Faced with the sudden large-scale outbreak of the financial crisis, the pattern of world economic recovery has yet to emerge. Coupled with the sluggish demand for corporate recruitment, the number of available positions in securities, banking, insurance, futures, real estate, and other industries has significantly decreased compared to previous years. Under these circumstances, many job seekers feel that the difficulty of finding employment has increased. Some people have even been "stood up" by companies just before signing contracts. In such extremely difficult conditions, how to seek survival and growth is worth our consideration.
In April, Ms. Zhang went for an interview at a fund company. At the time, the department manager was quite satisfied, even discussing how many times a year employees could enjoy travel benefits, and telling her she could start working immediately. Unexpectedly, the company went silent. In fact, Ms. Zhang's situation is not too bad; a significant portion of job seekers struggle even to secure an interview opportunity. Ms. Zhao, who works in administrative management in the real estate industry, said that she recently sent out more than 200 resumes through various channels, but only three companies offered her an interview. She lamented, "After calculating, the ratio of sending out resumes to receiving feedback is less than 2%. It's really hard to find a job now!"
Regarding the phenomenon of being "stood up" during recruitment and the difficulty of job hunting, most people believe it is the result of this year's poor employment market. Many companies where job seekers work have been affected by the recent international financial crisis, and most businesses have canceled their hiring plans. Some companies have even publicly stated that they will resolve the operational risks brought by the financial crisis through measures such as reducing production, cutting salaries, and laying off employees. Amidst the current financial crisis, the number of unemployed people is increasing daily. Do friends who are currently employed still have plans to request raises or transition/jump jobs? Have you considered how to keep your current job opportunities? Even if you become unemployed, how can you quickly find a new job suitable for yourself? In situations where companies reduce production and workload, can we still do something more to ensure we have the ability to resolve employment crises and unemployment risks?
Numerous signs indicate that the outbreak of this global financial crisis is gradually affecting the real economy from the virtual economy, accompanied by massive corporate bankruptcies. The impact of the financial crisis on the real economy is just beginning, and the employment market situation is expected to become more severe by the end of the year to early next year. Faced with such a huge financial crisis, professionals must adopt prudent career strategies and carefully prepare responses. If handled appropriately, we can turn crises into opportunities.
### 1. Seize Current Opportunities
In the current economic downturn, it is urgent for professionals to hold onto existing job opportunities. Career experts believe that how to keep one's job and make one's career path smoother has become a challenge faced by all professionals. A mature professional should have a sense of crisis from the first day entering the workplace. This sense of crisis comes not only from competition within the workplace and with peers outside but also from continuously guiding oneself to find a career path better suited to personal growth from a long-term perspective.
Under the backdrop of the financial crisis, workplace competition pressure has further intensified, and "cherishing job opportunities and fully committing to work" has become an inevitable trend for professionals to protect their job opportunities.
We should strive to excel in our current roles, not only performing our duties excellently but also taking on responsibilities from other positions, becoming cost-effective talents. This reduces the likelihood of being replaced. Besides doing our main job well, being mindful in the workplace is crucial. Don't just focus on routine tasks; also look ahead. For example, pay attention to industry developments because some industries may be affected by national industrial policies, leading to policy-driven reductions in production or layoffs. Therefore, stay updated with news and information. In short, during daily work, fully commit to every task, create maximum value for the company, highlight your competitive advantages, and strive for high scores in your career. When the layoff crisis arrives, this will help you mitigate the crisis.
### 2. Accurately Position Your Career
Facing the waves of the financial crisis, only a small portion of people successfully avoid unemployment risks, while a significant number of professionals will face harsh unemployment realities. Unemployment is frustrating, but if you plan your career in advance, know your direction, understand your strengths and specialties, and clearly identify what kind of work you can handle, you can quickly integrate into a platform more suitable for your development. If you prepare beforehand, you are less likely to be swallowed by the unemployment tide under the financial crisis, and you might even reposition your career and goals through the crisis event.
For those with clear career plans, unemployment means encountering strong external interference that interrupts career development. At this point, you should consolidate your past qualifications, follow your predetermined plan, find a job consistent with your growth direction, and maintain the continuity of your career life. On the other hand, for those who merely drift through life without self-positioning or setting high standards, after becoming unemployed, they need to urgently solve the job-hunting problem. First, adjust your mindset, correctly perceive the company’s layoff issues, don’t blame fate, update yourself promptly, enhance learning, and strengthen confidence. Second, review your past career experiences, extract your competitive advantages, lay a solid foundation for job hunting, and actively pursue new opportunities. Third, clarify your career positioning and target your job search accordingly. With clear objectives, you can quickly find suitable work. In summary, turn the "crisis" into a "turnaround," actively brainstorm solutions to secure new jobs, and quickly overcome this extraordinary period to find a better job that suits you sooner.
### 3. Enhance Core Competencies
Affected by the financial crisis, most industries have reduced their recruitment plans. As the overall economy declines, the sales of products by many companies are somewhat suppressed, leading to reduced production. Some companies cut costs drastically by laying off a large number of employees, causing a sharp increase in the unemployed population. Under reduced production, employee workloads decrease accordingly. An eight-hour workday might shrink to six hours or even less. Many companies implement shift systems, maintaining the original workforce but dividing them into two or three groups, rotating weekly shifts until production recovers to normal levels. In this situation, employees need to use their free time wisely, enhance their competitiveness, and undergo targeted training and practice, waiting for the winter to pass and a new life to begin.
Facing the head-on workplace crisis, while planning our entire career growth, we must always maintain a sense of professional crisis. Besides learning professional skills related to our work, we should accumulate transferable skills such as communication, coordination, and management skills, which are essential for many positions/careers. Based on recognizing our strengths and weaknesses, we should clearly understand what areas we need to enhance in terms of learning and training. Through continuous self-awareness, accurately position ourselves, set clear growth goals, quickly find our growth platforms, enhance core competitiveness, prepare contingency plans, strengthen preventive awareness, and let our careers grow both fast and well.
### 4. Prevent Problems Before They Happen
The best preventive measure against the financial crisis is to ensure that problems are prevented beforehand. Currently, the most important thing is to plan our career lives, and preparing contingency plans is very necessary. For someone with a clear career plan, crises often turn into opportunities for turning points; they can grasp their growth trajectory and achieve greater growth on a better platform. However, for those without a plan, any external risk could be catastrophic due to lack of planning and goals, resulting in failure no matter where they are. By making good career plans, prevent all crises before they happen, and face crises confidently. This is the most important survival strategy in the current financial crisis.