As soon as you start working, one of the objectives you need to keep in mind is how to stay employed. This helps you secure the regular income you need to plan for the future. You get to plan ahead because you know that your salary is constant. The money you know you will get every month allows you to budget and set aside money for future goals.
Of course, all this depends on your ability to hold a stable job to have constant pay coming into your finances. If you find that you are let go and shown the door, this poses a big problem with how you manage your finances. For one thing, it will be a challenge to pay for your expenses including those for basic needs.
Food, housing, and even clothing can be a challenge when you do not have enough money to pay for them. This is why it is important that you try and stay employed so you can have the resources to manage your finances. Without a job or a source of income, you could be facing a tough uphill challenge in providing for your needs.
Uber is laying off a lot of workers
Case in point is how Uber recently let go of a number of their employees. QZ shares that the company laid off over 400 marketing people. Although the lay off consist only about 2% of the total workforce of the company, the fact remains that these things happen even to companies believed to be doing really well.
Uber is not a disruptor
One surprising aspect of this layoff news is that Uber is believed to be an industry disruptor with the services they provide. As such, they were poised for growth and help you stay employed if you work for the company. Uber forced a lot of legislative and workforce changes all over the world that it was seen as a leader in its industry.
However, Professor Clay Christensen from Harvard Business School shares that Uber is not a disruptor because it does not meet the criteria for it. It did not establish a new market and did not cater to low-end customers according to the Medium site. However, the fact remains that when Uber came into the picture, the automotive service and taxi industry will never be the same again.
It is not immune to traditional company problems
As different as the company is, it was still not enough to help some of the employees secure employment. Much like with other successful brand names, layoffs are a common occurrence when the company deems fit. It can be due to cost-cutting measures, streamlining operations, or even being bought by a competitor.
How to lower your chances of losing your job or making sure you have a source of income
Regardless of the company you work for or the industry you are in, there are a few things you can do to help you increase your chances of keeping your job. Here are some of them worth looking into.
Love your work
If you are looking to stay employed, you need to love your work. This means being productive the moment you clock into work. You do not spend the whole day trying to figure out how to work as little as possible in the hopes of not getting caught. This can lead to losing interest in your work really fast and altering your priorities at work.
Loving your job means making sure you get your job done and doing your best every single day. It also means putting an effort to try and do more every day at work. It can be helping some colleagues figure out a solution to work problems or simply contributing to solutions rather than being part of the problems the company has to solve.
Develop your skill
There is always a lot of room for improvement and that goes for your skills as well. If you are in the advertising industry as a graphic designer, there are a number of ways you can look into to help you develop your craft. It can be taking advanced classes, surrounding yourself with creative people, or simply looking at the work of award-winning pieces to inspire you.
If you are in the medical field, you need to take time to improve on your specialty. There will always be improvements in your field either with new instruments technology offers or even procedures that outdaty7es old practices. These can help you become better at your job and increase the chances of keeping it as well.
Learn new skills
It is challenging to stay employed if you are only focused on one skill the whole time. You could become good at it but if your trade becomes obsolete, you could lose your job. This is the reason why it is a good idea to always have a backup plan. This means working on other skills and developing them to the point where you can earn money from them.
The best place to start with this is your hobbies. Is there something you love to do in your spare time? Are you a creative person and love to make designs for family and friends? You can start honing this hobby and look for ways to get clients for it. There are online workplace sites that offer you the chance to work on your own terms.
This is a great option since you can start on your own terms. You can choose to work only when you get home at night for a few hours or during weekends. Once you get the hang of it, you can start adding hours to your work and increase your rate. Soon you will see your income increase over time and it can be a viable income source.
Do not burn bridges
It is not a good idea to let your emotions take over when you are let go at work. You might decide to get angry at your boss and other superiors for not keeping you in the company. You do not know if they even had a hand in the decision to let you go. In any case, just be civil and keep the friendships you have in the office even after you leave. It may not help you keep you stay employed but there are times when your former boss could make a recommendation to other companies. This can help you find a new job faster.
Preparation is crucial
One of the reasons why you save up for an emergency fund is that you want to be prepared for future challenges life throws your way. If you suddenly lose your job, you have some savings to help you meet your financial obligations at home all while searching for a new job. So you should be prepared to manage your finances in case you are given the pink slip.
The best way to stay employed is to contribute positively to the company you are working for. But even then, there will be situations outside your control where you could be let go. As mentioned earlier, it can be a merger or even a slow down in the industry you are in. These are some of the reasons why you need to also prepare by making yourself more employable.