How To Prepare Your Career for a Recession

Ongoing economic uncertainty is causing whispers of a possible recession to spread through the working world. Headlines about layoffs and inflation constantly appear in our feeds. With so many unknowns, how can working professionals and job seekers prepare their careers for a potential recession? Fortunately, there are some areas still within our control.??

By Mariah Flores

You’ve likely seen the headlines plastered everywhere about layoffs, inflation and hiring freezes, as concerns about ongoing economic uncertainty continue to creep into every aspect of our lives. At the same time, anxiety, worry and panic are also creeping in, especially as it applies to the working world.

A poll that Andrew Seaman , managing editor for jobs and career development at LinkedIn News, ran on LinkedIn showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents were either worried or very worried about their careers due to the ongoing economic uncertainty. About a third said they weren’t concerned about it. The rest said they were unsure.

Some people believe that a recession will inevitably occur. But what does that mean for your career and how can you best prepare??

Before we get started, please note that while signs may point to a recession, according to CNET, in the U.S, this is determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not called a recession yet.?

Focus On What’s Within Your Control

When navigating difficult times, such as recession, it’s best to focus on what is actually within your control. With so many unknowns circulating in the career space, let’s aim to embrace areas in our professional life that we have power over, like skill building, networking or even prepping for a career pivot .?

There’s no perfect plan, no magical guide or tutorial that can ever truly prepare a person for the effects of a recession, such as layoffs or rescinded job offers. However, thoughtful preparation can help you ease into the transition and alleviate some stress during turbulent times. Additionally, it allows you to refocus on manageable areas of your life, as opposed to worrying about the uncontrollable.

Polish Your Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile

It may seem self-explanatory, but resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles are easily overlooked in moments of high stress or worry. This area of preparation is the first thing you need to address when preparing for a recession, according to Demisha Jennings , career strategist and resume writer.

“And the reason being is because a lot of the time … people don't update their resume and their LinkedIn profile, then recessions or layoffs happen and they start panicking,” she says. “They're in a frenzy, trying to find a new job, they don't have a plan B.”

“[So] if they update their documents ahead of time, in the event that they are laid off due to a recession, then they have their collateral ready to go and they're applying [for jobs] immediately.”

This applies to every moment in a person’s career, whether you’re trying to weather a recession or just applying for a new position with your current employer. You should constantly be updating your resume , cover letters and LinkedIn profile — let it become second nature.?

Led a major project to completion? Add it to your resume .?Completed a LinkedIn Learning course? Upload the certificate to your LinkedIn profile.?Met an employee of a dream company and learned about a new opportunity? Curate that cover letter.?

As professionals, we’re always evolving, achieving and learning each workday. When a recession or any trying time does impact us, those things will most likely slip to the back of our mind.

Jennings recommends updating your presence quarterly, whether on paper or digitally on LinkedIn. She’s all about keeping your digital presence fresh, adding in new positions, skills and certifications as needed, specifically on LinkedIn profiles .?

Don’t Forget Your Soft Skills

Soft skills , like communication, time management , critical thinking and interpersonal skills, are increasingly becoming in demand. CNBC recently found that 93% of employers want to see soft skills on your resume. ?

Nowadays, almost everyone boasts of the hard skills needed for their specific job. Coders know basic coding, writers know basic grammar, chefs know how to cook … you get the gist.?

The job market is already extremely competitive enough without a recession, so building up and adding soft skills to your repertoire is essential. Yet, job seekers don’t always think to work on their skills or list such skills on their resumes. As you prepare for a recession or continued economic uncertainty, don’t miss out on this opportunity to shine.?

Jennings agrees and discussed the importance of auditing your skills in her Linked Live, titled “How to recession proof your career ”. She stresses that while hard skills are critical, so are soft skills. The latter will help you maintain your prospects as a top candidate for a new position, both internally and externally.

“We overlook the skills that we have and how we can utilize them,” she said. “It’s really [about] taking a peek at what you have done over the trajectory of your career.”

Job seekers can build hard and soft skills through additional training or gaining certifications . Jennings notes that such preparation can help you in the case of layoffs and future job searching. Everything you’re learning is just another reason hiring managers or recruiters will move your application to the top of the pile.

Network, Network, Network

You should be talking to others in your desired industry or career path now, building relationships and connections that may help you down the road.?

In case of a recession-related layoff or termination , the internal and external network you’re building right this moment may be the very people who help refer you to job opportunities. Your LinkedIn inbox may already be filled with recruiting inquiries, so make sure you’re following up on opportunities that best align with your skills, values and career goals .?

“If you want to recession-proof your career, you should be networking with thought leaders in your industry right now, today while you’re actively employed,” Jennings said during her live session.?

“When you meet certain people that are in higher positions and you leave a lasting impression, that’s how you get jobs that you never even applied for. They have you in the back of their minds. Something comes available and they try to recruit you.”

She also makes an astute point about networking. When you meet someone, you’re actually meeting someone else, meaning that when you successfully network with one person that can lead to another connection with a mutual connection.?

Referrals can make all the difference as you strive to become recession-proof.

Additionally, don’t forget to network at your current company. Set up 15-minute coffee chats with your manager or colleagues you may admire and pick their brains. Your goal is to gain as much career-related knowledge and insight as possible, which you can then take with you into an interview.?

“[S]tart having conversations with current leadership, getting feedback as to what their thoughts are on how you’ve been performing,” says Jennings. “And this is critical because a lot of the times, people miss out on their yearly review from leadership when they're laid off, and so then they go into their next role with no recent feedback from leadership.”

Get as much feedback as you can now and leverage it in your next interview.?

Start preparing your career for a recession now, so you can focus on what matters later. In doing so, you’re setting yourself up for success by polishing up the areas of your career discussed above… should you ever need to find a new job during financial uncertainty or simply decide to pivot into a new role.?

Top Takeaways?

Talks of recession have many people on edge, so how can you best prepare?

• Constantly update your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile
• Build and strengthen your skills, focusing not only on technical (hard) skills but soft ones, like communication or time management
• Network and build relationships with people now, both internally and externally