The world appears to be shattered, the economy is collapsing and everything currently looks really gloomy. Most of you reading this are probably already feeling the rough side-effects of the financial crisis and it might be difficult to see the end of the tunnel from where you are standing right now...
Have faith!
There are a couple of things to remember in dark times like these. First of all most of us are still alive and able to eat every day. We still have our family and friends and if you think about it, none of us have lost anything which is of *real* value.
"The greatest things in life are not things".
And the most important thing to remember during times like these are that we developers as a specy have something which is of great value to "all the others". We have a gift! We are able to work and solve problems for other people whom are willing to pay us for doing just that. And unless this is the "end of the world" (which it obviously is NOT) then others will need our services also tomorrow.
Your current employer might be in for a rough ride, maybe you'll have to down-size your beer and gadget budget, maybe you'll loose your job, maybe the bank will take your house, but you can still help someone out there with your skills. And someone out there are still interested in paying you for that.
And System Developers will at least as long as it is currently possible to see into the future have a skill which others are in need of. Of course with a lot of down-sizing - as is normal in a recession and maybe some of our employers and customers going bankrupt it might be a little bit more difficult to find that work, but unless you're a really bad developer and actually wanted to do something else but choose system-development because of all the beautiful women, the good pay and the long vacations (yeah, right! ;) - then you have something which other people need. And other people are willing to pay you for that...
Remember that as stated above, the greatest things in life are not things! And in fact even in the economy that statement is true too. Your ability to work, solve problems and be productive - that's your real value. And unless you have one of those jobs which really doesn't have any meaning, you will find work also tomorrow.
What can you do?
If you think that you are one of the guys facing the hardest times ahead, then the first thing you should do is to make sure you are highly valuable. And I don't mean by stealing the key to your employer's safe or starting to create really obscure code so that they'll have to keep you to maintain their systems. No, I mean that you should make yourself valuable by increasing your *real* value. This means that you should read and gain knowledge. You should teach yourself something that the world (and your employer need), and teach yourself something new. Maybe this is the time to start studying Ajax...? ;)
Another thing you can do is to get VISIBLE. This means networking and meeting people. Someone out there might be looking for someone with just your profile just right now. But you need to meet them.
Another way to gain visibility is by joining an Open Source project. Some of you may also have some extra un-voluntary spare-time now. USE it! Join some existing Open Source project or start your own. This gives you visibility. I was headhunted several times during the worst dips of the last recession due to a couple of high-profile Open Source projects I was running at the time.
And the third thing you can do is to help others and ask others for help. We can wrap the "market" or the "financial sector" into all these beautiful, statistical analysis which abstracts it away so much that we loose sight of what it's really about. But when shit hits the fan it's all about people helping each other. I help you solve your problems by developing some system for you, and you help me pay my bills by writing me a check. It's really that simple! And we don't really NEED "the economy" for doing that! Help others by asking them what they need, for them it might be the world while for you it might be some small thing. And help yourself by telling others what you need. The things you need really badly might be some small things for others.
It's all really about Karma. John Lennon was right, it is truly just a ride. Enjoy it and relax, as long as you're still on the wagon you're still in the game. And NOBODY can take that away from you!
Now I need to go networking to find some Ajax Consultancy work for me and Kariem... ;)