Lately, I’ve been receiving quite a few questions from people in their late 40s and early 50s who have lost their jobs or are worried about losing their jobs.
The article below does an outstanding job of showing you how to avoid this problem.
JT’s three points…
- Never put your career on hold (or autopilot)
- Specialize
- Network consistently
are great advice. Here’s my take on each of them.
You can never coast in your career. I often tell my career mentoring clients that you can’t stay in the same place in your career. You’re either moving forward or you’re falling behind. When you coast, you fall behind those who are a pedaling.
You have to become known as a problem solver. Companies want people who can help them meet their goals and solve their pressing problems. The best way to do this is to specialize — become known for your ability to solve a particular problem. For example, when I worked in corporate America, I was known for my ability to advise senior executive on how to deal with thorny employee and team problems.
Finally, you need to build and nurture your network. I advise my career mentoring clients to build their networks before they need them. It’s too late to begin networking when you’ve lost your job. You have to keep in touch with the people in your network (both inside and outside your company) on a regular basis. Do whatever you can to help them. In that way, they’ll be there for you when you need help.
JT’s article is a keeper. You might want to print it and keep it handy. It will serve as a guide for making sure that you’ll always have a job.
Your career mentor,
Bud
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