I was at a networking event last night and, unsurprisingly, the conversation turned to work and the recession.

An old friend told us that she was stressed out and that she now does her job and the jobs of those who've gotten laid off.  A feeling of doom and gloom now permeates her office. Someone else dismissed her and said "Hey, at least you still have a job!"  That little phrase has become all too common today.

We think that the ones who have stayed are the lucky ones: people who still have an income and can maintain their lifestyle.  But the truth is not as rosy when we look closely. Some people get tough when the tough gets going, but many others are suffering from what is called post-downsizing stress-syndrome. Typical symptoms include: irritability, trouble concentrating at work, health-problems, feelings of mistrust, absenteeism and hopelessness. 

Even more worrisome for corporations: a survey published in December by the Institute for Corporate Productivity claimed that theft in the workplace had actually risen by 18%. So, if your employees feel stressed, abandoned and swamped with more work than ever, there is a good chance that they'll leave when the economy picks up.

What can you do to prevent this? For starters, you have to show that you care about the employees that you want to retain as much as you care about those who've left. A few things to keep in mind:

-          Communication is a must, so acknowledge what your employees are going through;
-          Keep them informed with newsletters, blogs and/or meetings;
-          Have them feel involved by including them in the design of new management practices;
-          Encourage teamwork and collaboration to avoid a dog-eat-dog attitude; and
-          Invest in their development with training or a coach

What will be the result of this counter-attack? It will result in happier and more committed employees who will be more efficient and help you navigate through these white-water times with success.

Share your story with us: How are you battling the survival blues?

Written by Adriana Roche

As I was reading the New York Times today, a very interesting  story on the front page caught my eye. Out of the thousands of jobs that have been lost since the beginning of the recession, 82% were held by men. I guess this does not come as a surprise as we keep hearing stories our guy friends and husbands losing their finance jobs left and right while tales of women getting laid off are less common.

The Times attributes this to the fact that men are employed in industries that are all but being wiped out by the financial crisis, and that women work mostly in less cyclical industries like healthcare and education.  Although is it certain that the most hit areas are male dominated, it might also have to do with the fact that women are willing to work longer hours for 80% of the pay.

Will this shift in breadwinning responsibilities bring us closer to bridging the pay and presence gap for women in the workplace?

We want to hear your thoughts!

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  The hardest the job market gets, the more you are going to need to market yourself . As my coleague Olya puts it...is all about Personal Branding. You can think of yourself as a luxury item, or a commodity item, the important thing is that you find your space within the branding trend.
  
  For those of you looking for some quick tips, here they go. Make sure you stick to them, and we can assure you, things will happen!
  
  

• Make your job search a full time or part time job-  approach your job search as a job and set priorities and goals, and develop a strategy for getting it done. 
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  Don’t be overly opportunistic- realize current market conditions and define your clear, realistic, and obtainable job search goals.  Pay attention to job requirements because under the current market conditions employers are looking for the exact match.
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  Identify your strengths –for senior level professionals the tip is to analyze your accomplishments as employers will be looking for people who can bring them business.  Junior and entry level professionals should be ready to be more flexible in terms of their job duties.
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  Fine tune your job search strategy-  don’t limit yourself to only familiar job search outlets.  Expand your search to include new networking opportunities, recruiters, and online applications.   
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  Be informed on where the jobs are- as the leading companies in the market will be downsizing and restructuring, middle size banks will be looking for the best talent.  Determine where you can fit in within the emerging job area.
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  Air brush your resume-  have your resume ready and create a very easy to read format.  A hiring manager should be able to easily tell from your resume what your career goals are and how each job you have had contributed to you accomplishing these goals.  If you are applying to the equity research position make sure that your resume emphasizes your expertise and skills in equity research.
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  Improve your interviewing skills- learn interviewing techniques.  No matter how good you are you can always be better and stand out from other candidates.  First impressions go a long way, so make sure you present yourself in the most positive light. 
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  Stay upbeat- even during the hard economic times employers want to see optimistic candidates.  Stay optimistic and some companies will still be hiring. 
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  Manage your personal finances- the job search might take a lot longer even for the most qualified candidates.  Spend money only on necessities until you are hired.
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  Consider changing careers- if you have thought about changing careers before it might be a good time to look closer at your level of satisfaction with what you do.  Although it is harder to change careers in the slow economy it might still be a better choice for some professionals.