10 Ways the Average Person Can Improve Their Job Security

Job security is always going to be an important concern for those of us with regular jobs. The last thing we want is to completely lose our main source of income, so it’s vital that we find ways to keep our position or at least improve our chances at finding a new job should our employer collapse or experience financial difficulties. So in this article, we’re going to look at 10 ways that the average person can improve their job security in order to stay financially stable.

Source: Unsplash

1. Become essential to your business

If there’s one thing that will help you keep your job regardless of your industry, it’s when you become an indispensable part of it. Most employers won’t fire someone or let them go if they’ve become a crucial part of the business. This could be because their role is incredibly important and they fill it well, or because the knowledge they possess is something that nobody else has. There are plenty of unique ways to become essential in the workplace and it often depends on the type of office you work in. The simplest way to approach this is to consider what skills or knowledge you possess that no one else in the office has.

2. Put in the extra effort

Going the extra mile at work not only makes you a more productive member of the workplace but also helps you stand out from your peers and makes you a more valuable member of the office. This will help to give you a shield against being fired or let go for financial or productivity reasons and is often a great way to get bonuses at work too. Of course, you may also be taken advantage of by your employer, so it’s a good idea to moderate just how much extra effort you put into your work.

3. Adapt to changes in your workplace

If there are changes taking place in the workplace then you need to learn to adapt to them. For instance, if there’s a new branch opening or a new type of product or service, then you could potentially expand your horizons by adapting to those changes and offering your employer a completely new set of skills that can help them expand the business. An example of this is if your employer has decided to switch from a traditional system to one that uses more technology. If you can adapt to those technological changes faster then others then it could land you senior position.

4. Learn how to communicate effectively

Whether it’s communicating with your boss or speaking to your peers, effective communication helps you become more productive in the workplace and helps to solve miscellaneous issues in the office. If you improve your social skills in the office and learn to communicate more effectively then you can drastically improve your job security.

5. Go beyond your role in the workplace

If you’re capable of going beyond your role and learn new skills to help others in their department, then you’re going to appear far more indispensable and will be unlikely to ever lose your job. In fact, it could land you a promotion in the future as a senior member of staff that is capable of managing or assisting multiple aspects of the business. However, this does require you to be very vocal and also learn new skills that are useful in multiple parts of the business.

Source: Unsplash

6. Seek the services of third parties

Sometimes, keeping your job doesn’t really involve learning new skills, being more vocal or even working at all. Sometimes, keeping your job involves speaking to third-party professionals such as oilfield injury lawyers that can help you get back into your position after an accident at work or even attorneys that can help you deal with harassment and other related issues in the workplace.

7. Learn new skills and apply them to your workplace

There are plenty of ways to learn new skills in your own time in order to provide yourself with a better chance of getting promoted and keeping your employment position. You could ask your manager or a senior member of staff about undergoing courses to pick up new skills and become a more valuable member of the team, or you could consider learning yourself at home and develop new skills that can be applied to your position in the workplace. Employers like to see their staff developing new skills that can improve the business and make them more productive.

8. Help your co-workers

Helping your co-workers can earn you favor not only with your employer but also with other employees that you work with. This ties in with the idea of becoming an essential member of the team and providing you with some protection against being let off or fired. A member of staff that provides assistance to everyone else is essentially a senior manager in the making and it’s a great way to show your boss that you’re serious about your position in the office.

9. Become an expert in your respective field

In order to become indispensable, it’s often important to think of yourself as more of a consultant and adviser than just an employee. If you’ve got the knowledge and skills to be doing more in the business than what you’re currently doing, then showing off a little bit and establishing yourself as an expert can help you find more employment and growth opportunities that will help you keep your job.

10. Be honest with yourself

Sometimes, our line of work might not be the most interesting or enjoyable thing to take part in and it can usually lower our motivation and make us think twice about ever wanting to put in extra effort to help our employer. If you’re not motivated at all to improve your skills and play a bigger role in the workplace, then perhaps a new job is what you need to ensure your job security instead.