The actress, Valerie Harper, was recently on TV discussing
her amazing journey with cancer. Doctors had told her that she had only 3
months to live so she prepared herself for the inevitable – well, that was one
year ago! She told the interviewers that she is thrilled and grateful for her
progress and acknowledges she still has cancer, but after all is said and done,
we are all “terminal.” Her comment made me think that as much as we’d like to
believe to the contrary, unfortunately, there is no such thing as 100% security
in life. You could be here today and gone tomorrow.
The same can be said for your career. You may think you have
the best job working for the greatest company, but unfortunately there is no such
thing as a sure thing. As the popular career blog, Careerealism, notes on its
home page, “every job is temporary.” Today, it is a common occurrence to hear
stories about people who are completely blindsided when they are laid off at
work.
I read a great article recently on Monster that sets out the
“7 Signs You’re About to be Fired.” http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/Workplace-Issues/signs_you_are_about_to_be_fired/article.aspx?wt.srch=1&wt.mc_n=olm_sk_disp_td_tbl_RON61_img32
According to the article, the 7 signs are as follows:
1) Your
Level of Responsibility Has Taken a Nosedive
2)
The Boss Is Avoiding You
3)
You’ve Been Disciplined Recently
4)
All Hail the Robots! (Your job can be automated)
5)
No More Professional Development
6)
Your Company Was Recently Acquired
7)
You’ve Been Asked to Create a Job Description for
Your Position
I would add to this list:
·
You’ve been passed over for a promotion.
·
You’ve been asked to train someone on part or
all of your job duties.
Now, I don’t want you to panic if you can answer, “yes” to
any of the above; instead I would urge you to think of every job as being temporary
and to take the following steps to make sure you are prepared in the event you
are ever given the pink slip.
Step One – Create a
Vision for Your Career
I often come across people who have a
narrow viewpoint of their career because they never take the time to think
about what they really want or they're so afraid of losing what they have that
they are willing to settle for less. The most proactive approach to getting
ahead in your career is to think of it in the long view. When you take the time
to set an intention, you are a thousand times more likely to reach it.
Instead of letting your career happen to you, empower yourself to firmly take
control of your career progression by thinking of yourself as CEO of your
career.
Ask yourself these questions:
-
Where do I want to ultimately end up in my
career? (For example, President of a Fortune 500 company in the tech industry.)
-
What will it take for me to implement my vision?
I know there are some people out there thinking – “Oh well,
I’d like to be the next Bill Gates or Donald Trump.” Obviously, this will
require a realistic viewpoint and that you take into account what would be a
good fit for you based on your personality, attributes, skills, natural
abilities, and experience. However, it’s always a good idea to aim high. You
could emulate Donald Trump if you really wanted to – just perhaps on a smaller
scale.
Step Two – Take
Inventory of Your Accomplishments
It’s extremely important to know your value in the
marketplace and to be able to articulate your worth. Companies want employees
who will add to their bottom line and solve problems for them.
I hope you’ve kept a folder with notes about your career accomplishments
as I’ve recommended in past blog posts. If not, it’s never too late to get
started. Be sure to think in terms of the results you’ve delivered in relation
to your job duties and of course, quantify them when possible. Be sure to
include them on your resume, LinkedIn profile and cover letter – then be
prepared to talk about them during interviews and when networking.
Step Three – Prepare
Stellar Personal Marketing Materials
Make sure you have a powerful, up-to-date resume together
with other marketing documents such as a LinkedIn profile and cover letter that
“sell” you to prospective employers. If you want to get a prospective
employer’s attention, your resume needs 7 elements in order to make an impact.
It should:
1)
Have a clear strategy. What is your career
objective?
2)
Be written for your target position.
3)
Grab attention at the outset in the Summary
Section.
4)
Define your brand.
5)
Focus on your accomplishments.
6)
Be clear & concise.
7)
Visually capture the reader’s attention with
eye-catching formatting elements.
Step Four - Engage in Purposeful Networking
Assuming you are clear about what you
would want to do, consider where you would like to work. Put together a profile
of the ideal company prototype taking into consideration the company size,
location, industry, and corporate culture.
Once you have a clear picture of where
you want to work, make a list of the top 10 - 20 companies that fit your description
(40 - 50 would be better as you will eliminate companies as you research them).
Research those companies to make sure they are in alignment with what you
have in mind.
Finally, begin cultivating contacts and
relationships with people in those companies. The idea is to engage in
purposeful networking before you have to.
Step Five – Take
stock of your finances
Here are a few quick things you can do to protect your
finances:
1)
Set up an emergency fund of 3 – 6 months of
income to tide you over while you look for your next position.
2)
Find out what compensation you would be entitled
to if you were let go. For example, would you receive unemployment benefits and
for how much?
3)
Make sure you can handle payments of any
outstanding debt or loans.
4)
Write down money-saving strategies you can
implement if necessary.
So, what do you think?
How have you prepared for the possibility
of losing your job?
Do you have any tips to add to the above?
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
