Fireproof Your Job
by Donna Rosato
February 12,
2009
These six smart, field-tested strategies will help ensure you don't get burned by cutbacks at the office.
When you read the latest blog postings about layoffs in your industry or hear about another colleague losing his job, do waves of anxiety wash over you? Well, you don't really need us to confirm that you've got good reason. The unemployment rate among college-educated workers has jumped 41% over the past year, with layoffs only expected to accelerate over the next few months.
The good news: There is plenty you can do to decrease the chances that you will join the 1.4 million professionals currently out of work. The following six strategies have helped others who faced job cuts successfully stand down the threat. While there's no guarantee they can do the same for you, it pays to try. Maybe the boss will decide you're indispensable, after all.
Stand out and step up
Strategy: Make sure higher-ups know you by solving problems and taking on high-profile projects.
Just doing your job well, even exceptionally well, doesn't cut it anymore—unless your boss knows you're exceptional, and so does his boss and anyone who could be your next boss.
"The invisible guy is first to go," warns executive recruiter Stephen Viscusi, author of "Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work." Small stuff counts, such as regular face time at the office (arrive a few minutes before everyone else and leave a few minutes later) and making cogent points in meetings. Big stuff matters even more, like volunteering for assignments no one else wants or devising a plan to meet a key challenge (say, cutting overhead by 20%).
Dave Dishman, 34, a manager for an IT consulting firm in Phoenix, knows that during recessions companies are quick to scale back on consulting projects, so he makes sure he's "memorable" to execs who are responsible for staffing decisions.
"I don't want to be forgotten when it matters most," he says. He's aggressive about completing assignments on time and considers it a plus if he has to get in front of a senior person to get information or approval.
When several colleagues were recently let go, Dishman took over their projects even though he already had a full plate. "I was told that senior managers appreciated my hard work and specifically requested me for upcoming projects." The lesson: Tough times often yield opportunities to take on more responsibility; handle it well, and it can pay off later.
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