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Six tips to ensure you’ll never be jobless

Solve your boss's problems, and you'll never need to worry about staying employed. (Getty Images)
Solve your boss's problems, and you'll never need to worry about staying employed. (Getty Images)

Worried about work

I do a lot of work with students, ranging from secondary school through university. I’ve noticed that students who are about to enter the workforce tend to be the most worried and anxious.

They worry about their social life.

They worry about finding a boyfriend or girlfriend.

They worry about their academics.

But, most of all, they worry about finding a job.

They ask me questions like the following:

  • “What kind of job should I apply for?”

  • “What skills are in demand?”

  • “What should I write in my résumé?”

  • “What will happen if I can’t get a job?”

  • “How do I appear more impressive at my job interview?”

'I don’t want to be a loser'

It’s only natural to be concerned about landing a job, because all of us need to find a way to make ends meet. The job market is competitive, and having a diploma or degree is no guarantee that you’ll be able to get a job.

Moreover, it’s terrifying to be labelled “jobless”, “unemployed” or “a loser”, just because you can’t find work.

A couple of decades ago, it used to be that education was the key component of career success. If you were tertiary-educated, you’d be well on your way to leading a comfortable, middle-class life.

Why Information Age has changed everything

But times have changed, and this is no longer true.

We now live in an Information Age. The Internet has given us incredible access to knowledge, and also the ability to connect with thousands — and even millions — of people.

This means that it’s possible to add extraordinary value to other people’s lives in ways that were impossible prior to the Information Age.

More than ever before, if you want to be (or stay) employed, it’s less about how much favour you can curry with your boss, and more about how much value you’re adding to your customers and the organisation.

This principle applies if you’re an entrepreneur, too.

6 ways to ensure that you’ll never be unemployed

Reflecting on my own journey so far, I’ve come up with six ways to make sure that you’ll never be unemployed. These are definitely things that I’m still working on myself!

1. Continually ask yourself: “What is one thing I can do right now to make the situation better?”

When faced with an obstacle, most people vent or complain or grumble about how life is unfair.

While it’s only natural to do this, the best workers ask themselves this question instead: “What is one thing I can do right now to make the situation better?”

By focusing on just one thing — even if it’s something small — you can do immediately to overcome the obstacle, you won’t get caught up in a cycle of complaining and negativity.

Workers who do this are immensely valuable to the organisation.

2. Make your boss’ life easier

What are your boss’ key performance indicators (KPIs)? What can you do to help her meet those KPIs?

Employees often concentrate too much on meeting their own KPIs that they forget about their boss’ KPIs.

Once every couple of months, ask your boss for feedback on how you can improve your performance, and on how you can make her life easier. This is something that every boss will appreciate.

3. Read at least one book a month

Most people stop reading once they complete their formal education. (I’m referring to books, not Tweets, Facebook status updates or online articles).

But in a world that’s driven by knowledge—and even more so by the application of knowledge—you’ll quickly be left behind if you don’t read.

I encourage you to write down some specific types of knowledge that you’d like to acquire. Come up with a list of suitable books, as well as a reading plan for the next six months.

If you read for just 15 to 20 minutes a day, you should be able to finish one book a month. In no time, you’ll become far more knowledgeable than the average person.

4. Learn at least one new skill a year

It used to be that if you wanted to learn a new skill, you had to attend a workshop or seminar in person.

But with the power of the Internet at your fingertips, you can learn just about any skill from the comfort of your own home.

You can learn how to start a website, write computer code, improve your communication skills, become more disciplined, and use Microsoft Excel. The list literally goes on and on.

Skills are important, but the will to attain those skills is even more important. Thankfully, given how easily available information is on the Internet, you don’t even need that much willpower to begin with.

5. Do some freelance work

Even if you have a stable, full-time job, you could do some freelance work in your spare time. You could do freelance photography, web design or wedding planning, just to name a few possibilities.

Find a way to put your existing skills and talents to use. By doing freelance work, you’ll have a taste of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, and you’ll acquire competencies that you probably won’t have a chance to in your day job.

You’ll gain confidence knowing that you can be a self-starter, someone who doesn’t have to always take instructions from others. You’ll also discover the importance of being forward-thinking, dependable and generous—which are all traits that will help you in your day job, too.

Spend a few hours on the weekends doing freelance work, and you’ll reap the benefits in the long run.

6. Work on your people skills

In today’s world, you can’t accomplish much on your own. Whatever project you’re working on, you’ll probably be part of a team.

It’s no wonder that it’s the people who can’t get along with others that are most likely to lose their jobs.

Yes, some people lose their jobs because they’re incompetent. But a lack of people skills is generally a more important reason why people get sacked.

If you haven’t already read Dale Carnegie’s classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, I strongly recommend that you get a copy. I’ve learned so much about human nature just by reading this book, even though it’s been more than 70 years since it was first published!

In closing…

Work isn’t just about providing for your family or putting food on the table. It’s the means by which you make a contribution to others and to the world.

It’s about making a difference, and it’s about building a better world.

I hope that these six tips will help you to make an even bigger impact through your work!

Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students attain exam excellence while also finding happiness and fulfillment, and to empower parents to motivate their unmotivated teenagers. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-books, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?" and "Singapore Scholarship Guide: The $500,000 Decision". The views expressed are his own.