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I have to say that this forum is one of the gloomier forums in CD, leaning toward action after the fact instead of on planning, so I thought I'd start a thread that focuses more on a longer term strategy to be able to maintain a job, and hedge your bet against unforeseen layoffs. The following may not work for everyone, but it did work for me, so take what you can out of it and ignore what doesn't apply in your situation. I am not trying to come off as pompous and arrogant, as I have been displaced more times than I care to be. They have all been a result of downsizing, mergers/consolidations, transitioning of functions to other locations where I opted not to relocate, and just a general change of heart in the direction the company wants to take. I have always worked for very large Fortune 100 companies so by its sheer size, I have had the opportunity to move within. Just the same, I believe that what I am about to write applies to smaller organizations as well.
1. When I start with a new job, I try to do at least the minimum it takes to do the job in the beginning, and do it very well. When I am comfortable in the process, I look at what I can do to create efficiencies on the job. If I can do an 8-hr job in 7 or 6 hours, it leave me time to take on additional work that will increase my job knowledge and provide some sort of visibility. Not only is the work done correctly, but I set the stage for my own training to do something else, and my manager realizes my potential.
2. Everything takes time. I don't expect instant gratification, neither in terms of money nor promotions. It will come when it is deserved, and that is an open-ended time frame. I focus on my own self-development, because if the current management does not recognize it, someone outside will. I get the training on their dime. I would hope they would take advantage of that, but if not, I'm confident someone else will eventually.
3. I look outside my department and try to figure out where I want to go next and what it takes to get there in terms of skill. Then I find the opportunity to learn it, whether it be on company time (provided it is relevant to the work I do and will add value to my current position) or on my own time outside of work. That could mean taking online courses on the companies intranet for VBA during slow times, or buying my own VBA for Dummies book and practicing it at home.
4. I try not to complain, but if I have to voice dissatisfaction, I will at least come up with a proposal or a suggestion on how to improve the situation. Doing so will give others the impression that you are not simply whining, but is actually thinking about how to remedy the thing that is broken. I even practice this at home. When a family member complains about something, I always ask if they have a suggestion on how they want it done. Anybody that comes up with just a complaint with no counter proposition is summarily ignored in my book.
5. I try to be nice to everyone I work with. You never know when you could call in a favor. You will never know who you will report to next.
6. I make it a practice to differentiate between things I can change and things I cannot - whether that means my chair, the break room, the bathroom, or the cologne my co-worker wears.
7. I try to build my network while I'm in the job, not after I lose my job. That includes former associates, neighbors, classmates from school, even in other states, or countries for that matter. In this global economy, everyone is connected through only a matter of keystrokes. I was able to at least bring my sister's resume overseas in front of HR managers, who happen to be college friends, with very senior positions in the companies my sister wants to work for. The rest would be up to her.
8. I watch my spending habits while I am employed. I plan my 401K contributions, I study my benefits, I analyze my financial position after certain thresholds (dates of vesting of company match, or pension, etc. etc.) or taking on a mortgage that one person's salary can afford, even with two breadwinners. Having been laid off four times (and my husband twice) and surviving the layoffs made us focus on long-term planning so that we can ride the unemployment period without two much feeling like it is a feast-or-famine event or grasping at straws. Nothing is more frustrating than not having a choice or when the choices are like the devil and the deep blue sea.
9. Don't be afraid to go into something new. Remember the Peter Principle - People rise to their level of incompetence. This can be interpreted as "You are not an expert when you get promoted to the next higher level. After some time, you will be, and then you move on." What worked for me is to not jump in into an area where I can't at least bring some of my skills from a prior position into the new position. This is where I had mentioned in another thread that advanced Excel and Access had been my lifesaver when I moved around the company. Then you start building upon your skills with those in the current position.
Well I hope the above helps. Like I said, it may not work for everyone, but it worked for me.
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