JOB/CAREER
Your job insurance policy: Don’t be naive Wherever you’re working, always know that your purpose is to serve a function for a company/corporation that needs to make a profit. It’s Economics 101. Their benefits (profits) for having you there must exceed what it costs them to keep you—although in some job situations it’s more difficult to calculate your personal cost/benefits ratio because you function as part of a team and your contribution can’t be separated from the team as a whole. When things are pointing upward in the economy and your employer’s business is doing well, you’ll have a job as long as your supervisor and coworkers are happy with you and your performance. But when things turn downward in the economy or people around you are not satisfied with you or your work, you are on thin ice. In a good economy, people who don’t perform as well are more likely to get away with it than they are during an economic downturn. Not being a worker of excellence in a bad economy means you’ll be the first to go. Your insurance policy is not to be naïve. Despite how cozy and friendly your job environment may seem, the company you are working for is there to create a profit and you are there to make it happen. Therefore, they will rapidly eliminate your position if your services are no longer needed. The sooner you realize this, the better. In addition to always working hard and smart, to safeguard your position, keep any dissatisfaction you feel with your current job—such as coworker incompatibilities or your need for higher pay or advancement—to yourself unless you believe the problems you’re having can be solved. If they can, make an appointment with your supervisor/boss specifically for the purpose of discussing your current position and your potential for future growth and advancement. During such a meeting, any problems you face and have been unable to resolve on your own can be an item on the agenda, but they should never be the expressed purpose for the meeting—otherwise your supervisor/boss will be put in a defensive position instead of in a problem-solving position and you may be viewed as a troublemaker. Many people who are dissatisfied with their jobs or have problems that can’t be solved begin looking for a new job. Good move. But then
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