Key to Career Security

In a world which seems beset by constant change, the very concept of job security sometimes seems passé. The real key is to stop thinking about security in your current position, instead focusing on career security over the long haul. Here are some tips to readjust your focus as you think about your future.

Think in Terms of a Long Career

Once you start to think in terms of career security, you automatically start to view your career trajectory with a long-range point of view. Think about where you'd like to be in your career in five or 10 years, then make a list of what you need to do to get there. Perhaps you want a specific promotion, maybe you want to transfer to a different department or perhaps you're happy with your current position but would like to take on added responsibilities. Think about whom you need to impress and what obstacles you need to overcome to be able to reach your goals and achieve some career security.

Continue Learning

One of the keys to achieving career security is never to be satisfied with what you already know about your job and about your field. Stay up to date in your field, and make it a goal to keep learning new things on a regular basis. As technology seems to change faster and faster and the business world turns on its head frequently, the only way to keep yourself relevant and hirable is to focus on learning what you need to do for the next position, rather than for your current one. As you look to each next step in your career, take a moment to define what you must learn to take that step. A constant focus on learning and growing is crucial to achieving career security.

Stay Flexible

Change is constant in the business world, and the plans you make today may no longer apply a year from now. Even as you set goals, keep a flexible attitude about the future and be prepared to shift your short-term tactics to keep your long-term strategies viable. Revisit your goals and your plans to meet those goals at least a couple of times a year, and adjust them to keep them relevant to changes in your personal life as well as in your industry.

Job security may be a concept that's relegated to an earlier era, but career security is achievable in today's marketplace if you keep your focus properly aligned. Keep thinking about where you want to go and what paths might take you there, with a flexible attitude that lets you take advantage of moments when the current changes, and you'll quickly discover that you're on the path to achieve career security.

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