If you STAY and FOCUS on your current job, what are you missing out on?

The REASONS WHY a Stable JOB DOES NOT mean having a STABLE career

There is a neighborhood restaurant that you go to often.

You know the boss and the staff. You enjoy chatting with them. You love eating their fluffy, creamy scrambled eggs, and the toast smells really nice. You feel at home when you go there for years.

It's so popular that it used to have a long queue. Due to the economic downturn, you noticed fewer people queuing at the restaurant, but you believed they would survive as they have been there for so long and were successful.

Then one day, the owner shared with you the bad news that they were shutting down, partly because of less business and partly because the owner decided to retire.

You didn't expect that. And because you love this restaurant so much, you didn't know where else you could go for the same food quality and great experience.

And how would you feel if you were one of the staff? What would you do if it happened not in a restaurant but in your company?

No business or job role exists alone

All businesses are built by people, not only those working inside the businesses, like the owner and employees, but also those outside of them, like vendors and customers. 

No business can exist on its own.

Its survival depends on certain environment like the macro economy and climate, or some people like politicians and regulators outside its control. It's true for companies in any size including those seem super successful and well established.

The Impact that a Well Executed Layoff cannot address 

I've seen a senior leader who worked in a well-established and successful large corporation for over 10 years, and expected to stay until retirement.

One day the role was eliminated. Feeling disbelief, that leader changed from a highly confident person to a completely confused one overnight (even though the layoff was handled well, with great communication and good compensation.)

Thankfully there were weren't any urgent financial needs, so there was a luxury of time for that leader to process the emotional impact and find the direction again.

But for some people, if they have strong financial needs and are desperate to earn some money, the low-hanging fruit is becoming a gig worker, like a food delivery or ride-hailing driver.

There is nothing wrong with these. The question is whether it was a choice you prepared for, or the only door left open.

In both scenarios, how different will it look if they have already built another career option and can continue that during this transition?

Stable Job Offers You The Best Conditions to Grow

If you are working in a great company that appears stable, you are actually in a supportive environment to learn something new and build your skills.

With that, you can continue doing it even if your job is affected, for whatever reasons that are out of your manager's or company's control.

There are many possibilities you can consider.

It could be exploring and mastering any hobbies, like baking or playing musical instruments.

It could be choosing some technical skills like hairstyling and woodwork.

Even if you are not interested in any hobbies but care about having a financial cushion, you can learn to master financial management and investment.

Taking any of these skills to the professional level can open doors to other career options when you need them the most. And you can develop your human skills through the learning journey.

Having an option like that can also help you maintain your SENSE OF PURPOSE and PERSONAL IDENTITY even when you don't have a job.

That's how it makes your transition smoother.

In the “worst” case, you have learnt these skills and no need to use them as a profession because your company and your role do stand super strong, you will have a greater sense of personal accomplishment plus more meaningful connections with other people that bring you joy. 

Is this “worst” worth it?

What Options Do You Want?

It's nothing wrong to choose to stay focused on your job and do nothing else.

It's more about whether you want to create more options in your life that support you when you need them the most, practically and emotionally.

Do you want only one favorite restaurant, or more to go if one of them suddenly shut down?

If this is not where you are

Check out the article about the 4 career positions senior leaders need to know, or read about other situations: Position 2 (Stay and Explore), Position 3 (Planning to Exit), and Position 4 (Waiting for Layoffs).

You may be in one position today but another tomorrow.

If you want to be better prepared in times of uncertainty, you can revisit the relevant ones when your situation changes.

Hope this article inspires you. If it does, do share with others because

~ WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS ~