Up In The Air

The recession may be short or long; jobs may come back to financial services or not. Some sectors may even do well in a recession. The truth is that no one knows.

In the end, the answers to macro questions like these don’t much matter, because career transition in good times or bad is always an individual journey. The way to discover the kind of work you want to do — or might be available to you

After watching Up in the Air by George Clooney sure the question may prop up on being fired - the state of mind which plays in every ones heart - what will I say to my children? - how will I be able to pay my mortgage EMI - how will I ever take care of my ageing parents - how will I meet my daily chores and still stay positive

What George Clooney portrays in the movie was about an astute, cynical professional whose job is to make people redundant. It is. indeed a painful move- many may survive sheerly by their hard work, their affinity to the bosses or by sheer luck

The most important thing I learned last year was not to wait until the ax falls to start building relationships. It’s hard to “network” unless you have exercised those networking muscles well before the pink slip arrives. Take full advantage of social networking resources whether they are online or over a cup of coffee. Help other people as much as you can, even if it’s just by being a listener.

As said by one of my earlier Human Resources head - ex-employees are the best brand ambassadors - never stay negative about your company - in these tough times what matters the most is how well you evolve from the difficult scenarios posed
May be few months later you may consider this as an opportunity in disguise - never let the ambition and passion die

One mantra which I believe is a killer is to be optimistic and keep things in perspective — things could be worse. And I know it’s a cliche but it’s true: don’t burn bridges.