By Sandy Johnson, Senior Consultant
The employment landscape has changed. Forever. And it continues to change. And with change comes new language invented to describe how we’re trying to manage.
Quiet quitting.
The great resignation.
Languishing.
And now, Career Cushioning.
This last one conjures up a visual for me of my multiple jobs in advertising, recruiting, and finally career coaching, precariously perched on an enormous, tufted cushion. But according to hive.com, career cushioning is essentially giving yourself a plan B, a safety net, or an alternative option to your current job without actively looking for another job.
While the job market remains strong, there’s a chance it could deteriorate as interest rates increase, investments decline, and consumer spending takes a downtick, says weforum.org this month.
Regardless of the economy, it’s prudent to always be career cushioning. Top performers at any level are not immune from downsizing, restructuring, mergers, acquisitions, or any number of business decisions that could one day eliminate their roles. The days of starting and ending your career at the same company are over, as are the days of being rewarded by an employer for long-tenured loyalty.
And while a successful career can be temporarily interrupted by an employer, there’s another and perhaps better reason to cushion your career: it’s your career. Which means you’re in charge. If you don’t plan, you can expect that one day you will be scrambling. Whether you decide to cushion or take it a step further and proactively plan your next move, here are some guidelines to keep your career on track.
1. Keep your resume up to date.
It’s much easier and faster to polish up a resume than start from scratch, trying to remember what you did and when. The actual remembering part is challenging for all of us, because we’re more focused on doing our work than writing or talking about it. If nothing else, maintain a file of your projects and achievements, reviewing and updating it every two months. This will guarantee accurate accounting of what happened and how you contributed. It will also provide a great foundation for #2.
2. Talk about your work.
You may not be ready to apply for another role or practice your interviewing skills, but it’s a good idea to practice talking about what you do anyway. This is an underrated ability and those who know how to do it well, get noticed. If you want to raise your profile with your manager or more senior stakeholders, consider how you might share your progress and your wins. See #1.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t bragging. This is letting others know what you’re doing which can produce unexpected benefits for more than just you. It can prevent duplicated efforts. You can become a go-to knowledgeable resource. It can let your manager know how proficient you are and when you’re ready to take on more. And there’s always the simple yet appreciated acknowledgement of “nice job!”
When you do launch that job search, you’ll have all your stories ready and fresh in your mind. In the meantime, letting your team know what you’re doing helps everyone.
3. Network.
You probably know you should be doing this, but it sounds like so much work. I agree. Networking sounds like work. I prefer to call it connecting. Connecting sounds so much more, well, easy. It doesn’t need to be onerous. Think of it as just staying in touch. In touch with former colleagues or making new connections with people you’d like to know. Maybe they’re doing something innovative in your field. Or they work at a company that appeals to you.
Connecting is a reciprocal process that includes both information gathering and sharing what you know. If you start this practice now, it’ll never become something you should do. And here’s the bonus – you’ll be better positioned to call upon any of these connections for help or advice without being afraid that they won’t know who you are.
Whether you’re ready to move on or simply want to be prepared when the time comes, this proactive approach will undoubtedly pay dividends for you now and in whatever job may lie ahead.