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Next On the Sack List?

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DQI Bureau
New Update

Who me? Yes please. You?

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Even those sacked, at first, found it hard to believe. The

conviction was that considering their performance, seniority or the company’s

dependence on them, they would continue to stay. May be the annual increment

would be lower but losing the job! — No way. Well! This is a WAKEUP CALL.

Please Wake up! Remember. "Being sacked is like being caught in the

rain." The rain has nothing against you personally but messes you up

individually. You could be in one of the following categories. Check which one:

already sacked ; prospect for the next list; a future candidate. There is no

fourth category. Before you disagree, take a look at the hard facts that make

you totally vulnerable. Then judge for yourself the extent of the danger and the

lack of preparedness to survive the crisis.

Fact: 1 The company’s survival is uppermost, yours is

incidental:

The company must continue to be successful. Individual growth

is secondary. Today, investors also want to invest in companies that spell great

financial performance and those that can scale up or slash manpower resources

instantly to better the bottom line. Need for slashing often shows up as an

emergency. The costs just have to be chopped. The axe will then fall on whatever

number of people add up to the targeted saving. This is it. Nothing personal but

it hits you personally.

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Fact: 2 Careers that last for 35 years are extinct:

Given the dynamics of the market situation, job requirements

are constantly changing. To even expect that you are equipped for excellent

performance for more than a few years is a mistake. The traditional practice of

joining as a trainee, moving up the ladder and retiring at 58 is a thing of the

past especially for careers influenced by technology. A software professional

for instance, is constantly dealing with the dilemma of adding more experience

in the existing technology or switching to learn and work with a new technology.

Even in non-technical careers, one has to be alert because technology affects

almost every job directly or indirectly.

Fact: 3 You have no contingency plan:

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Like "What if you lose your job?". Is it okay if

your income stops and you are stranded without a source of income? Of course

not. But hardly anyone has drawn up a meaningful plan for such a contingency.

Only after losing the job, one realises the scenario today is totally different.

Companies that were flashing attractive offers are now reducing their staff

strength. Placement agencies that pestered you with offers are now already

flooded with job applications and are busy searching for clients willing to hire

people. In such a crisis, without a proper survival plan, most people feel

demoralized and lost. Suddenly they just don’t know what to do. Where to go

next. It is like a total blackout.

Fact: 4 Are you even excited about keeping pace with

forever-changing job demands:

Here you are, having to dance to demands of new technology,

new systems implementation, learning, retraining, rebuilding experience and ever

changing job requirements. Is this all life is about? Stop. Think. Look at it

seriously. If you are excited about this situation, fine. If you are not, better

to incorporate suitable changes in the career plan right now.

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Fact: 5 Pink slips, layoffs and VRS are on an upward spiral:

Pressures on corporates to succeed financially will continue

to demand lower manpower costs and higher productivity levels. Consequently,

unexpected good-byes, irrespective of the label used, are here to stay.

As you look at these hard facts and at your own experience of

the changing corporate world, you will realise your career blind spots. A whole

new perspective will emerge about the urgency to evolve a whole new career plan.

A weatherproof plan that minimizes the shattering impact of being sacked on you

and your family needs to be evolved. Three plans are outlined here. You could

mix and match your ideas and information to draw up a personal contingency plan

that fulfills your requirements. Do include a system of periodical review to

incorporate new developments. Keep the plan razor sharp and ready for

implementation at short notice.

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The revival plan (...already lost your job)

  • Strengthen your mind. Get off your ego. Forget old

    expectations. Make a firm resolve. "I shall not leave any stone

    unturned to land a job within 2 weeks". A strong commitment to an

    unreasonable time limit will help accelerate the process and enhance chances

    of success.

  • Make a list of prospective employers (at least 100)

    within and outside your industry. Create an excellent CV and just shoot out

    applications even where the chances appear dismal. Remember these are not

    normal times.

  • Be prepared with a pitch for a job even if it is at a

    lower level.

  • If you re-look at who you want to be five years from now,

    you will find a number of skills which you require to succeed but don’t

    have. Consider an assignment from one fo these disciplines even if it is

    from a different industry.

  • Consider completing the education/training that you

    wanted but never had the time for. Bad times for the economy means bad times

    for educational institutes. Pick up good discounts. A part time assignment

    at the same institute, depending on your profile, may be available. Take it

    on.

  • Keep innovating until you land a job. Remember the more

    you are forced to innovate the more you grow personally.

The survival plan (...how not to lose the job)

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  • Keep Cool. You will hear all kinds of rumors from within

    and outside the organization. Separate the facts from the interpretations

    and store them with you. Gradually, you will begin to see a pattern in both

    "the facts" and the interpretations". Be clear that both

    these categories are prone to large errors. Do not panic. If you are feeling

    stressed, join a meditation course.

  • Fine-tune your early warning system. Listen to people.

    Read and watch news. Network with others in and outside the company.

  • Simulate. If you were in your boss’s shoes what would

    you do?

The carnival plan (...celebrating life)

For guys who are thinking ahead, a key question. If you were

not constrained by the need for money, how would you like to spend your time?

Come on! This is the time to revisit your dreams of financial independence which

allow you freedom to take any ride that you want and enjoy yourself. Do work

that you like. Travel to where you want. People don’t pursue such dreams

further because they cannot figure out how all this will ever happen. Set up

"financial retirement" as a game. To kick off the game requires only a

bold statement like "I am committed to retire financially by December 31,

2005." You may not be clear about the path to success but work on it. Keep

thinking, reading, asking and listening. How do I achieve it? Like some took up

jobs which offer higher earnings even if the nature of work is a compromise.

They looked for offers, which had scope for higher incentives. Often employers

have their own fix on the maximum performance you can reach. Many jobs

therefore, do not carry a cap on incentives. Opportunity to break through and

earn big. People, in this category are firstly keenly looking out for such

breaks. Many, for example, took up, after office hours, network marketing and

just went for it. Mediocre at their jobs but highly successful in network

marketing. This additional income accelerated them to their goal. Secondly, they

slash expenses. The idea is to create surplus that can be invested. Thirdly,

invest only in income generating assets. House, car, household items are expense

generating assets. Postpone these. Also, most of these assets lose value the

moment you acquire them.

Celebrate Life and pursue your heart’s desires for its

Carnival time 24X7.

This is a contributed article

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