Photo Credits: Elsie esq.
Today was a particularly bad day for the job market, with several large companies announcing over 70,000 job cuts (you can see the total jobs lost so far in 2009 in this table).
While many of these layoffs were inevitable as the economy adapts to a more sustainable level of consumption, I wonder how many jobs have been lost simply for failing to quantify, articulate and communicate the value that these employees were providing.
The key is that your contribution must be perceived as being worth more than the money they’re paying you. How do you do this?
- By doing something exceptionally well and making sure the right people know about it.
- By becoming your company’s go-to-guy .
- By accomplishing more than you’re asked to.
- By bringing a solution (or two, or three) every time you bring up a problem.
- By working on reinforcing the positive mental associations you want others to recall when they hear your name.
There will be those rare cases when even all this won’t help, like when a whole company or division closes down. However, you can prepare for that worse case scenario by building your brand and your network of contacts outside your company, long before you need them.
By thinking in terms of career security instead of job security, you’ll run circles around those who just go through the motions when times are good, but don’t know where to start when the going gets tough.
Mario – this is a great post and is full of logical, smart advice. It is probably difficult for many to hear it but I like that you are giving advice that is honest and not sugar coating things. I agree with you thoroughly.
@Adam Singer:
Thanks Adam. When I read the article before publishing it sounded a little harsh, but I decided to post it anyway because, let’s face it, that’s the reality we’re living in.