Four Secrets to Always Being Employable

By J.T. O'DONNELL, NATIONALLY-SYNDICATED WORKPLACE COLUMNS

Never before have Americans been as responsible for keeping themselves skilled and employable as they are today. I tell people to expect to have as many as nine different careers in their lifetime, with an average of three jobs in every one. In short, for those who don't keep a focused eye on their abilities to adapt and grow with the changing workplace, a day could come when it becomes tough to find a "good job."

How do some people always manage to be employed and on track for continued success? They follow the four secrets to staying employable.

1. Keep your definition of a "good job" reasonable.
As we progress professionally, we acquire skills and experiences that often afford us greater opportunities in terms of salary and benefits. The problem lies in making the assumption that once we are offered a larger compensation package that it becomes the starting benchmark for any job we take in the future. The result is the "golden handcuff effect" - a sense that we are held hostage by our current job because there's no place else to go.
Smart workers know each job opportunity provides criteria that must be weighed differently against our wants and needs. Staying employable means simplifying our list and planning for the day when we won't have the same level or type of perks. This keeps job options more plentiful and movement to new positions easier.

2. Use the "3x3x3 rule" to create and implement your own professional development strategy.
Forget about waiting for your annual review; smart workers take the review process into their own hands. Assess your professional strengths and weaknesses. Then build a game plan to leverage the first and minimize the second, you can identify how you plan to stay employable. I encourage individuals to follow the "3x3x3 rule" for skill development:

A. Choose three skills you want to enhance.
B. Identify three ways in which you could learn and grow each skill.
C. Articulate three examples of how you can demonstrate your enhanced skills in this area to your employer.

By taking professional development into your own hands, you remain focused and in control of your employability.

3. Be the "go-to" person for something employers need.
Like depositing into a retirement fund, employees use the early part of their careers to develop skills to accumulate professional wealth. Sadly, after a decade or so, some employees believe they've earned the right to live off of the interest accrued from their efforts. Mid-life often brings about changes in how an employee wants to allocate his or her time (ie. want more time with a spouse, family, home, hobby, etc.). Smart employees know this doesn't have to diminish the quality of the time they put into their careers. To stay employable, focus on being the "go-to" person for a particular problem, task or technique. Building subject-matter expertise in a specific area that's in demand within the workplace will create a personal insurance policy that ensures you'll always be the "go-to" employee who's in demand.

4. Create a board of advisors for your company-of-one.
Smart individuals don't do surgery on themselves, pull their own teeth or represent themselves in legal matters. They defer to professionals who have the training and expertise that gets the best results. Smart employees do the same with their careers. In an age where employees are in essence a company-of-one -- responsible for keeping the services they deliver in demand -- doesn't it make sense to seek the counsel from those who can help you make the best career decisions? Smart employees solicit the advice of individuals they feel approach career success in a manner they admire. Whether it's a relative, co-worker, former manager or even a professional career coach, seeking advice from those who know more than you will give you the perspective needed to be proactive and successful at staying employable.

Career paths are full of twists and turns; they're rarely straightforward. To avoid roadblocks, use the four secrets outlined above and you'll be able to make course corrections that will help you stay employable.

J.T. O'Donnell, career development specialist and co-author of the nationally syndicated workplace column "J.T. & Dale Talk Jobs" distributed by King Features Syndicate.
Copyright 2008 J.T. O'Donnell

How to Quit Without Guilt

If you are worrying about quitting, the conventional wisdom about the subject is:

Money talks. At the entry level it says: “Easily replaced.” If you are paid a low salary, the office is not going to be disabled if you leave. If you are so important and so difficult to replace, employers can pay to hire someone quickly.

If you have a good boss, your boss knew you were looking. Most people are job hunting - at least passively - all the time. It should not be news to your boss that you would quit if someone offered you a better opportunity. In a robust economy, the odds of you leaving at any moment are material, no matter how nice your boss is to you.

Your company has only a reasonable amount of loyalty to you. If your company laid you off, they’d give you no more than two weeks’ notice. That’s how the work world works. Play by the rules. Give two weeks notice. The two weeks’ rule is there because once people know about an upcoming separation, the workplace dynamic changes, and the less time you have to deal with this dynamic, the more productive everyone will be.

Good mentors care about you and want to see you grow. As your boss has been a good mentor to you, you owe it to him or her not to handle separation unprofessionally. If someone has been a good mentor and you have been a good “mentee,” then he or she should want the best for you.

But, it is not that simple. Leaving a job is as difficult as saying good-bye to your loved ones. Getting into a job is tough but quitting one is tougher.
Nearly everyone fears the thought of quitting a job. Not because we are not sure of getting a better opportunity, but because we just don't want to step out of the comfort zone and the uncertainty that causes. Most importantly, we do not want to hurt the feelings of managers and coworkers who invested in our success.

It is normal to contemplate missing the people you will leave behind by accepting a new job, and feel that you are letting them down somehow. Consider, however, that work is essentially an economic relationship, not a social one, so people have to do what's best for them. It works both ways, managers who lay off employees, feel the same way, even as they do what they know is right for the organization. In truth, your employer will survive without you. They survived before you were there and they will survive after. If making a move to a new position is the best thing for you, by all means tender your resignation in a compassionate and professional manner, giving appropriate notice.

The main reason people quit jobs is to better their career. Who could feel guilty about providing better for themselves and their family? You have to do for yourself, before you can do for others. Guilt is lessened when you realize that you would be inclined to do what is best for your loved ones before your employer, regardless of the quality of these work relationships.

When people leave jobs under normal career-progression circumstances (not when the threat of termination is present or because of extreme job dissatisfaction), most feel guilty and worry about “leaving in the lurch” managers and coworkers held in high regard. In contrast, after resigning is actually done and a little time has passed, the majority report that these feelings lessen as thoughts about the new position bring about excitement and positivity, characterized by certainty or acceptance.

When it comes to making tough decision about quitting, above all, you must know what you love and what you are good at. The ideal job is one that enables you to channel your best talents into what you best love doing. While that seems like a simple and obvious truth, it's not easy to implement. It requires effort. Perhaps that is why most of us prefer to compromise and settle for something that is “acceptable,” rather than take the less trodden path to seek out and accept the kind of job would most make us happy, where our passions and strengths are put to best and rewarding use.

Remember: Nothing worth doing is ever easy. If you want less than 100% job satisfaction, you don't need to take action. But if you want more, there's no shortcut. Self-awareness is the first step—realize that by receiving a viable job offer, your job-seeking activities is a statement of proof that your current job satisfaction is in serious question—consciously or unconsciously. The next step is to be courageous and quit, you have contributed to your employer commensurately with how you have been compensated—you can feel good about parting ways amicably, knowing that you are going forward in all fairness and good standing.