Plan B from outer space; or what do you have in case your first plan doesn't work?

As a member of Career Collective–a community of resume writers and career coaches, this article is one of many responses to Quintessential Careers Job Action Day. Please feel free to visit other members’ responses, which will be linked at the end of my article on November 2nd. Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.

What is your personal and professional Plan B? Do you have one? If something were to happen today leaving you unemployed, would you have a Plan B? Would you be able to quickly evaluate the situation and know what your next steps are to focus and solidify a new position? Have you been keeping notes regarding your accomplishments, understand your strengths and areas for improvement to keep upward momentum going?

With the changing and unstable economic conditions, offshoring/outsourcing trending and corporate bankruptcies, it is not hard to look around and wonder what the future holds for “traditional employment.” For many of us, it is time to consider new career opportunities and strategies – giving serious consideration to unique or non-traditional job opportunities. This might include a role telecommuting, work within a home-based business, or something else.

Here are some tips to help you think about your options and prepare for the future in a transformed global marketplace:


Home-based business: I know you have read things online and in countless publications (no doubt) about work from home opportunities promising that you will barely have to do anything and the dough will just roll in! NOT. Home-based businesses are likely to be a big part of future employment so it would be a good idea to start exploring your options now. This is a topic I have covered before so here is a link to that article. Like other traditional positions, working from home requires commitment – a lot of commitment especially since you might be working for yourself – in which case you will need to be extremely focused, organized, and have the ability to develop new business. If you do work for a company with your home as the ‘office’ you will definitely need to set yourself apart by assuming increased levels of responsibility and remaining engaged via computer and phone to ensure your efforts do not go unnoticed. There is no ‘get rich quick’ formula. Anything that seems too good to be true most likely is; take heed and do your research to ensure you are engaging in productive work that will yield results.


Where the jobs are: As companies look for ways to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve profitability outsourcing to lower labor countries will continue to climb. So, what are some of the things that will enable you to stand out from the crowd? Consider vocations such as technical writing and design, and process development. As we continue to grow from a digital perspective, there will be more jobs in science and technology. Healthcare is another area that will see tremendous growth as the baby boomers continue to age. With globalization and the world becoming one big marketplace, people will have to consider opportunities abroad. Finally trade positions (machinists, mechanics, etc.) are jobs that are in high demand now and will continue to grow in the future. While some of these jobs lack glamour, they are necessary and will pay a premium to get qualified reliable employees.


Continue the learning process: In the future those who do not maintain ahead of the curve will quickly be left behind. As the marketplace continues to evolve and boundaries are removed, those people who do not continue to expand their knowledge will be left behind. Equally important will be the ability to speak one or more languages. Industries and companies are becoming increasingly global, which means that it will be important to understand other cultures and communicate in other languages.

Continue experimenting, and learning. Remaining engaged and maintaining an ongoing awareness of the trends and changes will allow you to keep abreast of changes and the things you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.

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Comments and feedback are requested and desired; and you are welcome and encouraged to submit questions to thecareerdoctor.

Debra Wheatman, CPRW, CPCC is the founder and Chief Career Strategist of ResumesDoneWrite, a premier career services provider focused on developing highly personalized career roadmaps for senior leaders and executives across all verticals and industries.

Debra can be reached at -
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Meg Montford: Job Action Day: Finding Your “MOJO” After Layoff http://coachmeg.typepad.com/career_chaos/2009/10/job-action-day-finding-your-mojo-after-layoff.html

Debra Wheatman: Plan B from outer space; or what do you have in case your first plan doesn’t work out? http://resumesdonewrite.blogspot.com/2009/10/plan-b-from-outer-space-or-what-do-you.html

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