The uncertainty around today's economy has some workers feeling uneasy about their jobs, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com. Twenty-six percent of workers reported that they worry about losing their jobs more today than a year ago and 35 percent said the workplace has become more competitive because of a fear of job cuts. Nearly half of workers (49 percent) reported that their resumes are not up-to-date. The survey included more than 8,000 workers nationwide.

"It's an unsettling time for U.S. employees as the nation works toward creating a healthier economy and job market," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "The important thing is to be prepared and stay productive within your organization. If you've experienced a layoff, don't get discouraged. It may take longer to find a job, but there are still companies out there hiring in a variety of areas such as healthcare, sales, government and education."

  Tips for Making Yourself Recession-Proof at Work
  --  Seek out additional responsibility.  Show you can wear many hats
      within the company by volunteering to take on different
      responsibilities.  Try to get involved in long-term projects.
  --  Be a team player.  Establish yourself as someone who proactively
      shares information and resources and tries to help benefit the work of
      others.
  --  Offer up ideas.  Propose ideas for cost-savings, improved efficiencies
      or new revenue streams to help your company weather the storm.
  --  Toot your own horn.  Keep a current record of your accomplishments and
      contributions to the company, quantifying results whenever possible. 
      Share new highlights in a project update email to your boss and other
      supervisors who may benefit from your accomplishment and make sure to
      give kudos to others involved in the project.
  --  Stay positive.  Keep focused on the task at hand and don't let rumors
      impact your productivity.


  Job Hunting Tips for Workers Who Have Been Laid Off
  --  Finding a job is a job.  Commit to looking for a job two to three
      hours per day.
  --  Transfer your skills.  Look at how your skills can apply to other
      industries that may be hiring.  There are universal skills that
      employers will search for such as strong communication skills,
      problem-solving, project management, etc.
  --  Leverage social media.  Join various social networking sites and
      consider blogging to showcase skills, experience and creativity.
  --  Study job postings online.  Job postings clearly spell out what
      employers are looking for and employers often use electronic scanners
      to search for keywords in their job postings.  Update your resume
      using some of the same keywords as they apply to your experience.
  --  Make yourself more marketable.  Consider taking this time to go back
      to school or obtain a certification in a classroom or online.
  --  Stay active.  Consider volunteering.  Most employers views this as a
      relevant experience and it can help expand your network.


  Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 8,038 U.S. employees (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 12 and December 1, 2008 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of U.S. employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 8,038, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.09 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder.com

CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job site with more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.6 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company and Microsoft Corp. , the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 1,700 partners, including 140 newspapers and leading portals such as AOL and MSN. More than 300,000 employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 28 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. CareerBuilder.com and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

  Media Contact:
  Jennifer Grasz
  Senior Director, Corporate Communications
  773-527-1164
  Jennifer.Grasz@careerbuilder.com

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SOURCE: CareerBuilder.com