But career planning continues to be a priority. There is a short term and a long term perspective for events in life. It is easy to lose sight of this in the rash that is media induced panic. But your career will continue through a recession or a financial boon. So you must learn to plan through them, and avoid letting financial projections interfere with life goals.
If you plan on moving...
It might be best to postpone the plan, or to be more creative. However, it can and probably will still happen. A friend who was moving last year had to postpone her plans for six months. However, a month ago she made her big move.
Creativity may also be just what you need to make the move. In a boom economy, jobs are plentiful and in some industries, companies were practically paying employees to take their positions. In a bust economy, a young employee must come up with a more creative way to attract employers. While unemployment rates are up, they are only up in certain areas, and in some markets unemployment rates are down. Furthermore, unemployment rates hold steady for young employees. If you want that dream job in a new market, develop a good story to get it, and get busy dusting off the resume to fit your new ideas.
If you want a better job...
Just because the economy is bad doesn't mean you have to settle permanently, or even put up with a working situation that makes you dream arriving to work every day. Because companies are downsizing, this is a great time to try new things to make your resume more attractive. Volunteering to do things you are interested in, that will get you ready for your dream job, are a good way to make yourself ready for this new, better job.
If you want to change careers...
Think about the industry you are trying to get into. Right now, we are on the cusp of a major change in the way that industry occurs here in the US. It has been a long time coming, but a major shift into a knowledge and skills based economy has occurred. It is like the prior transition from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy. If you desire to make a career change is into a sector that is dying off, this is probably a bad move.
However, if you have done your research, and found an industry that you feel will increase your job satisfaction, it is time to make the move. Remember to do your research to be sure that the change really will increase your job satisfaction (rumors about an industry do not necessarily translate into hard cold facts).
There are always two ways of viewing the world: a short-term view and a long-term view. Don't let the current recession force you from your long-term view of your career, and keep you from reaching your career nirvana.
