Recession-Proofing Your Job
It’s sad but true: job security is an oxymoron. The workplace is simply not as crowded as it used to be. But, if you are fortunate enough to have a job, especially one that you enjoy, now’s the time to keep yourself from becoming a statistic and take hold of your career.First of all, this is no time to be invisible. If they don’t notice you, you’ll be one of the first people to receive a pink slip. Instead, adjust that attitude to fit the seriousness of the times, and safeguard your position. How?
- Perform! Being a valuable contributor to an organization has never been more critical. Be a good employee. Be a team player. Be a top-producer.
- Stay tuned in. Skip that $4 latte in favor of the office coffee klatch. Eat at your desk instead a grabbing a sandwich at the local café. Move your lunchtime workout to after work instead. The more you’re around the office the better plugged in you’ll be.
- Talk up your contributions. Make sure you're adding value by going above and beyond your basic job responsibilities. Then make sure your boss knows it -- without being obnoxious. Document what you do, and how successful you are at it.
- No whining. If your workload increases, deal with it. If you have to come in early, stay late or work a weekend, suck it up. This is not the time to be thinking about work-life balance. Remember, happy campers are less likely to get laid off than chronic complainers.
- Never stop networking. The day you’re let go is not the day to start calling old colleagues and asking former bosses out to lunch. You should be doing that right now. How quickly you land a new job after a layoff often depends on how consistently you've networked.
In this economy, preparation is just as important for those who still have jobs as it is for those seeking them. So, stay focused on what you’re doing, but have an exit strategy in your back pocket. Good luck!
Labels: job security, jobs after college, professionalism, real-world knowledge, recession, the real world
Posted by Seymour Jobs on 4/10/2009 02:44:00 PM
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I couldn't agree more about not whining. There are many people out there that do not have jobs and cannot afford their rent,groceries, health care or a better education. For people to whine consistently about their job duties just shows how ungrateful they are. I'm sure if they thought about their other option - being unemployed - they would reconsider. So before you whine about getting coffee for your boss or having to stay late, just remember that there is a stack of resumes on your boss's desk of people who would happily do those jobs.