Insure your career

Take steps now to remain employable with these tips
Recently, I met up with my insurance adviser to have my insurance policies reviewed. During the meeting, I learnt that a working individual should have adequate insurance cover to protect his future earnings in the event of an uncertainty such as premature death, permanent disability or critical illnesses.
I agreed with him and bought another insurance policy to cover my shortfall.
While paying premiums to insure your future earnings, possession or health, it is also imperative to insure your career. There is no premium to be paid for the career insurance but the returns can be high. Here are suggestions on what you can do:

Record your achievements
As time goes by, you may forget your past achievements in previous jobs. It is good to create a folder to store every specific achievement, no matter how small it may seem. An e-folder would be ideal as you can cut and paste your achievements onto your resumé easily.
A prospective employer will look at how a potential employee can add value to his organisation and he is going to be impressed with a detailed record of your previous achievements.

Update your resumé regularly
It is important to update your resumé regularly even though you are presently employed. This serves as a contingency should you lose your job one day.
You will not have to spend time updating your resumé then and can begin sending it out immediately.

Polish your communication skills
Just as jewels need to be polished to retain their shine, you need to polish up your communication skills to enhance your working relationships with colleagues and business associates.
Studies have shown that employees who progress successfully in the organisation are those who are able to communicate effectively with people at all levels. In your communications, always think of how you can be of value or help to the other party.
Remember the saying: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Enlarge your network
One of my clients told me that her network was very small. When I asked her how many personal contacts she had invited to her wedding dinner and she told me it was nearly 200, I told her that was the size of her network.
Like her, you probably have a sizeable network. All you need to do is to enlarge it and keep in touch with them through acts such as sending them greeting cards or an article you feel will be of interest to them.
No doubt it takes time to network. But the effort could prove invaluable as your network could be your next source of job leads. Most jobs are acquired through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Bullet-proof yourself
Jobs lost may not be available again in today’s competitive job market. Instead of biting the bullet, you can bullet-proof yourself.
Always be prepared to learn new skills as you never know when you will need them. Volunteer to embark on new challenges such as leading a project team or chairing a fund-raising event.
Do not be afraid to showcase your hidden talents. Your hidden talents are your marketable assets. Flaunt them!

Learn as you go
Your self-development and education are never-ending. Keep up with what is happening in your industry and profession. Continue to sharpen your skills and learn new ones.
If you need to attend a course to be more competent in your job, do it! As you gain more knowledge and skills over time, your chances of keeping your job are higher though not guaranteed. You can also transfer your knowledge and skills to a more challenging position.

Get your Plan B ready
One of the best ways to insure your career is to explore other career options. This is your Plan B, which will kick in when you find your present job does not advance you further.
You can draft your contingency plan yourself or with the help of a career coach. The coach will be able to help you know who you are so you can be sure of where you want to go or what you want to be at some defined point in the future.

Be modest
Be likeable, friendly and cooperative. These are vital traits that you should develop to the fullest. People with such traits tend to be hired first and fired last.
Just remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.