40+ Tips to Battle a Poor Economy

A week or so ago I wrote a simple note/update in LinkedIn. It read as follows:

"I meet people every day in Calgary that are unemployed... faced with the hardships of this economic environment, beaten down by the job search process and searching for any thread of hope, any magic suggestions that I may have, to end their frustrations. It saddens me to the core to see our wonderful city hurting, to see so many talented, amazing, eager people that are doing everything they can but not seeing anything positive coming from it. Their spirit is being destroyed and I feel so compelled to help, any way I can. If you have any suggestions, any wisdom, any insight or encouragement ... please share it below. Maybe together, we can find some solutions."

And Calgary, you didn’t disappoint! I was overwhelmed by the reach this post received and excited to review each response. I’ve collected the comments so far and tried to categorize them below, along with a few suggestions of my own.

What I have learned from this experience? There isn’t one way to succeed. There’s no rule book. Different people have differing opinions. But they all want to help!!

Thank you to each and every one of you that took the time to respond with some great ideas.

Call to action: If I’ve missed ideas, and I’m sure I have, comment below and let me know what you think could be done to help these Calgarians’ through this tough time!

1. Tenacity. Don’t give up. Keep applying for the jobs you want. Work at it every day. It’ll take longer than you want, but it will happen.

2. Diversify. Widen your reach by looking at opportunities outside of your current focus. Keep exploring and pursuing.

3. Down time. Build in time to step away from the process time to time and enjoy a brain break.

4. Mentorship. Find a mentor or support person to engage with regularly. Someone to help keep you accountable and encourage you. This could be someone you admire, someone you used to work for or someone you’ve never met. Just ask. Look at Mentor City as well, as they have a service to help match people together.

5. Support. Seek moral and emotional support in caring family and faith. Encouragement and understanding is key. Take it a step further and give it to others in your situation in addition to receiving it openly. Sometimes putting on the “bravery” cape isn’t enough. Let them help you.

6. Relocate. Looking elsewhere with good prospects might be an option for some of you. Maybe commuting. Smaller towns/cities often struggle to find qualified candidates, so may entertain a revised work week to allow you to commute on weekends. (Remember, it’s not forever… it’s just one more step in the journey).

7. Network. Network. Network. I can’t stress this one enough. And network with people you don’t know as well, not just your current connections. Hook up and do Informational interviews with people that are doing what you are interested in. Email, call or meet. Discuss trends. Professional association meetings. Social media. Make it a goal to meet 5 new people each week. And stay open to activities that are discussed, even if they’re outside of your expertise… maybe you know someone else that you can refer to them if you’re not a fit.

8. Focus. Focus on a target industry if that’s your passion. Now look at every opportunity, every angle, every snippet of information you can gather. Become the subject matter expert. Look at others in that industry and find where the gaps are… can you fill any of those gaps with your skillset? The more you understand, the more you will see the need.

9. Learn. Go to career search workshops, take free online courses. Read every day. Adopt a lifelong learner mentality. Find something you’ve always been curious about, and dive into it. Here’s a hint.. watch for rabbit holes!! What’s a rabbit hole? When you are learning something and you keep drilling down, getting more curious. When you notice this, pay attention… maybe this is a passion area that you should explore further? Maybe there’s a new career path calling your name? There is an over-abundance of free information online on any subject you’d like, just find someone you trust/admire and dive into what they’re offering. You won’t agree with everything you read, and that’s okay, but you’ll be more informed.

10. Explore. Do a Mind map of what you want in your next career. This lets you get creative and think about the different options that are available. The key? Do not filter as you brainstorm the ideas… just dump them down. There may be a gem that you find, with all the exploring you’re doing

11. Self-care. Take care of yourself along the way. You can’t keep giving into this process and not refilling your own well!. This is going to look different for everyone. For me, I walk the dogs every day, no friends, no music, just fresh air. Some ideas: walks in nature, through the +15, around the block, take the neighbors’ dogs for a walk. Meditating, yoga, workouts. Read a book for pleasure. Give yourself a manicure/pedicure. Baking or cooking. Crank your favorite music and dance! Start a new hobby. Look up Ayurveda…. They have plenty of self-care rituals you could try, such as massaging your skin with olive oil.

12. Spirituality. The universe has your back. God will not let you go through with anything that you won’t be able to handle. Have faith or find it.

13. Practice. There is no such thing as failure. Only practicing and learning from the outcomes. Think of each step on your career journey as a trial run, getting you one step closer to the grand prize.

14. Empowerment. Empower yourself and others by looking at each situation with a new perspective … look for the opportunities and solutions instead of the closed doors. What if the rejection is actually a gift, because that job wasn’t the right one for you?

15. Pay it forward. Shift your focus and help others who are looking to get back to work. Keep in mind, Karma can be a bitc# !

16. Community. Look for support groups in the community, such as Laid of Calgary and Options45 in Calgary. MISSIONshiftYYC offers free learning events every few weeks. Check Calgary Downtown for lots of events happening in the core and Eventbrite for some programs that may be of interest.

17. Government. Look for funding support programs to help you attain new information, training or exposure to ideas. Most of these are free or very low cost options. Alberta Works, McBride Career Group, Prospect, Momentum, Occupational Skills Training ideas, Canada-Alberta Job Grant for working employees looking to get more training, Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (55-64), Alberta Learning Information Services, Opportunities Knock, I’m sure there are plenty more, these were just top of mind for me. Please feel free to share more resources in the comments below.

18. Listen. When you’re in a meeting with someone, make it about them. Ask them to share their experiences and learnings, so that you can get some insights. If you just ask for a job, this is a turnoff. Learn from them. Listen for the problems people and organizations are facing, what can you offer to alleviate that pain, and if you don’t know, ask.

19. Ask for help. Calgarians’ are a giving group and want to support those in need. They just need to know how to help. Tell everyone you know and everyone you meet what you are looking for in terms of work, or connections. Don’t be shy. If they don’t know, they can’t help.

20. Positivity. Surround yourself with positive people. Being around others who have struggled and come out ahead is key to keeping your own energy levels up. Learn from them, as they will likely offer new and creative alternatives for you. (you don’t know what you don’t know, right?)

21. Go Virtual. Consider working virtually, on the web, which lessens the economic impact of your job choices. Go fishing where the fish are at, not where other fishers are. I know this isn’t going to work for all of you, but it’s an option.

22. Adapt. Realizing we are in a different economic position than we have been before. So jobs are going to look different. You need to be able to adapt to the changes, whether it be in pay expectations, technology or responsibilities.

23. Retrain. Is it time to switch from oil and gas into a clean, sustainable renewable energy source? What options and possibilities are out there?

24. Assess the change. Think critically about the change event you have been through, and are going through. What is happening, who owns the change and the way forward? Change management is a skill and requires intellectual powers and emotional literacy. Can you articulate what you’re going through in a different way?

25. Switch careers. Maybe it’s time to dabble into a new career path that you’re interested in. Or jump, instead of dabble. Read up on it, see what jobs are available, what training is required and who else is doing that job in Calgary. Talk to them. Find out all the details. Is it even viable? What are the roadblocks? Make a plan. Just start.

26. Confidence. This is likely at an all-time low for many individuals. What do you need to do, besides finding a job, to rebuild it? It’s somewhat of a mental game… how do you change the game so you can win?

27. Purpose. Look at what your personal purpose in life is. Are you going after the right things to live your purpose? Maybe this is exactly the right time to reassess where your career and life are going, and shift the path so that you can start fulfilling your purpose instead.

28. Insanity. Stop the insanity of doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Do something different this week. Be creative. Color outside the lines.

29. Volunteer. Go to organizations you’re interested in working for, one that aligns with your values or causes that you have a passion for. Helping others will take your mind off your current challenges and will always bring good karma, and perhaps a job. Check out Charity Village. Look for unexpected places to volunteer, you never know where you might make a connection with an organization to show your skill set.

30. Find a Buddy. Find a buddy or create your own board of directors to stay motivated and engaged, as well as to learn from each other. Accountability with someone in your same situation allows for a safe place to share.

31. Curiosity. Stay curious about your options. Hang out with 2-5 year olds if you’ve forgotten what that is. Ask open ended questions and listen carefully. Anything is possible is your new motto.

32. Identify. Identify your valuable skills, both on and off your resume. Talk about them. A lot. Really understand how you could put them to work in new ways. Maybe you have a “hidden” skill that needs to start showing up for you!

33. Refer. Listen to what others are looking for and refer them to people you know or have met. Recommend them on LinkedIn. Support them and ask them to return the favor.

34. Get active. Visit nature, art galleries, museums, complete puzzles, color, read a book outside your comfort zone, dance, sing, take a course. These activities give you food for conversation, connect you to yourself and often others, and help you to improve your mental well-being.

35. Smile.

36. Assessments. There are plenty of personal assessment tools out there to help you gain self-awareness in a host of areas. It’s just one more tool that could shed some light on who you are and what you should be focusing on.

37. Strengths. Understand what your strengths are and how they could support a career. This will change the conversations you have and increase your confidence. Visit the VIA Character Strengths site for a free strength survey and report, or Gallup StrengthFinder for a different view (small fee). Both of these will give you a greater insight into yourself.

38. Saboteurs. Watch the inner critic within you that will self-sabotage your job search. Visit Positive Intelligence for a free saboteur assessment and report, to see which saboteurs have a hold of you right now.

39. Update. Update your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn. Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it before. If it’s not working, change it.

40. Hire a coach. Barter services with a coach. Find coaching through your company or professional association, sometimes for free. These are impartial third party support systems for you. Just make sure they’re properly trained… the coaching industry has exploded lately, due to low barrier to entry. Most coaches will offer a free session as well, so you can see what they’re like and if they would be right for you… this is a very personalized decision, so make sure you’re really comfortable with the coach you’re working for.

Well…. Wow. Look at all these ideas!!! Where do you start? Where ever you want. These aren’t in any magical order. Just dive in. And remember….

STOP THE INSANITY OF DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER, EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS… DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT… TODAY!