The people who legitimately do not have to worry about standing in the unemployment line are the few that are truly irreplaceable. Everyone would like to think that they are irreplaceable, unfortunately, that's rarely the case.
How do you make yourself irreplaceable?
Cross Train: Educate yourself in as many relevant areas as possible. The truth is, when the comes time for layoffs, and it's down to you and another individual with the same job training and roles, the individual with the broader knowledge base and more value-add will likely prevail.
Stay Ahead on Emerging Trends: Experience and formal education are highly valuable; however, it is more critical than ever to stay current on ever-changing market and technological trends. Keep yourself and your position relevant by understanding and utilizing the new frontiers in your industry.
Keep a Positive Attitude: Stress and frustration run high in most organizations and managers and business owners generally experience the brunt of it. Staying cool, confident and optimistic can go a long way to see you through. Be the one to bring solutions to the table, rather than problems and your employers will likely see you as an ideal candidate for a promotion, not one to be let go.
Each one of us is unique and has special talents. You need to believe in yourself and make your talents known. Do everything in your power to make significant contributions without keeping your personal gains in the focus. Think long and hard about things you can do, specific to your industry that, that will make you irreplaceable and increase your personal sustainability.
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