Recession and inflation have combined to introduce us to the new fangled term stagflation where costs are soaring but jobs are hard to come by. In such a scenario, most people are considering themselves lucky that they have a job to call their own and a salary that helps put food on the table and take care of other basic necessities. It’s times like these that care has to be taken to hold on to your livelihood; a lackadaisical attitude could see you on the wrong end of a lay off. If that does happen and you become collateral damage in the blink of an eye, you have no one to blame but yourself.
The process of holding on to your job and making sure that you leave only on your terms starts not when there are rumors of pay cuts and lay offs circulating on the company grapevine, but the very day you start your job as a new employee. Here are a few pointers that offer guidance in helping you keep your job even as heads are rolling all around you:
Give your best from day one, and continue to do so even though you think your position is well established.
Create the impression that you are a team player first and foremost, that you consider the company’s goals higher than your personal ones.
Strive to improve your performance in each task that you undertake. If you settle for mediocrity, there’s no way you’re going to push yourself to work harder and reach higher levels.
Do things when they’re meant to be done instead of putting them off till the last minute or running late on tasks that have a definite deadline. Time is of the essence and even if you’re done a good job, a job completed late has lost its value.
Take time to mentor a junior staff member even though there’s nothing in it for you. Your superiors will notice that you’re helping your colleagues and teaching them the right way to go about their work.
Be sincere in all your dealings with your coworkers and your superiors. Even if there are aspects to your job that you don’t like, talk to your manager or supervisor instead of complaining about it to the rest of the office.
Do not indulge in office gossip, especially about your higher ups.
Never rat out on colleagues. Play the ignorant game but do not point fingers even if you know who was responsible, unless someone else is unfairly taking the blame.
Offer to take on new and challenging assignments that test and improve your skills regularly.
Invest in an education and earn a degree or diploma that will help you whether you stay in the same company or move on.
In the event of a lay off, offer to take a pay cut if your company will keep you on the payroll.
Most companies are hesitant to fire employees who are loyal, hard working and willing to improve. So make sure you’re on this list long before the rumblings start and the heads start to roll.
This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of talent agents. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.
