Show up early, stay late

As we are in the midst of an awful global economic slump, securing one's job is of high importance. How do we do it?

In the insurance industry, I've seen it hit rock bottom because of catastrophic events. 9/11 is a good example. A lot of insurance companies suffered financially as a result of the terrorist attacks. Some carriers had to close shop because capital was immensely depleted and as a result, could no longer sustain the business. There were mergers and acquisitions - new companies were formed, especially for the bigger carriers where closing down its operations was not a viable option. The industry, fortunately, was able to get back on its feet after a few years. There was government intervention, premium rates increased plus tighter clauses were included and made mandatory to existing and new contracts. As expected, there were people who were let go because businesses ceased to operate plus M&A's resulted to a leaner organization. Hence, retrenchments and layoffs were inevitable. However, there were lucky individuals who were able to keep their jobs. Again, how did they do it? Sheer luck? Hard work?

Job security is a thing of the past. There's no such thing as long-term employment. Even CEO's get booted out of the company if need be. Job security may be non-existent nowadays but that doesn't mean we couldn't secure our existing jobs.

First off, stay positive. The economic crisis is a cycle and in time, the situation is bound to improve.

You can also volunteer to do special projects or any endeavor that you think would contribute to the greater good of the company. The initiative would merit plus points in the eyes of your boss.

Avoid whining about the situation. Everybody has made sacrifices one way or the other. You are not alone in this ordeal.

Also, if possible, show up early at work and stay late. Overdeliver your services.

And don't slack off. You still have a job and that's the best part.