Looking to the Long Term: How to Create Job Security for Yourself

Can you see yourself happily staying with your current company long-term? If job security is something that you seek, you need to consider making yourself the kind of indispensable employee that your company needs to keep around. It’s not just about working hard, there are some strategies that you can use to gain the professional security you desire. For example:

Grab Critical Projects or Tasks Others Don’t Know How to Do

Management wants to see growth out of their employees; while you can excel at the job you are hired for, what really keeps you around for the long-term is being able to take on new challenges, even if it might be a little bit out of your wheelhouse. Volunteering to take on critical projects, especially tasks that others don’t want to do, will help to make you stand out on your team. These projects may also involve training, and an introduction to software and systems that may be the future of your industry.

Deliver Excellent Results

All companies use some sort of metrics to keep track of their top performing employees. Whether it’s sales numbers, online click-thru’s, or other types of productivity analysis, if you are delivering excellent results it will show up on the reports for management to see. With this in mind, be aware of what management is keeping track of and how they are judging your performance. While there may be other noticable ways you are exceling at your job, staying near the top of quantifiable reports will help you stand out, and even put you front-and-center for promotions that come around.

Pay Attention to Things Effecting Your Industry or Company

One of the biggest keys to job security is making yourself the kind of employee that can help lead your company into the future. Keeping abreast of what is happening both in your industry, and internally in your company, and where it is going will help you stay ahead of the curve, allowing you to get the skills and training to be viable in your job going into the future. Subscribe to industry related blogs and emails so you can be aware of what trends are occurring in your industry. If things are in either an upswing or a downturn, understand why it is occurring and what it means for you.