Although there may not be any such thing as a job which is 100% secure it is likely these ten tips will help you if your company decides to cut heads. Kim Goff does an admirable job in this article but I am not 100% sure I agree with Tip #10 which says: Speak up. If you see something that can be improved, or if there's a task that could make use of your expertise, share it! When you give a voice to your ideas, opinions and thoughts about how to improve the overall performance of your organization, managers and co-workers will take notice.
Of course the concept is logical - just be sure you handle it delicately as not all management teams are so accepting of change.
Another item worth considering is working more hours - yes this could be encapsulated in #2 which advises you to take on more. I believe you should put in more hours than the typical worker so as to become more valuable as an asset for your company. Someone your management just doesn't want to part with.
Then there is the notion of attitude. If you are grumpy all the time or taking excessive time off you are inviting yourself to be let go. Now is the time to love what you do - and appreciate the job you have.
This is not to say you can't find employment elsewhere - in a perfect world you should love what you do naturally.
BTW, Goff sums this concept up nicely when she says:
In today's competitive workplace, you can no longer be complacent about your work. Job security is not a guarantee in any industry, and to keep your job or find advancement opportunities, you must present yourself as extraordinary - someone who goes above and beyond. Without this proactive attitude, someone else will soon be knocking at the door to take your place. Waiting for "something" to happen will just leave you waiting. By taking some appropriate actions, you can keep your job, and find ways to start advancing your career today.
One last point worth discussing is the rapid pace of change and competition. There are fewer monopolies in the world and technology continues to be one of the reasons the world is rapidly becoming more competitive.
For example tech has slowly destroyed Kodak's film monopoly and a host of local photo shops who developed photos. To further the point, anyone try getting a shop in a record store lately? Technology also allows jobs to be relocated to other parts of a country or entirely other countries where costs are lower.
This means the US job market and those of other high-wage areas will continue to weak for a while and these tips are probably more valuable than you realize. I hope you find them useful.
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