Job security is an oxymoron these days. Covid has turned our lives upside down in more ways than one. It has made us question our worth as employees. Are we just so dispensible that every upheaval would throw us out of work? What can we possibly do to improve our chances of job retention when times are rough and things get tougher?
I have asked myself these questions too. Luckily for me, I was able to keep my job but that didn’t stop me from wondering how we can condition-proof our jobs. Is it possible to build a life where regardless of how poor the market conditions are, our jobs would more or less remain secure? Sounds more far-fetched than it actually is. However some of the old myths about what ensures job security may not be valid anymore. So throw them out the window and adopt a new approach. You will see you are very hard to get rid of even when the company must downsize.
That brings us to the question: what makes a person’s job truly secure? Is it hard work, attitude, or just plain luck? Is it having friends in higher places or being a team player? Let's explore 3 myths that normally circulate but honestly do very little to enhance your career or improve job security.
Myth 1: Be a team player
I don't know how many books my dad read on being a better team player. He was a seasoned marketing director in a British firm and felt that is what you require to be a great manager. The truth is you don't have to be a good team player to be a good leader. When you are a team player, you develop a groupthink mentality that makes you shush up when others are putting forth ridiculous ideas or just becoming lazy. However, when you choose to be a team player at certain times but definitely an individual thinker at others, you not only become a true leader or a valuable team member, you always gain more respect in the workplace.
What to do instead: Put your foot down and be an individual thinker when something just needs to be done regardless of what the group thinks. Be a team player when it doesn't affect the outcome in any manner. Being a team player or individual thinker is not an ego or popularity game, it is a performance game. Keep that in mind
When is it okay to be a team player? It is okay when everyone is talking about holding an event on a certain date in March but it is not okay when they are saying a certain assessment should be removed because it is too time-consuming. It may be time-consuming but if it needs to be done, then put your foot down and say it must be done by this date. Period.
Myth 2: Don't work harder, Work smarter
Now hard work is an old adage. Work smarter is relatively new but still a reasonably old enough view for it to become somewhat flawed. People who are so into working smarter look for short-cuts that simply won’t cut it. When we were asked to go virtual during Covid, fabulous teachers went ahead and created Canvas courses, made online websites, learned new technology while those that chose to “work smarter” chose a different path. Guess which group parents liked better?
What to do instead: Hard work cannot be replaced. That doesn't mean you should be making calligraphic worksheets when you can just print them online, but it means never giving up on new ideas and new research. We had a colleague who was the epitome of work smarter and not harder, guess what? She is not with us anymore. You never know what you may discover when you give up on work smarter ideas and just focus on work harder while making life easier where you can. That old assessment technique may have already been thrown out the window by solid new research. Have you googled it recently? Do it, find out, and then make changes as needed. Learn new tech resources available and make life easier for yourself and others but learn it, show the effort and others will be forced to make an effort too.
Myth 3: Make yourself indispensable
Now that's the biggest myth of all time. No one and mark my words, no one is truly indispensable. We had people working for decades who resigned and others took over without skipping a heartbeat. We had this custodian who everyone relied on so much. I am sure she thought she was so needed that school would fall apart if she left. Guess what. She resigned or had to because of her health and someone else took over and has been doing an amazing job.
What to do instead: Make yourself Invaluable. Adopt new ideas, learn new research, incorporate new research findings, stay a step ahead of others because you want to keep growing and not because you want to stay employed. Staying employed should not be your goal when becoming invaluable. Your goal instead should be personal/professional growth because people can see the difference it is making and that will enhance job security.
