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As America’s corporations try to figure out how to compete in the global economy, we all need to step back and examine our own abilities and if they are still relevant. More than ever, employees are reflecting upon their careers and what the future has in store for them. Some are scared and most uncertain about their career advancement and how to avoid a personal recession. Unfortunately in today’s marketplace an old-fashioned resume just isn’t enough.

When was the last time you reviewed that old resume in detail? Have you noticed that the success stories that once gave you leverage no longer have the same impact as they did before? How do you plan to manage your career and its advancement when your resume and skills are becoming extinct.

With the recent announcement by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that America’s unemployment poses a national crisis ringing in our ears, more and more of us are having trouble getting jobs because we are no longer qualified for the jobs that are available. The bottom line is that the market is moving too fast for old skills to remain relevant.

On top of that, the traditional workplace makes it very difficult for you to market the internally focused skills you’ve developed working at your current job. The skills sets that we have been taught in the workplace and in business schools no longer are transferable and quickly lose their value. Through outsourcing and crowdsourcing, it has become much easier and less risky for companies to borrow talent for a defined period of time rather than assuming the growing costs of employment as healthcare inflates and 401ks become less attractive to retain talent.

What steps should you take now to keep yourself relevant? A few things to reflect upon:

1. What are the characteristics that make you relevant in your work today?

a. How do they contribute to your success and eventually significance in the organization you serve? Are you actively investing in these characteristics? Your investment isn’t just about money alone, but how you are developing the right network of people that can help you make the best investment decisions in support of these (6) characteristics.

2. Are you building your personal employee brand?

a. Ask 20 people to answer the following questions about you:

i. What is your enduring idea?

ii. What is your primary differentiator?

iii. What is the primary experience that you deliver to those around you?