My favorite advice from Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus is that we can’t control what happens around us, we can only control our reaction (seriously, read Enchiridion). 2,000 years later Octavia Butler said “God is Change.”
And that applies to job security. As much as I’d like to say if I perform well I can keep my job indefinitely, we know that is not the case.
Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to worry about what comes next? Job security means one less thing to worry about and one less anxiety trigger.
But job security is elusive and never a guarantee, even at the most stable company. Look at federal government employees – a year ago, those jobs were considered to be extremely stable and that changed with a single election.
Things we can’t foresee can derail our plans overnight. Reorgs, acquisitions, mergers, layoffs, and most of the time you never have a warning. There’s no incentive for employers to give you a heads up so they come as a surprise.
But if we know these events can and will happen regularly, maybe there are some things we can control:
- We can control our readiness to hit the job market.
- We can keep our portfolios and resumes and LinkedIn profiles and interview skills fresh.
- We can download our performance reviews and work samples.
- We can continually upskill and network.
- We can save an emergency fund and be super familiar with our monthly expenses.
- We can have a Plan B for other income streams.
These things give me peace of mind, because I know if the worst happens, I’ve done all I can to set myself up for success. So you can’t 100% provide job security for yourself, even business owners can be affected if the economy nosedives, but you can prepare yourself for the unknown.
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