How can you survive in today’s job market where all jobs seem temporary?

You thought you had a golden handshake, you have worked hard to get where you are today and have just spent the last 10 or 20 years building a solid career for your employer. Now, you find yourself looking for a job. Yikes.

No matter what your age is, you can remain competitive. It’s about attitude. It’s about understanding that nothing is constant but change.

The only thing you really know about tomorrow, is that one day, you will die. This new mindset is about adaptation, being humble, saying to yourself, even though I was a people manager or director in the past, today, the company needs me to be use my analytical skills to control budgets. Lower your expectations about where you must be and that you constantly have to gain a bigger salary and grow with a more important title.

In fact, you can use your skills in people management and leadership without being called one.

Make sure that your objective statement in your CV reflects what the company needs today and do not use a rote title like, “I’m a proven people manager or program director” when the job required is “Business Developer in Southern Europe”. Here you want to highlight skills that you have in people management and program management towards business development. For example, “define budgets with key stakeholders, increase potential business driving on-line communication strategy, research and present to project board key trends doing business in Southern Europe.”

Adapt. Be humble. You may have to drop down a notch to jump two in the coming future.

Continue to follow trainings and read and stay up to date with current business trends in your area of expertise. And get out of your comfort zone…it’s here where you will grow and have fun again like you did building your career in your late 20’s.