Times in Britain are very precarious at the moment. It seems as if not a day goes by without us hearing about some form of job losses or doom and gloom as far as the economy is concerned.
And understandably that has made a lot of people wonder how safe their own jobs are. We all want to get ahead in our careers, but this probably isn't the best time to think about changing jobs. The best bet is to safeguard your job as much as you can by staying put, at least for the time being.
So how can you battle against any job insecurities you might be feeling?
Firstly, try not to get sucked in by any rumours that might be flying around about possible redundancies. There are some things you can do to improve your situation, but listening to gossip isn't one of them.
But perhaps the most important thing is to consider your financial position. No matter what job you are in and what currency you bring home as a result, it is vital to ensure you are in control of your situation as much as you can be.
Cutting back on certain things is a good idea. For example, if a foreign holiday was on the cards you might want to reconsider, especially given the poor exchange rate that is in effect at the moment. The figures that a currency converter will give you for certain currencies in different countries often don't make a trip abroad worthwhile.
Instead, think about saving that cash and trying to build up a cushion to protect you in case the worst does happen. With any luck you won't be affected by job losses, but at least if you are you will have some cash to fall back on.
Another positive step is to consider your options just in case you do lose your job. What would you do? Would you stay in the same job, or try and get into something completely different? Thinking ahead is quite often what helps some people adjust better in circumstances like these.
It looks as if there is little doubt that a recession is on the way. But that doesn't mean you need to lose your confidence about your skills or your security. Some people will tell you that there are no jobs about at all, but this simply isn't true. There will still be job vacancies around, but they may be a lot scarcer than they were previously.
That is why you need to be pro-active about securing as many skills and abilities as you can, and working on your level of experience so you can be more attractive to potential employers.
In short, the best way to cope with job insecurity is to get your head down and work as hard as you can. If the company you work for is destined to lay off lots of people – you included – then there isn't much that you can do about it. Look to the future and work hard to re-establish your position.
But if they are keeping some people then you will want to be seen as a hard worker – and someone who needs to be kept. For more information on battling job security, go to http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_57.htm now.