Her leadership role in the photographers' organization gave her a connection that led to a position as an industrial photographer at Merck & Co. Inc., and ultimately to a whole new career as a corporate trainer. Besides being a career coach, Pachter, of Pachter & Associates in Cherry Hill, is an author and a widely quoted expert on business etiquette.
"You can't totally recession-proof your career," agreed Jane Finkle, president of the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Career Professionals International. But in a recession, "building a professional network is especially important," Finkle said.
Networking is one of those things that's simple but not easy, local counselors said last week after the U.S. Labor Department's jobless-claims report came out.
"When things become unstable, people hunker down and work really hard, versus looking outside their organization and connecting with other professionals who do what they do," said career counselor Beth Ann Wilson, of Media, a past president of the group.
"People think if they work really hard, they'll be able to keep their jobs," she said. "That may be so, but sometimes decisions are made not based on how someone works, but on a strategic plan or budget.
"So along with that hunkering down, people get isolated," she said. "They'll say, 'I've been working so hard, I haven't kept up with anyone. My network is zero.'
"If you are not out talking to people, you won't know about opportunities or what other people are doing."
The best strategy, the career counselors said, is to build networks inside and outside the company.
On the inside, they said, volunteer for new projects or companywide initiatives, even for community-service days. That may lead to a job-saving lateral move.
