Needle, Meet Haystack

So let’s say, hypothetically, that the economy is in the  toilet, the job market sucks, the unemployment rate is high, and you are trying to figure out your next move.  Wow, that’s one doozy of a scenario that is totally happening right now.  Anyway, it’s time to assess your options.  Here’s what most people should consider.  I’m not advocating any one of these in particular, but sometimes, we forget to branch out or deviate from our personal five-year plans.  In no particular order, here are the top 20 15 11 options:

1. Full-time career: This is what most people want to do.  Benefits,possibly a salary, and some form of comfort and complacency.  With all the layoffs and restructuring, this might be tough to accomplish.
2. Part-time work: If you’re stuck needing to pay the bills but still want the freedom to look for work and don’t mind less pay, this is a good option.  However, many venues for part-time work, regardless of the collar’s color, are scaling back (retail, restaurants, clerical, etc).
3. Freelance/Contract position: A lot of companies are switching to this model because whoever they hire can be obtained for a shorter duration at a cheaper rate without having to pay for benefits.  It’s a good way to make contacts and boost the resume, but the freelance waters can be quite treacherous.  If you can find a union for your profession, join it so you might at least get some health care coverage and a solid base pay.
4. Continued education: It’s a great time to get a  graduate degree.  You might be accruing more long-term debt, but it will make you a more attractive job candidate.  Be aware that there are lots of other people with this same idea, so depending on the economic climate in a few years, the competition might be the same or worse.
5. Volunteer: Charities and nonprofits suffer during recessions and economic slumps, so helping them out is a great way to put some stuff on the resume, focus on doing some work, (possibly) get a tax break, and maybe find a new job.  Volunteers are almost never turned away, so this is a pretty solid bet.
6. Entrepreneurship: Believe it or not, in a bad economy, starting your own business can be a good idea.  You’ll have an easier time finding work if you’re your own boss, and you can specialize in whatever your metier happens to be.  However, make sure that you’re insulated to take some hits, as start-up costs can creep up on you, and making a new business is tricky.
7. The stock market: Sure, it’s volatile like a ferret on amphetamines right now, but if you have expertise in financial markets, you might be able to pull a decent living from stock and bond trading, be it long-term or day trades.  Or, you could lose everything, which is a lot like…
8. Gambling: Hell, why not?  Seriously, this is an incredibly dumb idea.  Watch any show on Vegas, or read any gambling how-to book, and you’ll find that for every WPT superstar, there are hundreds of chumps that lost to them.
9. Art: So you might need to have some artistic talent here, but if you write, paint, sculpt, act or what have you, you might be able to make some money.  However, much like gambling, there are many more failed artists/actors/musicians/writers than successful ones.
10. Certifications: These are similar to continuing education, but they are for particular fields, like project management, programming languages, or real estate, many of which can give you an edge when  applying for work.  This might sound counter-intuitive to some of the D.I.E.T. stuff I mentioned last week, but if the certification is applicable to your career area or is something you’re interested in, it might be worth your time.
11. Become a hobo: If you like hopping rail cars, beggin’ for ham sammiches, sleeping around burning trash bins, making your own moonshine and wearing raggedy clothes, this might be for you!  Don’t do this one.  I was making a joke.  Really.  Don’t become homeless because of something you read on a blog.  Please?