5 Tips to a Recession-Proof Career

Faced with a possible recession, many people are worried about 2023. Last week, l conducted a LinkedIn poll to find out the most important challenges CEOs might contend with in 2023, economic uncertainties had the highest (See the link.) There’s no doubt, 2023 will be a rocky year.

Given the turbulent economy, many professionals are doing their best just to keep their careers afloat. But whether you're concerned about your current position or looking for a new one, here are a few key strategies that can help you keep your career healthy in the face of economic uncertainty.?

1. Deconstruction:Reconstruction.?

One of the transformative experiences for me this year is meeting Ayse (pronounced Eye-Shay) Birsel, one of the world’s leading industrial designers. I attended several of her weekly Virtual Teas where she guided us using her design principles. I learned from her that our life should be our most important project. Using her creative process- Deconstruction: Reconstruction has 4 simple steps that can help you to think differently about anything with optimism and creativity, even your work. Deconstruction has to do with taking the whole apart and Reconstruction: putting it back together. In times of uncertainty like this, the only thing that you’re totally certain of and in control of is YOU. How much do you know about yourself? Deconstructing your life helps you see the parts and pieces that make up your life. I also had the opportunity of interviewing her on my Linkedin Live Show- here.

2. Know Your Disruptive Skills:

Do you have disruptive skills? If you do, have you identified these skills? In a period like this, there is a significant difference between your normal skills and disruptive skills. Disruptive skills are essentially unique skills from your portfolio of skills that can give you an edge in the marketplace.?These skills typically carry a price tag of sweat, and sometimes tears, and they speak volumes about prospective hires.

Remember Austin Jay Jay Okocha during his playing days? Okocha was known for his fantastic dribbling skills or David Beckham’s free-kick ability? These skills were so unique to them and helped them carve out a niche in the game. In fact, it was rumored at the time that Jay Jay spent almost $ 1 million to learn and perfect his ability of dribbling and free-kicking. David Beckham was also said to have spent countless hours honing free kick ability. He was picked several times to take free kicks and scored numerous memorable goals for the club and country. According to Whitney Johnson, these are the skills that can help you carve out a disruptive niche — consequently upping your value in the marketplace. Here is also my interview with Whitney Johnson on how to disrupt yourself and your career.?

3. Go Back to the Basics:

Now is the time to get more personal with your customers both internal and external. Focus more on what your customers really want during this period rather than what you think they want. Talk to them more, make more face-to-face visits to them, send handwritten notes to them. The idea here is to touch the customer more often on a more personal level at a time when your competitors are calling less and being less personal.

4. Expand your Connections:

A friend and professional colleague- Maple Dappa posted a few days ago that "some of the networks we are searching for resides with old friends and contacts from secondary school, primary school, old neighbors,?etc that we are yet to identify, nurture, and harness." Keeping in touch with a wide range of contacts increases the odds that you could be pointed toward opportunities you might not have otherwise been aware of or even considered. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn can reconnect you with former colleagues and lead to connections you might draw on.

5. Stay Motivated:

The more motivated you stay during this period, the more broadly?you'll be able to see the world, and the bigger your vision is likely to be. The ability to see the big picture during a period of uncertainty is an uncommon trait among people but I assure you even during uncertain times like these, there are gold mines.

These are my five key strategies that can help you keep your career healthy in the face of economic uncertainty. Stay open. Listen for that bit of advice, idea, or suggestion that could come from anywhere—a simple comment, from the right person at this time, just might change your life.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy 2023!