Dont be the Next Corporate P.O.W.? (Professional Out of Work)

The Wall Street Journal asks John for his view on Job Hopping and how to avoid becoming a POW

I certainly do not recommend "job-hopping"; absolutely a detriment to your paper credentials. I am also not recommending or suggesting that we as W-2 employees take on the ominous task of a self-employment venture. The entrepreneurial spirit is not something one acquires; rather, it is classically or genetically inbred.

However, what I am suggesting is that we the employee populace of America simply become more aware of our volatility...Most of us drudge onward even in the face of massive RIF’s somehow believing that it won’t happen to us. Even the young professionals I meet in my executive search business somehow believe that a large employer is a corporate safe haven for their jobs.

I am suggesting that we as W2 employees have all of our proverbial eggs in one basket. It is the only business scenario in our country that has no diversification or exit strategy; today you have income and tomorrow you don’t! My blog submission strongly suggests that we become more aware of the fact that every company in this country is a house-of-cards and we could be dealt a junk hand on any given Friday afternoon!

I strongly suggest we keep our resumes at the ready and at least once a quarter we evaluate our career situation, our industry, profession and the company we work for.

Put this on your calendar and stay abreast, become paranoid about the precariousness of your job. Learn how to market yourself, maintain or develop your interviewing skills, know your marketability factor. Whether we like it or not the employment population (employees) of the good old US of A are our own entities. There is no safety in numbers, just like any successful business, we must always be aware of losing our best customer and what we will do to acquire another one quickly!