The New Job Security
Posted by Saundra Lee on Wed, Mar 09, 2011 @ 02:52 PM
What is job security?
It used to be, get a job with a “stable” company and stay there long enough to get seniority and you are set for life. 
Not so any more. First let’s look at what “stable" use to mean to us.
- A large brand name company
- A government job
- A union job
None of those are stable anymore…
- A large brand name company does lay-offs with a priority to the ROI on salary not tenure of the employee. Also, large brand name companies are acquisition targets for larger brand name companies as we experience quite a bit in Massachusetts (Fleet Bank/Bank of America, John Hancock/Manulife, Gillette/Proctor & Gamble).
- The Government does lay-off after all.
- Unions can cause a company to go bankrupt.
I have recruited now through 3 recessions and what I have observed is that the only true job security is within ourselves. Job security is no longer external, it is now internal.
When someone consults with me regaurding their job search or is looking at new job opportunities and tells me they want their next job to be with a “stable company” I give them this job search advice…
“Just make sure that the next job you take will make you more marketable then you are now. Job satisfaction first, of course, but make sure you will be adding valuable skills and knowledge to your resume and you will be exposed to senior management that will notice your accomplishments.
Here are 3 job security tips for the new economy.
1. Never slip into a comfort zone. Keep a pulse on whether or not you are achieving you marketability enhancement goals at a current job. If not, figure out why. Should you be taking more initiative where you are or should you look at other jobs that have more of a career nurturing environment.
2. Keep networking! Networking is not just for job seekers. The biggest mistake you can make is to forget about enhancing your network when you are working. That is the best time to do it! This becomes more and more important as you advance in your career as most job opportunities above 150k are filled through a network connection. A great passive way to stay on top of this is LinkedIn.
3. Stay on the cutting edge. Keep up with the newest technologies, practices and news for your discipline. Most of the time, when experienced professionals lose job opportunities to less experienced professionals, it is due to lack of cutting edge knowledge.
Remember a career path is a journey not a destination. While the ideal job can sound like the ultimate goal, you never know what sort of job opportunities can lead you to more job satisfaction than you thought was possible.
Check out one of Saundra's Career or LinkedIn Workshops.
Posted by: Saundra LeePresidentDubin & Lee