Losing Your Job

A few years ago lay-offs were the exception and not the rule. Today it is actually the rule and not the exception. Today nobody can say for certain that they would work long enough for a specific employer or even the public sector to actually plan and go on pension one day. Things are too volatile and uncertain today and every worker must actually be prepared and ready to be called in any day with the news they are going to be retrenched or laid-off.

Times have changed and so must we - the saying of adapt or die is most applicable. Anybody can be the victim of a lay-off or retrenchment. Nobody is safeguarded against it. It is at its best a very traumatic experience. It means you won't have a job to go to everyday anymore, your means of earning a salary is severed and life has changed suddenly and completely.

In the first place, the best option there is, is to ensure that you are in such a position or situation at your work that you would be last one to be considered for retrenchment or lay-off. But how to do it? Actually it is easy - make yourself valuable to the business or company you are working for:

Think about the skills you would really need to do your job excellent, and then you make sure you attend courses and skills development as much as you can. You must get an edge on your co-workers.
Think about ways and means how you can add value to your job. Find ways to do more in less time without compromising quality. Come forward with suggestions and ideas to save money for the business or company.
Be willing to do more than is expected of you. Stop being a clock watcher. If people are needed unexpectedly to work overtime, be the first to volunteer.
Make means to get involved. Do not be reactive, but pro-active. Ask what you can do for the business or company and not what they could do for you.
Take the lead and initiative and in stead of complaining about problems, fix it without being asked.
Find how your job fits into what your business or company does. Get involved and think outside the box.
Accept the fact that it is not a right to have a job. Nobody owes you a job and it is your responsibility to look after your job. Do everything in your power to make your business or company successful.

Just remember, the afore-mentioned is not a guarantee you won't be axed and therefore you must, in the second place be prepared in advance for the eventuality that you may be axed. It is not to say you are pessimistic, but for retirement you plan long in advance for the day you are going to retire. The same principle here. You must have a contingency plan in case of a lay-off or retrenchment. It is like car insurance - you must have it but you hope you would never have to use it.

In your planning, the aspects mentioned on how to make you more valuable for your employer should be incorporated in your plan. Good advice is; never use any severance money to finance any venture to start an own business. Remember, whether you are working or retrenched, you must still have your retirement plan in place. Any money received as benefit for being retrenched must be in your retirement plan. Talk to financial advisers on how to invest such money. In your plan to make you more valuable one of the aspects is to improve your qualifications or skills. The same here - plan how to obtain more and better skills in general which would enhance your employability later on or at best, to start your own business. Plan to be your own boss - the possibilities are endless. To start your own bookkeeping services, electric repairs workshop, electrical appliances shop or installing garage doors are a few possibilities for which you won't need much start-up capital.

The bottom line is if you realize that the industry you are in is changing because the world is changing, be ready with your plan of changes. Don't wait until you are in trouble - take control of your life.