What will 09’ bring us is the question on everyone’s mind. Will 09’ be a good year?  Better than 08’? This is what we all hope for right?  Most of us make endless new years resolutions such as losing weight, searching for a new job, stopping bad habits and etc.   

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a fan of odd numbered years! 2008 was a very interesting year for me. It was a year full of challenges, personal and professional growth. It was a very important year and one to remember. One can only hope that 2009 will be even better. 

As we all know we are starting 09’ with a downward economy which is something that most of us are not used too. For many of us including myself, this is the first time in this situation. What can we do? I think about this all the time. We can save money and stop spending, we can revise our resumes in case of a layoff, and we can sit around and debate should I retire while some of us are debating about continuing our education. 

You know there is not set procedure of what to do in a downward economy. Each person and each family will be affected in a different way while some will not be affected at all. Now everyone wants to know how they can better market themselves. December's job report is expected to go public at the end of this work week. The prediction is that the country has lost over 2 million jobs and the unemployment rate will rise over 7% currently we are at 6.5. In the Portland metropolitan area we are currently seeing an unemployment rate of 7.3. I would expect Oregon to reach a 8% unemployment rate.

With that said, yes, things will get worst! Is this the end? Probably not… All we can do is try to stay positive because there is no use in being negative. We need to prove our worth to our current employers. Personal Branding doesn’t start once you are job seeking. It is an ongoing process! Demonstrating how your brand is valuable to the company is your key of staying around for years to come. Failing to do so can give the employer reasons to let you go if needed. 

Of course the most important thing in the process of job searching is finding ways to set yourself apart from your competitors regardless of the state of the economy. Right now it is a requirement. Using internet searches as our only method to job searching is not going to make the cut today. The key to successful job searching is networking and practicing follow-up strategies. Staying positive is also extremely important. It is so easy for one to become discouraged in the process of job search especially in a downward economy. The thing to remember is that it is a process which in most cases will be challenging. If we let negativity win and take over it will only set us back from our goals.  

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