Ways Protect Your Job
April 8, 2009 – 5:29 amI’ve been thinking about how someone can protect their job recently, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this can be done in a couple of different ways. The first is to protect your CURRENT job by:
- Become indispensable. Sign up for a high-profile project. Learn a new skill.
- Add value, and generate revenue if possible. Cost center employees are always more at risk than those who bring in the greenbacks.
- identify which internal groups are grow and which are shrinking, and move into a more prosperous group
- network network network.
There are, however, only so many things you can do to increase your value at your current firm. And if the job cuts are deep enough even some top performers will have their positions eliminated.
Therefore, in an effort to diversify you could prepare for a different job. This could be an entrepreneurial change where you turn a hobby into a business. It could involve learning new skills, which could benefit your current employer or a new employer. This could also be a job similar to one you had earlier in your career. For me it might be going back to software development, after a small upgrade on skills or experiences. For others it might be a move from Sales to Marketing or vice versa.
Education is another option. It might be worth looking into the requirement to move into another job. Jobs in healthcare, like nursing, are likely to be plentiful going forward. You might also investigate what it would take to become a teacher in your local area if that interests you, or try to obtain some kind of cross-training that could be used launch you into a new career.
Many people recommend generating multiple streams of income, usually by starting a side business. While this may be a good suggestion for some I personally think that you need to be wired as a self-starter and entrepeneur in order for this advice to be relavent. I personally believe that you can achieve a similar level of security (if there ever is such a thing) by concentrating on your own skills as an employee, but you have to put in the effort. It’s unlikely that you’ll be great in multiple areans, and therefore I prefer to excel in one or two areas and work on my strengths rather than focus on my weaknesses.
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One Response to “Ways Protect Your Job”
The best thing I can do for my job is the follow the points you’ve made. I work at a bank that has been going through a number of changes, and layoffs. My work may be for nothing, but I am working my butt off, not to protect my job, but to protect my employment with the company.
In the mean time I am working on diversifying income streams with side businesses.
By the weakonomist on Apr 8, 2009