After years as a corporate headhunter and résumé doctor, Stephen Viscusi has taken on the role of job retention expert. His most recent book, Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work, offers tips for people sweating out the uncertain job market.
How can people best prove their worth in the workplace today?
The most important thing is to establish a personal relationship with your boss, and your boss’s boss, so that they know you as an individual. The hiring process today sterilizes who we are, and it means that bosses don’t often know their staff. Nobody likes firing people, but it’s easier to fire someone you don’t really know.
What’s the biggest mistake people can make at their jobs right now?
Out of sight, out of mind. If you’re a telecommuter, you need to go into work. Everyone likes working from home, but it’s so much easier to fire someone you don’t see every day. If your boss isn’t seeing you on a daily basis, it’s easy for them to imagine you not being there.
If you had just one piece of advice to give someone concerned about job security, what would it be?
You have to approach your boss and be honest. Tell them that you know revenue is down and that times are tough, and you want to know where you stand. Address them directly. Don’t expect them to answer, and don’t force them to try, but let them know that you really love the job and you want to stay useful and in the loop.
Is there an easy route for people to stay active and informed in their industry during a recession?
Set a Google news alert for your competitors, your company, and your boss. You might not know everything that’s being said about your industry that’s relevant to you, but if you have any mentions of your company emailed to you as they’re published, you’ll probably hear the news before everyone in your office. It also keeps you updated on your competitors—if they’re landing big jobs or if they might be hiring. Your résumé should always be online, as well. You can keep it cloaked and ambiguous on job sites like Monster.com, but potential employers can still show
interest in you.
What’s the best thing you can do if you find yourself being pushed out the door?
Bosses almost always use the phrases “It’s a numbers thing” and “It’s not personal” when explaining why they have to let someone go. Then they’ll offer a package or a buyout, but it’s still just a fancy, white-collar way of telling someone they’re fired. What I’m reminding people today is that it takes a long time to find a new job, so you respond to your boss by telling them you’re willing to take a pay cut or work fewer days a week. If it’s a numbers thing, what’s the number? Try to negotiate, catch them off guard, and if it works, then you start looking for a new job. It’s always better to find a job when you still have one.
