If there’s anything my work experiences have taught me it is to always be prepared. You never really know when a great opportunity might come along, or even worse, when a sudden lay off can put you out of a job in an instant. The problem is that over time our perceptions and desires may change, but rarely do we ever stay prepared after we reach a place of contentment. We get lazy feeling that we’re happy where we are at, and that we’ve finally reached the goal we were striving for (at least at the time). The key to being able to take advantage of all the opportunities that may come your way, and also be prepared for any obstacles that come along, is to always prepare yourself for the next opportunity no matter how happy you are with your current one.
When I got hired in at my first programming job I wasn’t making much money but with all the great work I was doing there was no way I ever imagined that I would get laid off. Of course I did, and it really set me back because I was completely unprepared for the event and the struggles of moving on to the next opportunity. I didn’t have the amount of industry experience that I needed to really bounce back quickly, so it took me quite a while. Once I finally did I made sure to do a better job of always preparing myself for the future. But the problem is that it’s a constant process. My next job was way better than my previous one, and each subsequent job was always better than the last. Finally, when I got hired on at my current company, it was almost like a dream come true. They are pretty known as one of the best places to work in my area, and the compensation package is excellent. After reaching that point, I relaxed again. It was only after I had been getting frustrated and upset at work that I even went back to think about updating my resume and getting myself prepared for the possibility of a change.
It’s important to keep an updated resume at all times. No matter how happy you are in your current position, you never know what could happen. If it’s not a lay off, it could be a company wide re-organization or even a removal of a position all together. The business landscape is changing rapidly and companies are forced to do the same. You have to protect yourself by always staying top of your marketable skills and being prepared to move on a minute’s notice. Having all you documents together also gives you a sense of freedom and confidence. Much like an emergency savings gives you confidence in your daily finances, having your work portfolio/resume up to date gives you a little extra confidence in your job security. If something did happen you know you wouldn’t be scrambling around to gather information to update your resume and losing valuable time that you can use to give you an advantage over the competition. You’re also much more likely to handle the situation in stride from an emotional standpoint, because you’re at least prepared to market yourself to someone new.
The challenges facing today’s workers are only getting more intense, and it’s crucial that we understand the situation that we’re in. It’s almost inevitable that we’ll all at least face one time or another where we are forced to move on in our careers without much notice, but those that are adequately prepared will always have a leg up on the competition and be better positioned to snatch up the best opportunities. They always say to hope for the best but prepare for the worst, and when it comes to the job that helps provide for your family there are no truer words spoken.
April 21st, 2008 at 6:44 am
[…] The Ledge presents When Opportunities Knock You Better Be Prepared - Joe D shares his experience on being laid off and how he learned to prepare in the […]