No doubt it is a tough job market out there. However there are some bright lights in several established and emerging new industries that are worth checking out:

Manufacturing

Recently on the news you may have heard that manufacturing, which has been in steady decline in the USfor years, may experience a comeback. Rising prices due to increased transportation costs, coupled with the weakness of the dollar may stimulate onshoring. As a result, many large companies are opting to expand their facilities within the US.

Executive Level Jobs

Additionally, according to the US Dept. of Labor Statistics, nationwide in 2008, the industries expected to generate the highest number of future executive-level jobs are high-tech, healthcare, business services, pharmaceutical/medical/biotech, and     energy/utilities.

Geographic Areas

Also according to the US Dept. of Labor Statistics 2008, there are some States that are holding fairly steady growth for the majority of job sectors. They include Texas, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Colorado.

Green Collar Jobs

If you Google green jobs, you can spend hours surfing through dozens of new job boards designed for those who are interested in jobs dealing with sustainable issues and the new clean-tech economy. Companies you will find range from wind farms to solar and hybrid car manufacturers to green buildings and other renewable energy technologies.

And according to TIME Magazines article titled: What Is a Green Collar Job anyway, John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton all love green-collar jobs and claim their respective energy plans will create millions of new green-collar jobs in America.

A wise idea for the career industry changer in these market conditions is to evaluate those emerging and still-strong industries when strategically making a move.

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I was recently reading a post by Pamela Skillings on her blog “Escape From Corporate America.” Not only does she offer some pretty unique but common sense advice for the corporate warrior ready to wave the white flag, she offers it with a healthy dose of humor. Her post “How To Get Started In Freelancing or Consulting, offers great advice for the professional who is exploring their options. I like it. Read it here. 

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I was recently reading a post by HFCN (Helping Friends Career Network) on telecommuting – an option I successfully exercised for over 11 years prior to launching my new company. HFCN, a recruiting firm offers all kinds of interesting facts and tips on telecommuting. Read all about it here.

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Are you looking for positive and tangible ways to increase your real and perceived value to your current company? If so, congratulations on your wise decision! Increasing your value can help avoid layoffs and job instability. It can also serve you in terms of excellent job reviews and potential salary increases.

Not only will your focus pay off in real time, but also in the future! If you love your job and want to protect it, here are 3 easy tips that you can take action on right now, for increasing your value:

Tip One: track your accomplishments

Do you ever catch yourself feeling like your boss should just be making mental notes of every accomplishment you make? Avoid making this potentially costly mistake simply by making a note of each of your accomplishments in real time, When your annual job review comes up you can present your employer with a list of challenges and what action you took. They will love it and appreciate your focus of attention.

You can then repurpose your list through updating your resume with lots of quantifiable accomplishments you may have missed by not writing them down! Don’t be tempted to overlook what you may see as small accomplishments that “are just part of your job.”  Often what you see as mundane others see as marked improvements and demonstrations of your skills.  Trust me on this one!

Tip Two: take on projects

Asking your employer for additional projects in areas you excel is an excellent way to demonstrate additional value into your position. Taking on a volunteer effort, being a part of a research or innovation committee or involvement in a special task force – lets say to “green up” next years operations, are valuable contributions and also serve to keep you motivated and challenged. It may even inspire a renewed enthusiasm for your company or position. You may be surprised on this one!

What if you are “too busy” to take on any additional work? Well, many professionals feel this way initially. However I would challenge you to look at how you are spending your time and see if you can find one thing you can give to someone else to manage in order to free up your time to do something where professionally, you stand to bring more value. Examples of this include administrative duties and repeat managerial or operational tasks that other support members of your team could take on as an additional personal challenge for them.

Tip Three: provide solutions

You know that glaring problem or issue in your company that keeps getting ignored either because it’s too large or too small for anyone to take care of right now? Proactively provide solutions to gain additional visibility by providing tangible value and demonstrating your positive initiative. Make sure when you present your idea; to present it to more than one person (3 or more is best) and just give enough information initially to garner some real interest. Don’t worry if initially you don’t have all the answers. That’s what teams are for! Progress towards active and positive change should be the goal – not perfection.

Using these simple steps will help you plan and achieve your goals faster and easier as well as increasing the value you bring to your company! 

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There are lots of time saving products and services out there you could incorporate into your job search, but let’s keep it really simple. Here’s one I like that has to do with keeping track of your job search and career network – not only for a single job search but for your entire career.

Check out Jibber Jobber. Jason Alba is the president as well as the author of TWO books AND linked-In/Blogger/Facebook expert extraordinaire – no kidding. And from what I can tell, he has the ear of several industries – the ”career services” industry being the biggest one. Here’s how he describes Jibber Jobber:

“So what is Jibber Jobber? Is it a job search tool? Is it a networking tool? It is more like a personal relationship manager that allows you to do everything you need to do to manage a job search and optimize your network relationships – for the duration of your career!”

And BTW – a big THANK YOU to Jason for: A) liking, and B) blogging about… my ”phone networking secrets revealed” report. See it here.

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Why is it important for you to care about creating mini celebrity-status when it comes to your career? Simply because this self-marketing in your area of expertise can have multiple career benefits for you including:

1.      Potential exposure to future “dream” positions – they contact YOU!

 2.      Establishment as an expert in your industry

 3.      Widen your network

 4.      More ability to garner positive references and testimonials

 5.      More control over who you work with and how you work

 Different points will stand out as meaningful to different people. The real point is, managing your career gives you options….options you may not have had otherwise.

So, where do you start? Here are three quick and easy tips:

 Tip #1 Get a Platform

It’s easy to get a platform to express your option and ideas about your area of interest in your industry – by starting your own blog! www.wordpress.com (you are reading it!) is  free and setup is easy – even if you are like me i.e. not technical.

Another option is to sign up for a linked in account (e mail me and I will invite you to my list!) Linked in is a business-oriented networking site. Once you have set up your profile you can answer questions other business people are asking on various topics. A quick way to establish your credibility!

 Tip #2 Rub Shoulders with High Performers in Your Industry

Get involved in a corporate volunteer group or industry association. These are two wonderful portals filled with people that care deeply about industries and issues – just like you! Not only will this broaden your networking circle but it will keep you growing in your career!

And remember if you attend an industry luncheon to listen to a great speaker – introduce yourself to him or her after their presentation. Give them your business card as well – and gulp, ask for theirs!  It’s the little things you do as you “put yourself out there” to be open to new opportunities, friendships and possibilities that will pay off in the long run.

 Tip #3 Grow Your Knowledge Base

What was the last certification you received? How about on going training?
I recommend making sure that each year you commit to 2-3 actions that result in your learning a new tool for your trade. To make sure you will be motivated to do this – make it that one training, certification or learning experience that has been in the back of your mind to master! You know the one I am talking about. Check with your employers ongoing education benefits to find out if your training might be a covered expense!

Establishing mini-celebrity status doesn’t mean you have a gigantic ego. It’s simply a wise business move that opens doors of possibility for you. You will be amazed how putting these simple tips into action will quickly change-up your career status!

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