The author George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned¹ to repeat it." But surely no one wants to relive some of the darker days of 2008. Follow these five steps to make sure you've truly learned the lessons of the last year:

作者George Santayana曾说：“那些忘记过去的人注定要重蹈覆辙。” 但是当然谁都不愿意重渡08年一些黑暗的日子。要想真正汲取去年的教训，那就尝试以下五件事吧:

1. Be prepared for sudden job loss. 对突然失业做好准备。

According to federal data, the US lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008. And some experts are predicting that another 2 million may be lost over the course of 2009. Don't ignore the odds². It can happen to you, so be sure you're ready to start interviewing immediately.

美国联邦政府数据显示，美国在2008年削减了260万份工作。一些专家预计在2009年还有2百万份工作将消失。不要忽略这个可能性。这可能发生在你身上，所以要随时准备好面试。

This means your resume should be up to date and ready to send in a moment's notice, you should have at least one interview outfit³ cleaned and hanging in your closet, and your online networks should be current. Reaching out to people immediately after news breaks of layoffs⁴ at your company can seem disingenuous⁵. It's best to connect with other professionals when they won't feel pressured by your request.

这意味着你该随时更新简历，以确保能即刻发出简历。你至少要有一套干净的面试行头挂在衣橱，而且网上通讯工具应为在线状态。等裁员的消息出来才立刻去求助于人，这会让人觉得你虚伪。最好是在你不这么急迫的时候和其他人多联系。

2. Network with your neighbors. 和邻居建立关系。

Forget rubbing elbows with strangers at networking mixers. Your next professional opportunity could come while you're mowing⁶ the lawn, walking your dog, or on your building's elevator. According to a report entitled "Place of Work and Place of Residence: Informal Hiring Networks and Labor⁷ Market Outcomes" authored by Patrick Bayer, associate professor of economics at Duke University, and others, "Residing on the same [block] versus⁸ nearby blocks increases the probability of working together by over 33 percent."

别惦记着和社交网站的陌生人拉关系。你的下一个职业机会也许是在修剪草坪、遛狗，或在住宅电梯里时出现。根据杜克大学经济学副教授Patrick Bayer的“工作地点和居住地点：非正式的招聘网络和劳动力市场的结果”等报告，“和附近区相比，你有大于33％的可能性和住在同一个区的居民一起工作。”

So, help your neighbor shovel⁹ his walkway. Hold the door for the woman who lives above you. Be extra nice to the kids playing in front of your home. Host a dinner party for some of the folks on your street. Your future boss could be living on your block!

所以，帮助你的邻居清理走道。出入大门时，为那个住楼上的妇女挡一会门。对在你家门前嬉戏的孩子多一点友善。为同住一条街上的人们举行晚宴派对。你未来的老板也许就住在同一个区！

3. Explore your options in health care. 寻找保健行业的就业机会。

No matter what is happening with the economy, people still require medical care. And with a growing and graying population, a notorious nursing shortage, and the addition of 372,000 health-care jobs nationally in 2008 (while other industries practically perished), health-care promises to remain hot. Whether you're a care provider, an administrative¹⁰ professional, a food services worker, an IT specialist, or a marketing¹¹ executive, your local medical centers or health-related businesses may have a position for which you're qualified¹².

不论经济如何，人们依然需要医疗保健。人口越来越多，越来越老龄，护理职位短缺， 2008年全美国新增了37.2万医疗保健工作（而其它行业却在衰败），所以医疗保健行业还是蒸蒸日上的。不论你从事护理、管理、食品供应、IT，还是市场营销，都可能在当地医疗中心或保健企业找到一席之地。

4. Plan for your own future. 计划好未来。

If you want to pursue another profession or entrepreneurship in the future, lay the groundwork now. Being goal-oriented will help you remain positive during dark days, and running your own business can put your career's future in your own hands. Also, you'll be in good company.

如果你想以后换工作或自己创业，现在就得打好基础。以目标为导向，能让你在“黑暗”时期保持积极；创业能让自己把握职业未来。而且许多人将与你为伍，开始创业。

President Obama is a small-business supporter, and Florida-based Internet marketing and website promotion¹³ agency Jorn and Price Marketing are predicting an increase in startups, saying, "New online startups will be everywhere. There are lots of very skilled people that have been and will be laid off or asked to take unacceptable cuts in pay. Many of these people will decide to go into business for themselves rather than fight a tough job market." If you could lose almost any job at any time, isn't it better to be your own boss? After all, not many folks would fire themselves.

美国总统奥巴马总统支持小企业发展。佛罗里达互联网营销及网站推广机构Jorn and Price Marketing预测创业的人数将增加，他们称“新兴网络公司将四处涌现。因为将要有许多高技能人才下岗，或者面临无法接受的减薪。许多人将决定自己去创业，而不是在一个艰难的就业市场中战斗。” 要是你随时都有可能失业，那么给自己当老板不是更好吗?毕竟，多数人不会炒自己的鱿鱼。

5. Save some money in a very safe place. 将些钱存在十分安全的地方。

In a mad world, you never know when you'll need a little mad money. So make sure you've got some on hand. Having a stash¹⁴ of cash -- at least six months of living expenses -- can make you breathe easier in scary times and give you the confidence you need to make careful choices about your professional life. In other words, you won't have to jump at the first job offer you get if it doesn't seem like a good fit.

在一个疯狂的世界，你永远都不会知道什么时候突然急需用钱。所以你得存一笔钱。有一笔至少维持6个月生活的存款能让你摆脱恐惧，让你有足够多的信心去对职业生涯做出仔细选择。换句话说，你不必饥不择食地接受第一个出现却不适合的工作。

The stock market proved to be an unreliable piggy bank in 2008, with Kiplinger magazine calling it "the worst bear market since the 1930s." So, do yourself a favor and accrue¹⁵ the king of all liquid assets in a manner in which you know you'll have it when you need it.

在2008年，股市是一只不可靠的“存钱罐”，Kiplinger杂志称之为“自1930年来最糟糕的熊市”。所以，帮自己一个忙，管理流动资产时，你要确保要用的时候就能用。