Plan Ahead to Recession-Proof Your Career

Along with the economy, worker confidence is on the decline. Translation: Workers are worried about getting axed, downsized, out-sourced, pink-slipped, etc. The Wall Street Journal wants you to sleep better at night by following 8 strategies for recession-proofing your career. A sampling:

• Work smarter. Look for ways to help your employer overcome the specific challenges it faces most in a recession, advises Mr. Morgan. "Think about your company's situation in the same fashion that your boss is thinking about it," he says. "You can be more useful by identifying ways to reduce costs, increase revenue or reposition a product or service."

• Dust off your résumé. Prepare for the worst ahead of time by making sure your résumé is up to date, urges Shawn Graham, author of "Courting Your Career: Match Yourself With the Perfect Job" (Jist Publishing, 2007). If you rush to get it done following a sudden dismissal, the odds of making a typographical error or omitting important details will increase.

The author also recommends networking like crazy, sticking around instead of prematurely jumping ship, and even volunteering to take a pay cut. Hey, desperate times, desperate measures and all that. Any suggestions to add? Click the Comments link atop this post. Cartoon by B.Z. Toons. [via Consumerist]