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This article was featured in the November, 2005 issue
of the Technology First Magazine.
Dayton, OH
November 15, 2005 -
By Angela Richardson, IT Recruiter,
Roytman Information Services, Inc.
I recently read a survey on job related stress released by
the Dice job board. According to the survey, 43 percent of
IT workers who responded said the primary source of their
job related stress was lack of job security. Well, generally
when I read the results of a study, I like to view the details
to see exactly how they arrived at their numbers. But I didn’t
need any details on this one. In fact, I didn’t even
need a survey to tell me job security was a major concern
for IT professionals. I guess I’ve inadvertently done
my own personal study on this topic. My conversations with
IT professionals about their job searches usually involve
some discussion about job security in one form or another.
Many times a person is seeking a new position because they
don’t have a sense of security with their current employer.
Other times the individual outright knows there is no job
security because of an impending layoff. If neither of these
situations are the case, there is at least some discussion
regarding the level of job security that a potential position
has to offer. Based on my observations job security is obviously
on the minds of many IT professionals.
Looking for job security in all the wrong places
Since job security is something that we all crave, we look
for it everywhere. Some of the common indicators that are
examined in an effort to locate job security are the overall
condition of the economy, statistics on employment, job cuts,
salary statistics . . . the list goes on and on. Of course,
we are particularly interested in knowing if job security
exists in our own companies. We look at our company’s
annual report; we observe the rate of employee turnover, listen
closely for news of layoffs; we routinely check our co-workers
cube to make sure he is still there. We are looking for job
security in the traditional sense, an intangible ‘agreement’
between the employee and the company that one will be able
to maintain one’s employment status as long as the requirements
of the position are fulfilled. We can search high and low
for this type of security, but if it exists, it is quite elusive.
An excerpt from an article in InfoWorld entitled The Myth
of Job Security reads ‘in the US, 20 percent of our
jobs are created and destroyed every year and we replace all
our jobs every five years’. It seems to me if one does
happen to find a company where the proverbial hat can be hung
for awhile, it is more accidental than something achieved
through foresight and strategic planning. There are simply
too many people displaced from their positions for reasons
other than job performance to conclude job security is something
that can reliably be found with any given company.
Refocusing your search
If job security isn’t something that usually exists
with employers, then where can it be found? Try looking in
the mirror. In this age of downsizing, outsourcing, offshoring,
and acquisitions, the most reliable source of job security
is you. It is time to change the way you view job security
and change the terms of the agreement. In order to obtain
job security, you need to make a commitment to yourself to
keep your skills up to date and be continuously aware of your
own value as it relates to the demand in the workplace. By
keeping your skills current, you will be insuring against
changes within your current company as well as preparing yourself
to obtain employment elsewhere if necessary. Typically, a
‘permanent’ position is seen as more secure than
a contract position; however when you change the way you look
at job security, the IT contractor has the advantage over
the permanent employee. The contractor is not operating under
an assumption that a company is offering long term job security;
therefore, he realizes that in order to stay employed, he
must keep his skills marketable. On the other hand, a person
who has been in a ‘permanent’ position for several
years may become complacent in terms of his own professional
development based on the assumption that his current company
is providing him with this much needed security. According
to Bob Herbold, former chief operating officer at Microsoft
and CIO at Procter and Gamble Co.; "Legacy people protect
legacy systems.” Per the April 25, 2005 article in Information
Week, Satisfied but Uncertain, he continues; “The probability
of innovating after you've been at a job three or four years
is very, very low.” Whether you are an IT contractor
or permanent employee, you must maintain the perspective that
you are responsible for you own job security and keeping your
skills at top notch.
What steps do I need to take maintain job security?
Although the focus needs to be on yourself, the company that
you work for can be of assistance. Honor your commitment to
yourself by only agreeing to work for companies that will
provide you with the opportunity to constantly improve your
skills and those that are willing to offer the appropriate
training you need to keep your skills up to date. Keep an
eye on the help wanted ads and scan the trade magazines so
you can identify the skills that are currently in demand.
Finally, if you do happen to find yourself in a good position
with a semblance of traditional job security and the opportunity
to keep your skills up to date, don’t jump ship when
another opportunity comes along. What may look like an opportunity
for a raise may turn out to be a step towards unemployment.
In the end, the companies that are striving to offer some
measure of traditional job security want to hire individuals
whose resumes demonstrate they are able to stick around.
It takes a change of focus to find job security in the today’s
workplace. When you shift the focus to yourself, you will
begin to find what you are seeking. Most importantly, you
will be placing your future in the hands of someone you can
trust.
Angela Richardson is a Recruiting Specialist
at Roytman Information Services, Inc., a Dayton, Ohio-based
provider of Career Placement and Consulting solutions in Information
Technology, Management and Engineering. Established in 1995
the company has been growing consistently in a highly competitive
industry. For additional information please visit http://www.roytmanIS.com
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