Learn to 'Recession-Proof' Your Career

Feb. 19, 2008— -- Dale Kloefkorn is as likable as they come. He's a family man, gracious and affable, with a free spirit and a rock 'n' roll hairstyle.

And in his nine years as a data analyst, Kloefkorn, from Tucson, Ariz., always played by the rules. But last fall, the rules changed. Kloefkorn was laid off.

"I was told over and over again that there's no way that they would cut me loose," Kloefkorn said. "I really didn't feel like it would happen to me."

Since then, the 40-something divorced father of three has been unemployed.

"No matter how marketable you think you are, no matter how smart you think you are, there's something uncomfortable, very uncomfortable, something that shakes your confidence when you drive home and you walk through the door and you know that you are no longer employed," he said.

Kloefkorn was at a crossroads, so "Nightline" arranged for him to meet with straight-talking super coach Peggy Klaus, who wrote "The Hard Truth About Soft Skills." For almost 15 years, she's been giving Fortune 500 CEOs career advice. (CLICK HERE to take Klaus' Soft Skills Quiz to help you identify your strengths and where you need improvement when it comes to recession-proofing your job.)

"I realize I'm a work in progress," said Kloefkorn, "So even though I feel like I'm good at what I do, I feel like I need to learn how to do those intangible things in my job that will make me more secure."

Kloefkorn was in for some tough love when he spent four hours with Klaus. When it came to talking up his accomplishments, he was tight-lipped.

"You know for me, brag is a four-letter word," he said. "We grew up in that era, I grew up in that era where that's something that was really looked down upon."

Kloefkorn's communication style underwhelmed his coach, and Klaus' first lesson was that the workplace is no place for modesty.

"There was something holding him back from saying, 'I really am good at this job.' He used equivocating words like 'I'm kind of good', 'I'm pretty good at this,'" Klaus said. "If that's what you're saying, well, you know you're not going to be the go-to person when that recession hits."

Which brings us to her next lesson.

"I don't like to travel," he said about another.

"Being away from my kids Monday through Friday is definitely a drawback," he said.

Klaus said it's important to recognize that even your so-called "dream job" won't be perfect.