Trying to keep your career on track in tough times? A recent Sky survey claimed that in some organisations 60 per cent of staff asked for a pay rise this year. Not only is this atrocious timing, but it reinforces the idea that staff are one homogenous pack. When employers lose sight of an individual’s distinctive contribution, they unconsciously divide staff into costs and assets.

Those who react to restructuring by moving into survivor mode, simply clinging to the wreckage, are seen as very different from those making an active contribution to the organisation’s next phase. There is a naive view among bosses that those who escape the axe are so relieved they improve their performance. The reality is that the most talented often move on as soon as downsizing is mentioned, and some who remain see-saw between frustrated job searching and on-the-job cynicism. Here is a six-step career management strategy for tough times:

1. Look at what’s working, not what isn’t. In your firm’s game plan, where do you have most impact?

2. Concentrate your efforts on projects seen to be as close to recession-proof as reality offers.

3. Find a senior mentor to help you to decode your organisation while it’s going through tough times.

4. Don’t ask for a pay rise: demonstrate your value, not your cost.

5. Negotiate a move away from a part of the firm that is seen as underperforming or peripheral.

6. Don’t stop networking – both for industry knowledge and for insider tips on your next opportunity.