinkedIn. Position yourself as an expert in your field by being active in professional groups and participating in workshops and conferences. 

Anticipate obstacles in your career and figure out how to maneuver around them. Dennis Green, for example, an accounting manager for a large distributor of automotive parts, was chagrined when major staff changes impeded his ability to advance quickly at his company. So, he decided to leave. He plumbed his contacts to learn of fresh opportunities elsewhere. Within a few months, Dennis had two job offers – including one that gave him a promotion and an attractive 50% bump in his base salary. Dennis didn’t have to leave his job. But, by being proactive, he accelerated his career impressively.

Rejections and roadblocks during a career are unavoidable. But knowing how to roll with the blows can help you convert professional setbacks into opportunities.

Above all, executives should always be cultivating and nurturing relationships – both professional and personal. A well-developed network can open doors to new opportunities, provide valuable insights, and offer support during job transitions or other challenges. However, don’t wait until you need a job to begin reaching out to your network. That’s poor form! Make a habit of regularly reaching out to people to say hello or congratulations. Even better, offer to help them in any way you can. Even small gestures will go a long way towards building up social capital among your contacts and keeping you top of mind when someone comes across an opportunity that might interest you. 

It is notable, by the way, that Stephen Covey, author of the best-selling business book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, listed “Be Proactive” as the number one habit in his book. Why number one? Because, he explains, the six other habits “depend on the development of your proactive muscles. Each puts the responsibility on you to act.”

Adopt a Positive Mindset

In the past five years alone, the world has been beset with a pandemic, geo-political turmoil, and macroeconomic upheaval. Under the circumstances, maintaining a positive mindset may seem like a tall order, but mindset is more crucial for professionals than ever to navigate uncertainty, stay resilient, and practice good career management. 

The reality is rejections and roadblocks during a career are unavoidable. But knowing how to roll with the blows can help you convert professional setbacks into opportunities.

If you suspect that a professional rejection reflects a shortcoming on your part, treat it as a chance to learn. Perhaps you failed to obtain a job offer or a promotion you felt you deserved. Ask yourself: Did you make a misstep? Overlook something important? Consider these possibilities honestly and take steps to strengthen your candidacy moving forward.

Gian Toro, for example, knew exactly why he missed out on a great job. “I would have been a strong match, but I flat-out flubbed the interview,” Gian said. “I wasn’t prepared for the kinds of questions they would ask.” 

So, Gian knuckled down to prepare very well for his next interview. His efforts resulted in a job offer for an even better role than the first.

Keep in mind that it’s always smart to play the long game. Tracy Katz was rejected twice for two different jobs at the same company. She was determined to work for that specific company, however, and stayed focused – and upbeat – in her job search. The hiring manager was so impressed by Tracy’s positive attitude that a few weeks later she created a third role – this time, with Tracy in mind. She customized the position to Tracy’s skill set knowing that the company would benefit from employing someone with such a winning mindset.

Take a (Calculated) Risk

Uncertainty is a given. You can’t control market downturns, company restructures, or even management decisions. But you can control how you prepare and respond. You can be intentional about your career and the choices you make to help it thrive. 

Exercising good career management means taking control of your professional path, and sometimes that requires taking a calculated risk. Calculated risks, when paired with a strategic career plan and making continuous efforts to create opportunities and set yourself apart can propel your career forward. 

Taking a calculated risk doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind. But it might mean applying for a job that stretches your skills, launching a side project, or even shifting into a new field. As Wayne Gretzky also famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

You won’t always feel completely ready, and the timing may not seem ideal—but that’s where career management comes in. By knowing your goals, assessing your strengths, and preparing strategically, you can make decisions that give you an edge. Professionals like The Barrett Group are happy to help if you need it. At the end of the day, investing in yourself is the simplest strategy for gaining control over your future. 

So, ask yourself: Are you optimizing opportunities in your career? If not, now is the time to start.

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Written by Julie Norwell, senior writer & content manager at The Barrett Group.

 

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