Over the four+ years I've been writing this column, the IT world has turned upside down and inside out.  My first Career New Year's Resolution column in 1999, No Whining, reminded all of us technology high fliers to revisit our resumes regularly, take the time to learn something new, and, oh yeah … stop complaining if we had crappy jobs and exert the tiny bit of effort it would take to get a new one.

After the last couple of years we've had, that seems pretty bizarre, doesn't it?

Anybody who's looking for a job these days is tweaking that resume a couple of times a week; trying to get the right marketable skill training at an affordable price; and dealing (badly) with the fact that it's lucky to get 10 email responses back from the 200 companies to which you applied.

The resolutions from way back then are still valid, but they're table stakes now.  The competition is fierce and the rules are changing every day.  What was stable yesterday can be gone tomorrow.  What can you count on, other than yourself?

Resolution # 1: Widen Your World

The hard part about this resolution is deciding how to do it … there are so many choices.

You can learn a new language, get a certification, or dive into web services.  This is what I meant when I talked about learning something new back in 1999.  Still not a bad idea, but I'm thinking about something else.

IT isn't its own little insular world anymore. It's not just tough times that affect your department's budget.  Increasingly, IT is driven by strategic business needs.  If you want to get ahead, you'd be wise to start learning about your company's industry.  What are the trends? Who are the major players?  What are they doing?  

More importantly, how is technology being used for competitive advantage in that industry?  For a quick start, check out "Industry" sections of major technology company websites, like Microsoft, Oracle or IBM.  Don't forget to look at the consultancy sites - Bearing Point and Accenture to name a couple.  Just remember, these guys do have an agenda, so read carefully.  For a less self-serving approach, check out Gartner or Meta, or any other of the tech expert sites.  For an advanced course, try McKinsey, Bain or the Harvard Business Review.

Next, get smart about your own company.  What are their future plans and how does technology support them?  If you're in a public company, read the annual report and regularly visit the "Investors" section of the website.  Maybe there's even an annual plan for IT.  If all else fails … just ask.  Displaying an interest in this arena will separate you from the rest of the pack.  It's a great way to get noticed and be first in line for new opportunities.

This kind of learning is equally important for you job hunters.  Identify an industry or two that you're going to target for your next job and immerse yourself.  Then use your research project as a very plausible reason to reach out to someone who might be in a position to hire you.  Appealing to expertise is an easy way to break the ice, even if you don't have any other networking connections.  

Resolution #2: Execute, Execute, Execute

Don't get lost between the dreaming and the doing.  It's easy to write stuff down, hard to make it happen.  Look at all the companies that create wonderful strategies and then fail.  It's because they haven't figured out how to turn strategies into action.  They get stuck in the talking stage and never move on.

Developing your resolutions includes developing real plans for achieving them.  Include interim benchmarks and measurable objectives.  Project out timeframes (hm, sounds a lot like project management, doesn't it?).  Then … do it!

Put these resolutions and plans where you'll see them every day.  Don't bury them under a pile of ComputerWorlds you keep meaning to read.  Enter those benchmarks into your PDA and put resolution-related tasks onto your To-Do list.  Schedule quarterly reminders today.  Then, try hard to avoid being surprised when they roll around and you haven't done anything.

To help keep you on the straight and narrow, tell your friends about this stuff and give them permission to rag on you.  There's nothing quite like fear of ridicule as a motivator.

Resolution #3: Don't Give Up

Whether you're out of work or stuck in a job that's going nowhere, don't give up.  An extended period of unemployment (anything more than 9 months) is exhausting and demoralizing, and being depressed is normal.  There will be bad days and worse days.  

They will pass.  And so will this labor market. (No, I don't know when. I already lost on my bet that said we'd see recovery by the beginning of Q4 '02.)  In the meantime, it's okay to surrender.  Remember that surrender can mean giving in, rather than giving up.  

I've gotten email from people who've had enough of the struggle to find an IT job and decided to get out of the field altogether.  They ask me questions like, "What's the best alternative career for someone who wants to leave technology?"  

I give them my most honest answer - "How should I know?"  It's ridiculous to assume that there's a single right answer for a group of people with a set of diverse backgrounds and work histories.  It's just as ridiculous to decide that a protracted downturn in the economy means that your career future is gone for good and that it's time to get out.

This is giving up.  Giving in means doing whatever you need to do temporarily to get yourself through to the point where IT hiring picks up again. We all have to eat.  Nothing wrong with driving a truck or working in retail or landscaping- so long as you keep honing those IT skills and staying in touch with your network.  

And you never know when an IT job may come available in that the company you signed on for temporarily.  It's much easier to get your foot in the door when you're a known commodity - even if you're working in another area of the organization.

On the other hand, if you've really decided that IT isn't right for you - I support you completely.  But successful transitions happen only when you run toward a new career, not when you run away from the old one.

It's equally true for being stuck in a dead end job.  Yeah, I know what it's like.  Hating to get up every morning.  Being sad on Saturday night because the next day is Sunday and then it's back to misery on Monday.  Being the walking dead at work is the same kind of giving up.

Whether you're out of a job or in a bad one, you still have control over yourself.  You can let the situation dictate what you do, or you can pick your own direction and take action.  Victims give up; tacticians surrender in order to fight another day.  Which one will you be?

More

The New Year always brings a sense of optimism, even if it's tempered by our uncertain reality. My resolution is to stay positive and when I can't, to put a time limitation on my anxiety.  I give myself permission to be freaked out for two days at a time and then I yank myself out of it through will power, thought redirection and targeted tasks to get me back on track.  Write to me at Jamie@jobcircle.com and let me know how you do it.  Or if you can't, write and maybe I can suggest a few tricks.

Enjoy this article?  Read more of JobCircle.com's Career Coach articles.

Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company.  Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column.  You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.