Unemployment Tip: Consider Further Education
Just a few credits short of a degree? Maybe that professional certificate or designation would make you more employable than your competition. Working on your Master’s degree sounds proactive and says something about your willingness to stretch, grow, continue learning, and develop further knowledge and skills. In the event of unemployment, education may give you an edge.
Unemployment Tip: Broaden Your Skills
As you prepare for unemployment, consider the possibility that a job may not be available in the field or occupation of your choice. To prepare for such a contingency, a colleague suggests that you can broaden your skills and references by using a bit of spare time to volunteer, or better yet, work part time in a different field.
Her husband worked, in his spare time, as a garage gas boy to help out a friend and to gain access to a hoist to work on his collector car. This work means he now has sales skills he can use to move into part time work after years of being a government employee, an area where there are no jobs in his high qualifications field. My colleague says, "It can be hard to develop cross skills when you work in cubicle land most of your life." But, her husband did, and it is serving them wee in unemployment.
Unemployment Tip: Consider Starting Your Own Business
Another colleague and her husband have spent years combing garage and yard sales for finds. When her husband was laid off recently, it was a short leap to selling items on eBay and in a local antiques and collectibles shop. Should he find employment, he chose a shop that does not require his presence, but is fee-based.
Another acquaintance, who had a long term interest in a particular dog breed and was active in the local and national associations, capitalized on her interest, knowledge, and contacts. She opened an online business that catered to the needs of other lovers of her breed with canine cookies, breed-specific key chains and other novelty items, and resources for breed care and rescue. Advertising supported, the site took advantage of her long term hobby.
Take a look at your own hobbies, interests, talents, and skills. Perhaps a part-time business, that you can start while you are employed, is your best insurance and preparation for unemployment. Small business owners possess some control over income and employment, and even a hobby, can help support you well into retirement.
Unemployment Tip: Get Along With Your Boss
Yes, the boss makes the final decision oftentimes, about who comes and goes. Use the advice in these articles to ensure your relationships with your boss and coworkers are positive and rewarding. This is not the time to job hop because you hate your current boss, no matter how bad your current boss is.Unemployment Tip: Hang on to Your Current Job
Let's face the truth. Best liked and valued employees are not the first to go to the unemployment line or website. You can learn from this colleague who shared her job security story.
"I was once in the situation where a huge number of co-workers got laid off, and I was one of the few left. It was horrible. But, in hindsight, I think they kept me because I could do every job in my department. I don't think any of my co-workers could have made the same claim. That was a gradual learning process, and it wasn't something I'd done on purpose with the goal of surviving a layoff. It was just me being me. When my co-workers went on vacation, I would offer to learn their jobs and keep things under control for them so they didn't have to worry about anything while they were gone.
"So if the goal is to survive a layoff, I'd advise people to make themselves as indispensable as possible, but to do so without making anyone feel threatened. Figure out ways to make life easier for your colleagues, your boss, and everyone else you come into contact with during the workday."
Unemployment Tip: Ten Steps to Keep Your Job in a Bad Economy
I've featured these ideas as the last tip in this contingency list to prepare for unemployment because they take time and energy over time to execute. But, these ten steps will help you keep your job when the unemployment axe falls. They are essential skills exhibited during a successful career. Contributing to your job, your customers, and your company in these ten ways will minimize the possibility that you’ll need to prepare for unemployment. After all, if you’ve done these ten things right, other employees are much more likely to experience a layoff before you.
These are fundamental skills in career success that will not just shelter you from a layoff, they will enhance and fuel the success of your current job and career.
These twelve tips should help you prepare your life and career for the eventuality of unemployment. You have the opportunity now to put your financial, social, and work affairs in order in case your employment status changes. You can prepare for unemployment while still employed. In fact, there is no better time to prepare for unemployment than while you're still employed. Don't let yourself be a victim of "it can't happen here" thinking.
