Pamela Kleibrink Thompson

Is your career in distress? Is the company you're working for foundering? Is your parachute packed or are you staying aboard hoping not to crash? Here are some survival tips for a healthy career, whether you are working for a thriving company or one that is struggling to keep aloft.

Stay Informed
Know your company's business. Who are the company's major clients and major competitors? Does your company have plenty of clients or is it relying on just a few accounts to keep going? Is your company getting its share of business, or are the jobs going to the competition?

When I worked for an educational film company our main client was the government of Saudi Arabia. When that contract dried up so did cash flow. The management was arrogant and never thought that their client would go elsewhere for their business. Too bad they didn't market their services to others while they had their large government client. Within a short time, most of the staff were laid off.

Does your company have a long range business plan? What is it doing to keep customers satisfied? Are they actively developing new clients and markets? Without income the company will not stay aloft.

Know your industry. Know who is being awarded the jobs. What companies are busy? Who is hiring recruiters? Tip: If they hire a recruiter, they will be doing a lot of hiring in the near future.

Tips to Prevent Disaster
Prepare your parachute before you need to bail. Be prepared before disaster strikes. This is what you need in your emergency kit:

1) A financial cushion. Savings will help you weather a severe storm. Figure out how much you spend in 6 months on the necessities -- rent, car, food, etc. and save enough to survive for 6 months without work.

2) Assess yourself. Examine your skill set. Make a list of all the skills you've learned and the things you've accomplished. This list will be useful in composing your resume. If you have trouble making your list and thinking positively about yourself, get some friends to help you. Take stock of your attributes. What do you like doing at work? What do you like doing outside of work? Evaluate what you want to do. Have you always dreamed about developing your own show, building a Website, or writing a children's book "when you have the time"? When you are focussed on what you want to do you can determine what you need to know, as well as who can help you.

If you are lacking in skills, take some courses. Whether it's learning a new software, finishing a degree, working on life drawing or learning about management, the classes you take can help you expand your network. Even if you don't hear of any jobs, you will be improving your skills and that will make you more attractive and interesting to new employers.

3) Marketing Materials
Your cover letter, resume, portfolio, demo reel and breakdown list are your marketing materials. Keep them up to date. Make sure your portfolio and demo reel contain your best and most recent work. Always put your best work up front on your reel and include your demo reel breakdown list. The breakdown list describes what is on your reel -- what you did for each shot. Customize your resume and portfolio to target the job you want. You may want to customize your portfolio for each company you target. Remember to include your name, phone number and email address on everything.