Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Resolutions for a New Year

No one wakes on New Year's Day and says, "My goal this year is to get laid off!" But this could happen to any of us. So a good Resolution might be to prepare yourself - just in case.

Here is a little rubric I use to help people organize their thinking to prepare for the unwanted eventuality of a layoff:

1. Make yourself positive: Above all, don't whine about what you don't like at work. Don't build yourself up by putting others down. Don't talk about yourself, talk about the value of the team.

2. Make yourself valuable: Don't be a clock watcher. Volunteer for new assignments. Observe the successful people in your organization and emulate what they do. If you cannot figure out why they are succeeding, ask them - they may be happy to talk about what they have learned to be more valuable employees.

3. Make yourself the "go to" person: Helping others is real job security. Aim to be one of the best in your job position and share your knowledge liberally with others. They will be the best marketing investment you ever make.

4. Learn more skills for your current job: If you can do five things for your employer but someone else can only do one or two, you are in a much better position to survive a layoff.

5. Learn skills in a new job area: Is there something you would like to learn that would improve your current job? For example, some computer programmers try to learn about project management or requirements specification. Neither is directly part of programming, but these new skills make them better programmers and more valuable employees.

6. Learn something to amaze your employer: Think outside your job box a bit. Add a "deal sweetner" to your skill set. Join Toastmasters and become comfortable speaking in public. Learn Spanish and this could be a tipping factor in almost any job. Study introductory accounting or budgeting and your knowledge of tracking money will open doors everywhere.

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