Were in for some changes in the world of technology as the U.S. begins to head into a recession. The stock markets overseas have been dropping quickly over the last few days. Today, the U.S. markets open and everyone is expecting huge drops in the market today. The Federal Reserve has announced emergency cuts in the interest rates. President Bush is also getting involved, trying to push through some kind of economic stimulus package.

As things change, PCMech changes with the times. The tech industry is not immune to a recession, as Yahoos layoff announcements show. I expect PCMech to weather this out. Why? Because were quick to react here and were going to be providing REAL VALUE to you our loyal readers. Part of that is showing people how to use technology to recession-proof your life and career.

WebWorkerDaily posted a great post about 5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Career. This morning I am going to give you my own twist on this.

Invest In Your Education

Our economy is very much knowledge-based. This will continue into a recession and back out the other end again. The more you know and the more skills you have, the more immune you are to downturns. The more self-sufficient you will be. If you have knowledge in multiple areas, then you have the flexibility of being able to do other things. The old saying knowledge is power could never be more true.

This is a HUGE reason why PCMech is soon to launch PCMech EDU. PCMech EDU going to be much more than tutorials on building a PC, playing with Ubuntu, and the like. PCmech EDU is going to branch into very useful areas of technology that we have never talked about here on the main PCMech site. Were going to discuss business skills. Were going to teach real skills on how to use the Internet as a medium for business.

I know this is a bit of a plug, but PCMech EDU is a big weapon in our arsenal to show you how to weather out a recession. If you learn the skills of business along with solid computer skills, youre going to be on a much more solid foundation.

Networking and Making Contacts

Making contacts is vitally important. Its all in who you know. In the real world, most of us know the importance of this. However, this extends to the Internet as well. The various social networking sites (Facebook. Myspace. LinkedIn ) are much more than just ways to post your pet pictures and pick up chicks. They serve as great ways to pick up real world contacts.

Just the other day, I got a phone call from a lady looking to hire me for work based on nothing but my profile on LinkedIn. Of course, Im not looking for work because PCMech is my job. But, imagine if I were looking for work. I hardly ever use my profile on LinkedIn, yet it actually managed to pull in a cold call job offer.

Making contacts is about a lot more than posting your resume. Its about making real connections.

Look For Additional Income Streams

I know we have a lot of self-employed readers on PCMech, but the majority are employees working for the man. Regardless of your situation, you should be looking into additional ways to make money. Having all your eggs in one basket is never a safe proposition.

The good news is that you are all reading this article on perhaps the best medium there is to generate additional revenue: The Internet. You can sell products online, start a blog, offer consulting whatever your skillset allows you to do. And having additional side streams of income aside from your main job can always provide a little extra cushion.

Making money on the internet does have a lot of me too people who are marketing outright shams to take your money. No doubt about it. But, I am one guy who does it for real. And I can tell you one thing: If I can do it, anybody can.

Follow The Market

Stay informed on what is happening in the economy and in the job market. Even if you are currently employed, monitoring the job market can give you an idea on what skills are in demand. Knowing this, you can begin to learn those areas in your spare time and solidify your marketability even more. The WebWorkerDaily piece linked above even mentions subscribing to a job search feed from Craigslist. Super idea.

Pay Off Debt

This recession is very much CAUSED by the influx of debt in this country. People have overspent themselves while simultaneously expecting the government to bail them out (which results in even higher government debt). This is a credit card nation.

You can secure your position and be much more recession-proof if you are not loaded with debt. So, do all you can to pay off debt.

Conclusion

A national recession can open up huge opportunities for people who approach it correctly. You can get a start on that by thinking about your life in a strategic fashion. Simply staying the course may or may not work for  you. Recessions have a tendency to change things. And my gut is telling me that this particular recession could be a doosie. Sure, well come out of it. Im not worried about that. But, in the meantime, it marks a period of re-thinking.

PCMech EDU represents how we are changing here at PCMech. As the founder of PCMech, my aim with PCMech EDU is to put PCMech in a position to be a weapon in your arsenal in this recession. Of course, a recession is not my reason for creating PCMech EDU. However, it does put a bit of an exclamation point on why I think it can be of value.

More to come in a few days with regard to the launch of PCMech EDU. In the meantime, think about how you can apply the things above to recession-proof your career. Technology and the Internet is going to be your biggest weapon.