Payrolls dropped by about 80,000 in March, the fourth consecutive month of private-sector job losses and the largest decline since March 2003, and the unemployment rate rose to 5.1%, the highest since September 2005, the U.S. Labor Department said in April.

How safe is your career? That will depend on your specific job, industry and company, but that doesn't mean you have no control over your situation. With some extra effort, you can go a long way to recession-proofing your career.