Are You Out of Work?

Laura Hill recommends Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. There's a unique code on each copy's book jacket that you can use to take a career assessment test over the Web. She also recommends Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You'll Love to Do, by Shoya Zichy and Ann Bidou, which has an assessment test between its covers.

Next, consider the skills you need to get ahead and take classes to acquire them. Some employers offer in-house training; others will reimburse you for courses you take at a local college. This will make you more marketable both inside and outside the company. Classes are also a good way to dip your toe into another profession to see if it's something you'd want to pursue full time.

This year, join your industry's professional association. Every industry has one. Just type the name of your field and the word "association" into an Internet search, and most likely more than one will pop up. But don't simply pay the membership dues and put it on your résumé. Get involved. Join committees. That's how you network, says Alexandra Levit, author of several career books, including How'd You Score that Gig: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs and How to Get Them. You'll meet industry leaders you wouldn't normally be exposed to.

It's also an easy way to get experience in another area. For example, if you're a marketing executive, join your association's finance committee. Voila, you now have finance experience to beef up your résumé.

Meanwhile, up your visibility at work. If you've just completed a big project, don't assume the higher-ups know how successful it was. A great way to tip off the bosses without boasting, says Levit, is by sending a thank you e-mail to all the team members who participated in the project, with a CC to the bosses. The e-mail might say, "I'd just like to thank everyone who was involved in this presentation. Because of your hard work we were able to bring in X dollars for the company."

If you recently lost your job, allow yourself a few days to wallow. Then move full speed ahead. Attend activities at your professional association and get involved in its committees. Do one thing a day to push your job search forward, whether it's sending out a networking query, applying for a particular job or signing on with a temp agency that places professionals in your industry.

Don't forget, Levit says, "The business world is going to recover."

© 2008