There's no doubt about it, today's workplace is an uncertain and treacherous territory. Newspaper headlines are proclaiming near record-high levels of unemployment, and, in these tough times, companies are making swift judgments about human capital.
The bottom line: No job is safe.
But there are tried and true ways to fight off sudden unemployment successfully, and the number one weapon in your arsenal is workplace expert and television and radio personality Stephen Viscusi's career manifesto, Bulletproof Your Job. Based on four simple strategies for dodging the layoff bullet and a long list of ways to implement these strategies, Bulletproof Your Job may save you from your worst enemy at work—which just so happens to be you.
Quite simply, observe these imperative rules:Be visible. Be easy. Be useful. Be ready.
With plenty of distinct action items, dozens of anecdotal illustrations and examples, and lists and tips for adapting bulletproof strategies to your own situation, Bulletproof Your Job will show you how to leverage the black-and-white stuff—your title, salary, and tenure—with the gray stuff—your relationship with coworkers, visibility in the workplace, and ability to make your boss look good—to ward off the pink stuff—the dreaded layoff notice. While you're at it, you'll be creating a long-term strategy for job security and career advancement that ensures you'll never feel this vulnerable again.
Stephen Viscusi is a careers professional who has helped thousands of people succeed at work. A regular contributor to CBS Morning Show, Today, Good Morning America, and NPR, he is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show On the Job, and has been a featured careers and workplace expert in dozens of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Fortune. His company, the Viscusi Group, is rated one of the top ten executive search firms by Crain's New York Business. Stephen is also the author of On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work (Three Rivers Press, 2001). He lives and works in New York City.
