The world is changing.
The days of employees spending 30+ years at one company are over. And the same way employees are showing less and less loyalty to their employer, employers are showing less and less loyalty to their employees. “Mass layoffs” is a term heard ‘round the world, and it seems to be affecting every single industry–even the ones that traditionally, we considered safe.
So when our world is filled with such job uncertainty, is it possible to ever again feel a sense of job security?
That’s a question that clients ask me over and over: Christine, how can I create job security when everything around me feels so insecure?
But the answer is actually tied to a better question, which is where does job security come from? A common misconception is that security comes from the outside world and what’s happening in your office, but in reality it comes from your inner world.
Over the years, I’ve found the best way to feel a true sense of security is to develop it within. I could say that in order for me to feel secure, I need my business to be stable. But in reality, that only goes so far. In order for me to feel truly secure, I need to know, with endless conviction, that I can bring value.
Clients come and go–but if I know I can provide real value anywhere I go, then there will always be work for me. I’ve had years of experience making customers happy, so I know that even if one business doesn’t need me or my services, another business will. I’ve learned it and lived it. And I know that I can provide value and make customers happy who come my way.
The same can be said for jobs. Jobs come and go. Companies grow and they downsize. But if you know that you can (and do!) provide massive value, then not only will you feel more secure in the role you currently have, but you will feel more secure should you find yourself with a pink slip.
And you’re probably thinking, but Christine, that’s so much easier said than done.
And I would say that’s probably true. But if you go into work every single day, with a focus on just providing a sh*t ton of value and doing what you’re awesome at, I am confident that in a few weeks’ time, you’ll start feeling more secure. Adding value today to a customer, client, or internal team has a direct link to feeling secure in your career.
The truth is that when you’re having a really big impact, it bolsters your confidence. And like I said a few paragraphs up, if you know and see that you’re providing value, you’ll know that you can provide value anywhere.
Double down on these types of behaviors. And do it for your confidence and so you can build your own internal sense of security. Don’t do it for the company or the business—sometimes, they probably don’t deserve it. (Especially if they’ve just done a terrible job in a round of layoffs and have made everyone feel awful about their position and future.)
Recently, one of my clients was facing a tough moment as many of her team members were laid off. A few hours after she absorbed the shock of this news, she put this wisdom into practice by saying, “how can I help?” every time she entered a room. It’s a simple question with a big impact. It helped her feel more in control and secure in her role as change and worry was unfolding around her.
With so much uncertainty, asking a question like, “how can I help?” got her out of her own head. She stopped over analyzing what was happening, she stopped worrying about whether or not she would be laid off next, and she got laser focused on taking action and providing value in this moment.
It was this simple shift in mindset that helped her develop a sense of job security, even when everything happening around her argued she had a right to feel insecure.
Tell me: where does your sense of job security come from? Join me on LinkedIn and let’s continue the conversation.
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