Defero Business Coaching Blog

In my last post I discussed what is coming to be known as the new normal.  It’s a world not meant for the faint of heart.  If words like “layoffs” “riff” “downsizing” and “combining divisions” make you feel slightly nauseated, you have a very short time to grow a spine or be left behind.  The security that once came with employment is…well…gone!

The problem for many of us, especially those in their peek earning years (40-50 year olds) is that we were raised in a world where the company’s we worked for were supposed to be long term commitments.  Just like it was for our parents.  You would work 30 or so years for one or two companies and then retire with a pension.  Simple, right? 

The game changed as technology developed at an ever increasingly rapid rate.  Companies nowadays have to keep reinventing themselves if they are going to stay competitive.  That means every few years they may need different types of employees with different types of skills, depending on market demands.  It doesn’t make companies bad or evil but it does make them lousy sources of financial security.  And let’s face it, for most of us our job is our sole source of financial security.  Wrong!!! 

If you are going to make it in this new normal you must have a plan and that plan should include more than one source of income and preferably several sources of income.  That way if one source of income goes away, you still have other sources you can rely on.  I know what you are going to say.  How can I possibly have another job outside of my already demanding 60 hour per week, 2000 mile commute, you better exceed expectations or your toast, current position?  The answer to that question depends entirely on you and what you want but I bet the answer will be easier than you thought.

Stay tuned for my next post on how to find what lights your fire and never be dependant on one company for your source of financial security again.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that there is no sure thing when it comes to career security.  It doesn’t matter how good you are, what industry you’re in or how indispensable you think you are, if you feel your job is secure, you’re kidding yourself.   Author Andrew Neitlich wrote a book devoted to this topic, “Guerrilla Marketing for a Bulletproof Career.”  In it, he discusses why career security is a thing of the past and the sooner you realize it, the sooner you can start planning for a successful future.

From the beginning of the economic downturn, I’ve seen first hand how devastating it has been for my clients. I’ve worked with people who have been knocked around by this economy and I’ve worked with people who have come through the downturn unscathed.  Ironically, it’s the people that have come through unscathed that I’m most concerned with.  Either with a false sense of bravado or just luck, they feel they have weathered the storm and if they can emerge from this economy in tact, they must be okay.  Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, but that’s the last thing they want to hear. After all, many of these people see themselves as the gladiators that survived the fight.  When in reality, the way we manage our careers has changed forever and no amount of head in the sand thinking is going to change that.

  The question that should be on the minds of our unscathed friends and for that matter every working adult is now that he game has changed, how do I build a career that can weather future crises while providing steady income and career satisfaction?  The first step in the process is to have a plan so that when circumstances beyond your control happen (read layoff, downturn, recession) you’re prepared.  In my next post I’ll discuss how to come up with just such a plan and ways in which you can protect yourself from the next big, unexpected career surprise.

Defero is looking forward to posting all kinds of useful information….soon!

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