Surviving the Storm

Downsizing. Buyouts. Layoffs. In some fields the job market is getting nasty. It's time to adopt a few strategies to avoid getting cut -- or bounce back quickly if you do.

The message was hard to miss last week: No more wishful thinking -- it's time to prepare yourself for a grim job market.

Unemployment has surged in the past four months, hitting 6.1 percent in August, the highest since September 2003. In April, the rate stood at 5 percent.

Even a top-notch performance may not be enough to save your job. The layoff lists are full of people who turned in first-rate work yet didn't survive the cut. Though job security may be unattainable, resiliency can be yours. Become the employee who's kept on despite layoffs. Or at least make sure you have the skills and contacts necessary to make a pink slip your springboard to a better job.

You'll need to build a foundation of cutting-edge skills, personal likability -- and, not least, a well-nurtured network of contacts.

James E. Thomas III of Fairfax is a master of the art of networking. He has worked in the human relations field for about 30 years, most recently as executive vice president of human resources and administration for WebMethods, a Fairfax information technology company.

But not even a background in HR can vaccinate you against unemployment. When WebMethods was acquired by a German company in 2007, Thomas lost his job. He turned to his extensive network, which has provided him with enough consulting work to maintain his lifestyle while staying open to the possibility of other employment.

Thomas's strategy: "Seek people who are truly strategic network connections with you, who clearly understand how you have branded yourself."

By "strategic network," Thomas is referring specifically to people who are in a position to help with your career. "Of all the people you know, maybe 20 percent fall into that strategic network, those who have your interests in mind, the 20 percent who truly can broaden your opportunities for success," he said.

Thomas builds his network by joining organizations and broadly contributing his expertise. He serves on the boards of a number of Washington area business and community organizations, for example. "Nonprofit boards are easier to get on," he said. "And they want professional people to get involved."

There are all sorts of organizations that can help build your network as you help others. (Remember, networks flow both ways.) Charity, religious and service organizations such as the Lions and Rotary clubs offer opportunities.

Thomas's networking extends to the virtual world, as well. "LinkedIn [the business equivalent of the Facebook online social network] is one I'm very impressed with," Thomas said. "Many search executives are using LinkedIn to contact people they don't know."

John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a firm that companies hire to counsel the people they're laying off, also is a big fan of LinkedIn. "I think of LinkedIn as kind of the Rolodex squared," he said. "Each of the 100 people I know knows 100 people. All of a sudden, you know 10,000 people, plus you have their résumé, plus other information. It speeds our relationship-building. I think it's a paradigm-changing thing in my life."