Today's job market is fraught with peril. Labor is generally the largest expense for any organization, so as times get though, organizations often reduce labor costs firsts. Typically, these are layoffs or allowing positions to remain unfilled. In more recent months, organizations, realizing that they could lose great talent that they will need when the economy rebounds, have offered options like furloughs or flexible (reduced hour) schedules.

When layoffs strike, fear is likely to rear its head. This is not the time to become complacent or to let the fear paralyze you; rather, it's the time to work harder, smarter, and to stand out with more visible results. In addition, it's a great idea (and fear reducer) to have your resume or CV fully updated in today's formats and with today's standards.  Because of the preponderance of great candidates on the market, one must really stand out in these times. The resume is the first thing that most potential employers see and because of that, it's imperative that your resume effectively market your skills so that you stand out from the crowd. The resume is a tool to get an interview; thus, there is no more important document than the resume toward getting a job.

Three things (and there are more) to consider when looking at your resume: 1) can you establish that you can fill the potential employer's need *right now* or that you can solve a problem for the potential employer *right now*; 2) does your experience lend itself to adding shareholder value (e.g.: why should they pay you?); and, 3) will you be able to fit into the organization's culture? These are not easy questions; rather, they are very serious questions.

The key to all of this is to take action, action, action. Nothing happens without action.