When Hard Times Hit

With the way the economy is today, is your job at risk? And if it is, what can you do about it? When sales are down, anxiety is high. In good times, businesses hire people for the spots where they anticipate growth. Even expenses that are somewhat frivolous are overlooked. However, when hard times hit, your job may be expendable and so may you. Here’s some ideas on how you can avoid being a sales job casualty.

!. Be different and stand out. If you blend in with your co-workers, you lose that important competitive edge. If you’re just a number on the time clock to your boss, your job could be in jeopardy. Don’t think that following the crowd will keep you employed. Everyone is different and being unique will let you stand out. Treating your job as average and giving an average performance may devalue your job and you’ll be in the unemployment line. When companies are looking to trim fat, they always keep the employees and managers that are helping them grow.

2. Letting the fear of losing your job affect your performance. When you become obsessed with the fear of losing your job, it can become a self fulfilling prophecy. People around you can sense your fear through body language. Fear is a mental and physical reaction to something that you are afraid will or will not happen. By overcoming obstacles and focusing on making things happen will put fear in perspective. You may have little control over the situation but you can be the best at what you do.

3. Hang out with the right people. Take notice how the successful people in your workplace operate. By seeing how people do what they do best at, you may pick up better working habits. By using other people’s strength’s, you can become more effective at your own job. Be willing to give your time and help in return and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. You can also expand your networking to outside your company to see what’s out there.

4. Take the news with a grain of salt. Making small problems into big ones is what the media does best. Balance what you see and hear with your experience. Think for yourself and don’t overreact to opinion and lose perspective of what‘s important. Trust your instincts and act on what will help you survive any upheavals. You must be a clear calm thinker.

People who survive the job crunch are usually the one’s with strong positive work ethics. They believe in their instincts and follow them. They are willing to take chances and not give up when it gets tough. Thinking like this, you’ll be a winner in both good and bad times.

Comments, as always, are welcome.

By Linda Lee Ruzicka

Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 8 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce , the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelances work for Beyond and for Salesheads. More of her blogs can be found at Salesheads blog.