In its continued sky-is-falling coverage of the economy and job market, ABC’s “Good Morning America” on January 17 warned that most Americans are fearing job cuts and offered helpful tips on how to “recession-proof” yourself.
“[C]ountless Americans” are worried that their jobs might be at risk, host Robin Roberts said, teasing a man-on-the-street montage of four economy experts random people who said they were worried about the economy.
“The middle class that is suffering the most because you, you’re stretched, you know,” one woman said. “Every dime of income is to either pay a bill or just to keep a roof and food, and gas prices are outrageous as usual.”
Another woman complained that “we don’t eat out as much, probably, because we’re trying to put, you know, more back towards gas money and things like that.”
A third woman poetically declared that the U.S. is in “a really, really scary time. I think that we’re only at the precipice of what is going to be a very severe decline.”
So ABC rode to the rescue with tips for protecting your job from the heavy hammer of recession-related job cuts. Roberts suggested workers first look to the media to determine if their company is in trouble.
“And so what do you do first if you’re looking around and you’re seeing that your company is in the headlines a lot and know it’s in financial trouble?,” Roberts asked contributor Tory Johnson, because everyone knows the media does a great job painting an accurate and reasonable picture of the job market.
In fact, the media have focused on the 5-percent unemployment rate in January as the “highest in two years.” But as a few reporters have graciously mentioned, that rate is still considered healthy, and is lower than the 10- and 30-year averages.
Johnson backed up Roberts, suggesting that viewers start “paying attention to media reports, looking externally and seeing the coverage about your company, industry, the area in which you work.” She said cancellations of the holiday party or planned conference you were really looking forward to are internal signs of pressure.
Johnson, the CEO of Women for Hire, also suggested boasting about your accomplishments and buttering up your superiors as good ways to secure your job.
“[Y]ou want to be vocal about your accomplishments. Let everybody know exactly what you’re doing and how well you’re doing it, so that everyone knows why there’s a legitimate reason to keep you there,” she said.
“You should also really align yourself to get to know the big wigs in your company or in your department,” Johnson added. “Those people can be really helpful at times when there’s talk about which positions should be cut, and when somebody knows you and knows how hard you’ve been working they’re more likely to try to save that position.”
But an ever pessimistic Roberts still wasn’t convinced a job could be secured. “What do you do when reality is, you’re going to get that pink slip?” she asked. Conveniently enough, Johnson noted, the “Good Morning America” Web site has a resume builder!
