Sequestration!  It’s such a big, looming word and we are hearing about it nightly on the news. So, I thought it best if I looked it up to see exactly what our government is talking about. Simply put, sequestration is the employment of automatic, across-the-board spending cuts in the face of annual budget deficits. Sequestration is not a comforting thought at all, particularly after we were hanging off a fiscal cliff for several months.

To prepare yourself to be a successful job seeker in this climate, you have to be calm, patient and proactive! Don’t “leave town and go on vacation” or wait for “it” to happen!  You may want to try any (or all) of these tips:

1. Pick Your Target – Pick areas that are of interest of you. Pick a company that piques your interest and pursue them, whether they have current openings or not.
2. Concentrate on Growth Industries – According to an article called JOB MARKET: WHAT’S AHEAD FOR 2013, posted on SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), “Surveyed employers have a “positive outlook” in 12 of the 13 industry sectors, according to Manpower’s 2013 first quarter employment survey. The strongest sectors for hiring in the first quarter are expected to be wholesale and retail trade (a net of 17 percent that will add jobs), leisure and hospitality (14 percent) and professional and business services (13 percent), according to the report.”
3. Work Your Network – Let people know that you are in the job market. Ask them if they know of anything. Join LinkedIn and explore the many resources there.

Bottom line – don’t sequester yourself because of the sequestration.  Instead, Seize the Day and make it work for you!