Job-placement consultant offers tips

CHICAGO — It's been a grim year for layoffs and job cuts with nine straight months of job losses, worsening in September when U.S. employers handed out the most pink slips of any month since 2003. All told, 760,000 have faced unemployment this year.

The job outlook for the near future is dismal, according to John Challenger, chief executive of the job-placement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Here are some of his recommendations:

Q: What can workers do if they feel their jobs are in jeopardy?

A: I think it's important to see yourself as a free agent. You have a right to look for another job while you're working. You have a right to take on secondary jobs to supplement your income. You have a right to take "career insurance" actions — like being more engaged in outside activities.

It's imperative, almost, that you're out there involved in your community in various organizations, building relationships, because those are the best avenues — other people that you know — to jobs in the future.

Q: Should workers seek extra training?

A: Many companies offer tuition reimbursement programs and this environment is a good opportunity to take advantage of that, while you're still working ... But try to keep it relevant to your area of expertise.

Q: What has been learned from previous downturns, in terms of steps people could take to avoid a layoff? Did they help?

A: It's important to get a fast start. If you're looking for a job now and it feels like we're going into a recession, your chances are better now than later, when there will be more people competing.

Q: What would you say to people who are considering career changes right now while the economy is shaky?

A: You can change industries — you don't have to change fields or know-how. I'm not a very strong advocate of changing careers in this type of situation ... Look for jobs that utilize the skills and expertise that you've developed rather than going out and trying to find something brand-new.