Stay Employed During These Difficult Times

The economy is a bit sluggish and worries of the government’s actions on the debt ceiling have a lot of us concerned about what the future holds in the next 6-18 months.

Are you concerned about keeping your job in these tough times?  Are you looking for ways to boost your marketability? There are things you can do which will give you the best possible edge to stay employed now and into the future.

1. Get Excited About Your Career – People who enjoy their jobs and like sharing information to the betterment of their projects, teams and companies have a much better shot at sticking around.  Having a great attitude, a sense of humor and a competitive streak, makes other want to be around you.  But remember – confidence is a must, arrogance is a showstopper.

2. Make a Niche for Yourself - In other words stand out in a good way.  Become an expert in an area. Educate yourself or go get a certification, so that you can become the “go to” person in the specialization. This could make you invaluable to an organization.

3. Become a Jack-of-all-Trades – This is the opposite of number two above.  In this way, you become knowledgeable in several KEY areas.  By doing so, you can seamlessly float from one area to another or from opportunity to opportunity. When managers and senior leaders know you have two or three key skill sets and that you add value in unique ways, this will set you apart from others who may be looking at the same opportunity.

4. Be a Key Player – Acting as a fundamental part of the company’s business can also help you be more secure.  Professionals are naturally drawn to those who are well informed and well connected.  Be sure to share with your network, new technologies, events, professional opportunities, and industry news.  Ask for more responsibility and take charge of important projects. When times get tough, management will look for people to downsize who will do the least damage to the organization.

5. Let Your Reputation Speak for Itself – When it comes down to the decision about whom to layoff and whom to retain there is little else that speaks so loudly as your reputation. The key here is to know what the values and expectations are from your boss.  Do a periodic check by requesting an unofficial job evaluation to see how you are measuring up to expectations.

6. Have a Back Up Plan – Even if you do all of the five steps outlined above, remember that there is no guarantee no matter what you do.  Be prepared.  Build and nurture a strong professional network during good times.  Make sure you provide knowledge and ideas freely to your professional network (especially your internal company network). The key is to build the network long before asking for anything in return such as a referral or job lead.

If you have other strategies to build your marketability, we would love to hear them. Or, as an employer, if there are key traits you look for in hiring or retaining staff, we would like to hear those as well. Leave a comment or share on our Facebook page (EDGE Services, Inc.)