Whichever way the economy goes, you can be better prepared by making yourself BOTH inflation-resistant and recession-resistant. How? Education. More of it.

No matter which way the winds of the economy blow, whether inflationary winds or recessionary winds, those people with education and who have demonstrated a flexibility to continuously upgrade themselves will always be more in demand than those who sit a home wallowing in their self-pity, or those with bragging rights thinking they have become entitled to a long, secure career.

Upgrade yourself. Never stop upgrading. Get smarter. Then, get or keep your job.

Let’s start with those who may be unemployed. Until you land a job, study, study, study. Take whatever courses you must to improve your education in any chosen functional area of business. It may be nice to work towards your PhD in philosophy, but there are only so many positions for those holding advanced degrees in philosophy and the competition at institutions of higher learning is pretty rough, especially so as funding becomes more challenging each year for institutions. The point is, if you need a job, prepare yourself where the jobs are GOING TO BE by the time your finish upgrading your skills. [Have a peak at my Nuggets by clicking on these links:   Great FUTURE Jobs? People Serving Machines,    Future Jobs, What’s Hot?    Top Jobs: Future.   Use the search box to find more. ]

There are many courses online. However, an official piece of paper from a recognized educational institution will go much further than merely your word that you spent your time upgrading your educational qualifications. In short…get yourself to a place where you can upgrade yourself.

Now, for those of you still holding a job…When was the last time you took a course to upgrade your job skills and to make yourself a more valuable employee? I hope you can say, “Just last week.”  Or, “Just last month.”  If not, hop to it. Don’t assume that just because you have a few years of experience under your belt, or even lots of years of experience, that you are going to be immune to internal or external competition for your job. Employers are constantly seeking the best internal or external candidate for every job as a means of boosting on-the-job productivity. Keep up. Upgrade your education and skills almost constantly.

If you already have a job, leverage your company’s benefits plan to pay for some or all of your educational upgrading.

Explore your department budget for funds to cover attending any useful and valuable job-related seminars. Do this every year or several or more times a year…on their “dime”!!