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45% of Canadian six-figure professionals don’t have clear short- or long-term career goals.

We know that the economy has caused turmoil for many professionals in the $100k+ salary bracket. Yet, the results of Graham Management Group’s recent survey, OUTLOOK 2010: Competitive Career Intelligence for Six-Figure Canadians, seem to suggest that people are not adjusting their career plans accordingly. About one third of our survey participants cited the economic environment as a primary barrier to their career development. Despite this, almost half of the respondents (45.1%) did not feel clear about their short-term and long-term career direction and goals.

 Don’t live in the past – focus on your future

If you want to survive and find jobs in this new economy, you cannot afford to live in the past. If you stick to applying at companies and in industries that are in decline just because they were your focus in the past, you are overlooking many new opportunities.

Many of our survey comments suggested that “future-thinking” individuals succeed more quickly in finding and closing opportunities in our new economy. Invest your energy in studying the markets and movements in your industry. Then, shift your overall career strategy towards meeting these future trends.

Raise your expectations and your worth

We found that in this economy, some people resorted to the strategy of targeting less senior positions. A few said that they would handle the challenge by “watering down” or “dumbing down” their resume. Going backwards and applying to jobs for which you are overqualified will not help you in your search. You need to raise your value rather than lowering your expectations.

Especially in this economy, employers want the best people – not the cheapest ones. If you need to turn around your organization, you want strong people at the helm. If you lowball your salary, you will find that people won’t respect the value you bring to the table.

If you are a six-figure professional, you must have done something right to get yourself in this tax bracket in the first place. If you are a successful professional, you are worth the compensation you request. So, don’t lower your salary expectations. When you indicate that you are accustomed to a certain salary and now you are willing to take less, you have created a new obstacle to overcome in the interview. Rather than making them think that you don’t deserve the money, tell them why you are worth every penny.

Don’t let fear of failure stop you

Some professionals that we surveyed candidly told us that “fear of failure” was an obstacle to their career development. Our new economy can be an exciting opportunity if you want it to be. To overcome fear of failure, reinvent yourself. Learn as much as you can so that you can create more value for employers and target more sustainable industry sectors. Start reinventing yourself today so that you can land that six-figure job tomorrow.

In a recession, employers need the very best people to dig them out of their problems. If you can show employers how you can turn them around and drive them towards future successes, they will want to retain you. Start thinking positively about your future, make bold career plans, and stick to your guns. You’ll find that many new short- and long-term opportunities will open up for you.

DOWNLOAD THE  COMPLETE OUTLOOK2010 REPORT HERE:

http://www.grahammanagement.com/Outlook2010SurveyResults.xpg

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