1st page - Holding On to the Job That You Have
June 28, 2009 – 11:36 amIf you're new here, you may want to learn what this site is about. Please subscribe to my RSS feed to get latest updates on this blog. Thanks for visiting!
Wake up in a cold sweat lately, roused from a nightmare where company cutbacks are mandated and the roulette wheel aims smack in your direction? Welcome to the 1990s job world. For the average worker, job tenure in corporate America has fizzled from a stalwart 12.5 years in 1984 to less than six years today. Unless you’re a nimble and willing job-hopper, these statistics will no doubt seem a bit dismal. You can’t control how the economy, new technologies, or just plain old back luck will influence your job longevity. On the other hand, savvy employees with an eye on the future can help secure their footing by following a few rules:
- Learn to be a master of more than one trade. You can’t make yourself indispensable, but you can make yourself less expendable. The surest method to keep things moving your way is to get comfortable juggling several tasks. Adaptable types -anti specialists, if you will -show employers that they are malleable to change. Your best strategy: Try your hand at several key functions that interest you. A marketing executive, for example, who adds superior purchasing skills to his or her resume’ will open far more career doors over the long term. True career champs excel in two or three complementary areas.
- Update your skills and stay flexible. When is the right time to hit the books to keep current? The answer: Don’t wait until your colleagues do. Don’t delay until a plum position opens up, forcing you to scramble and acquire the skills needed to fit the bill. Instead, scope out positions that pique your interest and assess what tools you’ll need to bolster your qualifications. A tip: If you’re aware of a course that you think would make you a better worker, tell your boss. Even if tuition reimbursement isn’t a part of your benefits package, he or she may be impressed enough to find tuition fees in the department budget.
- Understand the corporate culture, and adapt. “No eating at your desk. Stockings mandatory for women. Docked pay for showing up late”. These sorts of work rules may sound old-fashioned, but many companies, particularly small, family-run businesses, abide by them. Whether you can is another issue -and one that you should consider before you accept a job where they are strictly enforced.
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2 Responses to “1st page - Holding On to the Job That You Have”
Like what you have put up here. Going to link to this post from my blog at smarthomeworker.
Guess the best way to encapsulate what you have said here is that you have to add value to stay valued.
Have a good day…
By Sahail Ashraf on Jun 28, 2009