Be prepared. The Boy Scouts might just as easily be talking about the foundation for a successful career.
Preparation (meaning, in this case, career management) should be a fundamental part of your strategy. If it hasn't been to date, current events might prompt you to reconsider.
Uncertain economic times aren't easy for anyone - but they're a lot less stressful for those who have approached their careers deliberately and purposefully.
These are the people who are constantly laying the groundwork for their next step. They're always looking ahead. The first day at a new job, they begin planning for their next move.
They don't allow themselves to get comfortable with the status quo. They expect things to be impermanent; they're in a position to contend with volatility. They're prepared for the vagaries of the job market.
They are proactive - not reactive.
There's no way around the fact that good career management requires ongoing attention. Executed correctly, though, you'll find the amount of time you must devote to strategic planning on a daily basis is minimal, and it will soon become part of your normal routine.
If this idea is new to you, or you've neglected it, you may not know where to begin. To point you in the right direction, these are a few of the things you should be working on: development and ongoing revision of your personal business plan, ongoing review of your marketability, and building/nurturing your network.
While you don't have control over inevitable market fluctuations or consumer confidence or any number of factors, you do have control over something very important: yourself. Take career management seriously; it's an investment in your future. Particularly when the economy heads south - which by its cyclical nature it is bound to do - you'll be glad you did.
