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How did you manage to stay off the layoff list during your career? Me and my friend was having this discussion and this is something you don't when you first graduate college.
I've gotten laid off about three times - the longest layoff was a year and a half during which I went to a vocational school. I got promptly hired in my new field (legal) within two weeks of graduation. I existed on unemployment for a year while I went to school. The last six months my husband and I squeaked by with no second income.
Sorry, this may not be helpful either...BUT...
My ex-brother-in-law who DOES have a college degree (and a Master's now I hear) always said it's best to get into management if one can. (The lowest workers are usually laid off and management steps in later to fill the jobs til the business comes up again.)
So you're on the right track being college graduates. This was an unusually hard recession.
I have never been laid off. Well unless you count the small dot.com I worked at where all of the employees banded together with each other and told the President we were done-- we needed unemployment since the company was not bringing in the money and we had bills we had to pay. So technically, he "laid" us off, but really it was a group choice and well went for drinks right afterwards.
I have never stayed at a company longer than 5 years. I have always gauged where I thought the company, department, division, etc that I was a part of-- and where were they headed. Did their values meet mine? Did I think they were beating a dead horse, did I see the writing on the wall?
In my current job, I plan to stay at the company post 5 years (assuming that I don't get laid off i.e. I will not be leaving by choice). I have found that those (at least at my current company) who are able to stay without being in a lay off (and this is the very general statement because I have known of 2 who really were just extremely unlucky) are those who are fearless and who are leaders.
In other words, I take it to heart that my role at my company is to work myself out of a job, and when I can do that and improve the organization to where I am not needed, I have always been moved elsewhere based on that success. The ones I have seen who have the long tenures are those who consistently always get results. They are the ones who think strategically and are comfortable with taking risks and making decisions. They embrace change and are able to see a bigger picture.
The ones I have personally seen at my current company who have been laid off (although I admit out of the about 20+ I know personally 2 were not falling into this category) did not really add much long term value to the company. They typically were average employees, lacked flexibility to change, and could not think out of the box. They also usually hesitated to make improvements and embrace change as they were afraid of losing their job.
Pick a stable or growing industry.
Do your job, and do the requisite "political" things.
Get in a union shop and build seniority (although that is no guarantee, my first two jobs were union for the same company in different divisions and both had massive layoffs with no recalls). Third company went bankrupt.
Cross train. I have my teaching certificate (actually Senior Teacher now) but also have my Administration, Testing, and On-line Instructor endorsements. I've also been teaching for 25 years so lay offs are not a real threat to me now although my system did layoff teachers, and others, this year.
Just a little thing I wanted to add--- at my current company (4.5 years), I had the opportunity to meet with an Executive VP within the first year of my employment. Basically, my company tried to have a sampling of new hires do a round table with a member of sr. leadership to discuss their onboarding, how their experience has been, etc.
At the time, quite a few types of jobs were moving over to India. So some questions were being posed to this leader about what other jobs would be moving offshore, etc.
I took to heart what he said.
He explained to us that he tries to never make decisions that are based solely on his own fears, wants, and desires-- but those that are the best for the company. He went on to say that quite simply if it makes fiscal and process sense to move something to India or wherever else-- then it is his duty to support that move. It is in effect his duty to the company. He said of course that may mean that one day I am no longer needed or even himself.
He then went on to say that he could not promise anyone if their job and skills aligned with one type of skill or job that could be easily offshored that that person, who may even be a great employee and consistent at what they do, would not be laid off. He said-- if that same employee stretches himself to really understand the business from a more holistic and end to end basis-- understand the strategy and management of that business-- it is those things that we can't just offshore or outsource. That person who is able to see a bigger picture, a strategic picture, and a comprehensive viewpoint IS valued and will more than likely remain with the company in a different type of role. In other words, there is nothing wrong with being good at data entry, processing, or other general office duties-- but don't expect that your value to the company on a long term basis is the same as someone who understand the business at large.
I took that information to heart. Since then, I have in all of my next roles always stretched myself to know and understand a little bit more whether it is to add additional technical skills, systems skills, or even just leadership skills to my arsenal. Now as time has passed, I am considered a go to person and someone who can jump into any project and hit the ground running with very little prep time-- that way I work has basically stemmed from that one conversation with that executive. I don't allow myself to be pigeon holed into ANY role or job. No project is too small or too big for me to want to get engaged in and learn something new.
What Lovetheduns wrote about the duty of company officers needs to be studied by everyone. Their task to make a profit for the owners no matter what. I don't like offshoring (see my previous post, that was one factor) but it's reality. Andd it didn't just start, it's been going on since at least the early 60s, long before NAFTA.
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