Job Security vs Employment Security

Job security is no longer a reality for most people. Hear me out. 

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The consciousness of the workforce has changed. Employees are caring less about what company they work for, and more about what leaders they are surrounding themselves with. And companies are going to start having a harder and harder time attracting talent if they don’t adapt, (but that’s a whole other conversation on its own). It used to be a lofty goal to find the right company and stick with it for 30 years. I never hear people talk like that anymore. And none of us are complaining about it.  

We’ve discovered something more solid than job security - employment security.  

Job security is confidence in your company, your role, and your standing in it that gives you peace of mind that you will be able to remain exactly where you are, indefinitely. That’s not as attractive to a lot of us growth addicts.  

Employment security is confidence in yourself, your reputation, and your network that no matter what happens at your current job, you’ll easily find a new one of equal or greater value, no matter where you go.  

There are people I’m connected with on LinkedIn who, right now, if I saw them post that they just got fired or decided to quit their current job, I would immediately be in their DM’s to schedule a phone interview because I want them on my team. That’s employment security. In fact, there are a whole list of people watching, waiting to see who comes back on the job market. Never having to worry whether or not you’ll be able to get a new job is employment security. Just having to worry about choosing the right one - that’s employment security. So, how do you build that?

 There are two keys to building employment security: 

#1 Excelling in your current role, and

#2 Developing relationships with people who help you grow.

Bonus: Use tools like LinkedIn - not only to let the rest of the world know you’re crushing it at what you do, but also to expand the circle of people who can help you grow, and cultivate deeper relationships with all of them.

Simple as that.  

If you’re a great salesperson and everyone knows it, you may not always have your current job, but you’ll always be able to find a new sales job. If you develop a mutually beneficial relationship with a great sales leader who is well connected, you probably won’t have to search very hard for another gig because wherever she goes next, she’s likely to hire you - or connect you with someone else who will.  

So, how solid is your employment security? Are you crushing it at what you do? Do you have strong relationships with strong leaders? Do you know how to effectively use LinkedIn? Or are you struggling with one of these? I can help you with that. I’m just a Reply button away.