Thoughts on working through tough times

I left university and started my career just as the credit crunch hit, and even though a decade and a half have since passed, I see a lot of parallels between that time and now.

I was interviewed for a podcast earlier this year. It was released while I was on holiday and today I listened back to it. I have been putting this task off as (like everyone) I find it very weird listening to my own voice (I am not as northern as I think I am) and I live in fear of saying the wrong thing.

As it happens, I spoke about a subject I am very comfortable with; my education and career in marketing. I left university and started my career just as the credit crunch hit, and even though a decade and a half have since passed, I see a lot of parallels between that time and now.

I’m not an economist but I think recessions are inevitable and we will all have to work through several in our lifetimes. The timing is never great but it’s especially tough when you’re starting something new or going through changes at home or work.

So building on from the podcast, here are some thoughts on working through a recession/a crisis/tough times:

Keep working on the next step

I remember how hard it was to get a job in a relevant field during the credit crunch, and then the fear of moving on from something secure. However, you don’t want to get stuck.

Regularly update your CV, portfolio, interview/pitch technique and Linkedin profile. Connect with potential employers and clients on LinkedIn, and keep an eye on potential jobs or client work. You never know what might come up.

Prioritise you

You’ll never look back and wish you worked more.

Take your holiday time, take your compassionate leave if you need to and don’t feel pressured into working lots of extra hours. If your employer or client is in trouble, it’s tempting to do everything you can to help. If you are in this position, take a step back to evaluate the impact of this extra work. Are they compensating you fairly? In the words of the great Lizzo: is the juice worth the squeeze?

Remember the big picture

A crisis will force you to review your life choices, so, lean into this. Have you worked yourself into the ground for an awful boss who made you redundant? Did your employer go out of business leaving you with no salary and no commission? Did a PR crisis spiral wildly out of your control and now you hate marketing?

What have you learnt from this? And what will you do differently in future?

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Girls in Marketing

I was interviewed by Girls in Marketing for their podcast and my episode was about consulting and mentoring in marketing. They have lots of episodes about getting into marketing and marketing tips, so definitely check them out.