I was in the height of my career, my son graduating soon from  the college that he is attending, and I thought it couldn't get any better than that.

Then I found out that my company was moving out of state.

As if JUST turning 40 this year wasn't enough, employment advice that I had been sharing with Boomers for the past 3 years was now going to apply to me!

As usual, work was work. I kept it out of my personal life. Then my eldest, the one who had been working his tail off in college these past four years, told me that due to the economy he wanted to stay in college and complete his graduates degree.
Smart kid.

Whoa- is all I could say. Proud as I could be, I also realized that something more was going on outside of my little office in Denver.

Employment rates across America were numbers to me. Each resume that I came across was another sheet of paper that I tried to match to a job description and struggles of the unemployed were just a bad dream. I could help them become employed eventually. And at 5:00PM, I went home for the day.

Forward 6 months and I am packing up my office and heading home. Tears? Not me. Life shaking realization? Bingo.

So here I am, with a great kid with a whip of a mind and I am keeping his thoughts of future employment competition in a notebook.

Sound risky to you? Not to me. He's studying to be an Actuary.

If you don't know where I'm going with all of this by now, let me tell you.

Traditional methods of recruiting are changing. I saw that for the past 3 years and have assisted in many of the changes. Going from a staff of 5 recruiters in a small office in Denver Metro, to 1 recruiter. Me.

It's happening across the board in business. Lay offs are downsizing offices and leaving the last man standing with a few choices: Work Hard, or Work Smart.

I chose the latter. In working smart, I have given myself the opportunity to choose NOT to be obsolete. I have a LOT to offer after many years of experience and I feel that I can still make a difference.

Rather than quietly step to the side and consider myself one of the masses, I have opted to join the successful who have invited innovation into their lives during this economy's crisis.

I still consider myself a Recruiter, but rather than work for a company, I work for myself. And I work harder now than I ever did before.

Take time to evaluate yourself. Sure, consider your options. But at the end of the day, who better to rely on than yourself.

Besides, big girls don't cry- they fight back.

Cass Fisher
Recruitment Solutions