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Article from ST Forum, 24th July 2004
Worried About Losing Your Job? Here's What You Can Do
I REFER to the article, 'S'poreans upbeat on economy but fear losing their jobs' (ST, July 20).
There are some issues - for example, terrorism threats - that ordinary folks cannot do much about. However, when it comes to job insecurity, there are some simple yet effective actions that we can all take.
Besides constantly embracing change, we have to take charge of our careers, for no one else will - neither our boss nor the company will do this for us.
We have also to strive for continuous learning and improvement, both in our knowledge as well as our skill sets.
Career management is not rocket science. Essentially, it means that we have to regularly review our jobs to ensure we are continuously learning and enhancing our marketability.
When we reach a stage where we realise that we have remained stagnant and are not adding value to our careers, we have to be brave and sensible enough to start exploring lateral career moves within the organisation. If this proves difficult for whatever reason, we should not hesitate to look outside.
Never stay in a state of inertia. The tendency is for us to stick to the familiar, to take the path of least resistance. It may feel warm and cosy, but should we lose our jobs, it would be all but too late.
The crux of the issue is 'employability', not 'employment'. If we take charge of our careers and keep ourselves employable, there should be no reason why we should fear losing our jobs.
PAUL HENG
Founding president of the Asian Association of Career Management Professionals
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