We have all heard the bad news about high gas prices, the mortgage crisis, recession scenarios, pandemics and layoffs. None of us are immune to the economic blues, but CCIEs are able to cope if they stay on their toes.

I would like to share some of what I have learned about how CCIEs can better survive and even thrive in this economic turbulence. Here's what my Career Diva, Eve Tahmincioglu has to say about the current economic climate and how it might affect you: "If we think the sky is falling we may be apt to make rash career decisions right now. We may be convinced to accept less pay or benefits because everything is falling apart, and oh, aren't we lucky that an employer has offered us a job at all." (See her complete article on the current state of things on her blog.)

I have recently been contacted by CCIEs who are feeling threatened by the economic downturn. It's true that Retail, Mortgage, Securities, Real Estate, Banking, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, and some global partners have been affected by the economic strife. A few months ago several large financial institutions hurt by the Mortgage crisis began downsizing, and several CCIEs contacted me when they were told they would be losing their jobs.

Even this past week I had calls from a few more CCIEs who were on the cutting table from a major pharmaceutical and they were worried about the future. The stories are mostly the same. The size of the companies they worked for made them feel secure in their positions, after all enterprise network engineers are essential to any enterprise IT department.

Some of the CCIEs had been lulled into a false sense of security because of their roles and the size of the enterprise they supported made them feel secure. Several were actually contractors who had contracted for just a few months and found themselves still on the site 3 to 5 years later.

I asked questions like; "Why did you wait so long to get your resume together?"; "What have you done to prepare for some unemployed time?"; "Do you have a job search plan?"; "What are your career goals?"; "Have you let this situation change any of your career plans?"

It comes as a real shock to be told you are being let go, especially if you have been with the same company for a few years, but don't let it get you down! Not everyone is prepared to hit the job market with a fresh resume and some rainy day money.

The next decisions you make could help or hurt your career. Many CCIEs think it will be easy to simply pick up a contractor role, and to interview on the side in their spare time this may or may not work. Old wisdom said you needed to pound the pavement and scour the want ads, even post your resume on job boards. Remember to keep your career goals in mind as you make

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