New Zealand currently boasts a strong economy and low unemployment, but that doesn’t mean any of us should consider our job ‘safe’.
The days of relying on intrinsic job security are long gone, thanks to innovations in technology and the diversification of the job market, said Julie Thomas, programme manager at Careers NZ – and as a result, “all workers need to be prepared for change”.
“There is no such thing as a secure career path, and being resilient provides us with insurance against change and increases our likelihood of staying in work,” she told the
NZ Herald.
Rather than assuming your role is ever 100 per cent secure, you should instead aim to solidify your ongoing employability by investing in your own career and your personal brand, Thomas said.
“It's important to be highly visible in your role: build your personal brand by being positive and keen to take on new challenges, as this will help to ensure excellent references when moving on to other roles,” she suggested.
Opportunities abound to create and nurture your own brand, said Dorie Clark, author of
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future – particularly with resources such as blogs, social media and even web development being so accessible and affordable.
“Corporations don’t need you any more as a ‘worker’, but what corporations always need is ‘stars’. [The aim is to] find a way to turn yourself into someone who is in demand by name,” she said.
“There’s always going to be someone who can do it for less. But there’s not going to be someone who can fill the role if they’re specifically looking for
you.”
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