Three Job Tips for a Rainy Day

This quick, one-time registration gives you access to members-only site benefits. These days, you never know when downsizing and layoffs may creep your way. Experts agree that, no matter how secure you feel in your current position, you should be staying sharp and gauging what’s happening in the job market. Here are three tips to keep you prepared for a rainy day, courtesy of two industry recruiting and HR experts: 1. Stay skilled and current. In a market where firms are looking for employees who can step in and have an immediate impact on a team or project, you have to hone your skills to match the marketplace. “Your only security is your ability to interview for the next position,” says Tom Bramswig, head of the recruiting firm Pharmaceutical Careers, Inc. “Younger people especially are realizing that. You have to be ready to move.” Most savvy job-seekers have three or four targeted resumes, AstraZeneca U.S recruiting director Jeff Harvey. This way they can portray themselves as being the perfect fit for a variety of positions. 2. Keep yourself out there. This is easier said than done, especially in an industry where the extroverts gravitate towards sales and introverts towards manufacturing. “Manufacturing professionals tend to be introverted, nose-to-the-grindstone people,” says Bramswig, “and that has to be overcome.” Networking is critical, he says. Stay in touch with your best contacts. Drop them emails on a regular basis. There’s a philosophical shift in how firms are tracking down candidates, says AstraZeneca’s Harvey. College visits and recruiting fairs are in the past, he says. Instead, HR professionals are networking with abandon, going beyond traditional employee referral programs and getting in touch with anyone who might have a friend of a friend with the right stuff. This includes mining professional organizations. “The war for passive