Have you ever felt uneasy about potential job loss? Maybe you’ve experienced it first hand and had trouble finding new employment? Unfortunately, this is all too common with recessions, company restructuring, business failure, or any number of other challenges. While you may lose your job under certain circumstances, there is a way to feel secure in your employability. A way for you to stand out among the rest of the candidates and not only get the job, but demand a competitive salary as well.
Now, the secret to job security is not really a secret, it’s hiding in plain sight. All it takes is one simple decision and over time, you’ll develop the skills necessary to maintain solid job security.
Master Your Field
The first step towards job security is finding passion in a field of work that has good potential for profitability. The second step and key to job security is making a lifelong commitment towards your chosen field. By commitment, I mean lifelong education and application towards company and personal goals. Doing so will ever increase your knowledge and value to potential employers. Consider the following levels of dedication.
Average dedication:
I would consider average dedication a high school diploma and four year bachelors degree. This is enough dedication to complete the education necessary for decent employment. One’s skill level and experience may continue to grow over time, but at a pace which is equal to the work environment. For example, if you find yourself challenged on a regular basis, you will achieve more growth than those who slave away on the same monotonous routine day-in day-out. Someone with average dedication will likely see modest achievement, but will most likely not become an authority in their chosen field. This places them at a higher risk for potential job loss and employment issues.
Lifelong dedication
Someone with true dedication will not only have a high school diploma, but further college education, and a lifelong commitment to their continued education. Lifelong dedication involves advanced degrees, extra classes, reading books, listening to podcasts, going to conferences, working with mentors, and experiencing your own trial and error. Doing so will make you a master of and authority in your field. This brings with it job security and solid income potential. Those with specialized knowledge are always in high demand and generally experience less unemployment.
Become Irreplaceable
The market fluctuates through waves of growth and contraction and inevitably, there will be another crash. Unfortunately, those with little specialized knowledge are more likely to feel the brunt of those effects. Company downsizing, restructuring, and the like, lead to layoffs of employees who don’t offer as much value to the company. The solution is to become irreplaceable through true dedication to your chosen field.
Whatever your chosen field may be, become a rockstar in that field. This will solidify you as an authority and give you the option to start your own business based off the knowledge you’ve gained. By dedicating yourself to further education, you will become ever more employable and confident in your skills to start your own venture. So in closing, what will you decide for your future, will you be average or irreplaceable?
How are you improving your skills today for a better tomorrow? Leave a comment below!
