Losing your job can happen to anyone, sometimes when you least expect it. You might not even get advance notice. Even during the best of times, companies make changes, and employees get fired or laid off.
How can you tell if it could happen to you? Sometimes, employers announce layoffs and staffing cuts, and it can be apparent that your employment is in jeopardy. In other cases, it’s difficult to tell if your position may be on the cutting block.
There are warning signs to watch for though, and ways to prepare for an unexpected layoff. Even when you love your job and have no intention of moving on anytime soon, it’s better to be ready just in case your employer decides it’s time to end your employment.
Here’s what to watch for if you’re concerned about losing your job. Some are broad changes that impact many employees. Others are more personal and related to your relationship with your manager and the company.
Company Warning Signs
The Company Has Financial Issues
One of the biggest red flags is profit (and loss). If an organization is losing money, it will look for ways to turn things around. That could mean cutting individual jobs or groups of employees.
Budgets Are Being Cut
Even if a company is profitable, specific departments and teams may not be. If you know that your department’s budget is getting cut, be aware that jobs can be part of the budget-trimming process.
The Company Is Cutting Other Jobs
If jobs are being cut on other teams or employees are being laid off, it may mean that more cost-cutting measures will happen down the line. Is your position one that could be eliminated? When you hear about job cuts, it’s worth considering your role and how future cuts could impact your position.
The Company Has Merged or Been Acquired
When mergers and acquisitions happen, there is often redundancy and job cuts. For example, companies don’t need two accounting or two marketing departments. If your company has merged or been bought by a larger company, be aware that there will most likely be changes to the workforce.
Work Processes Change
Companies are always looking to save money, and change is inevitable in today’s workplace. Those changes can impact jobs, and a new way of doing something can cost employees who work as part of the old process their position. If your employer is discussing implementing new systems, consider how they might impact your role.
Signs You Might Be in Trouble
Your Performance Reviews Aren’t Great
Is your performance getting bad reviews? If you’re doing everything you’re supposed to be doing at work and then some, and you’re getting negative reviews, it’s something to be concerned about. Consider talking to your manager about what you need to do to improve.
You Don’t Get Along With Your Manager (or Team)
Sometimes, losing your job doesn’t have anything to do with money. If you and your manager are butting heads all the time and can’t seem to agree on anything, it’s a sign that this may not be the job for you. If you’re not getting along with the rest of your team, that’s a warning sign, too. Do consider if there’s a way to work things out, but be aware that you may be unable to.
You Don’t Have Much Work To Do
Are you being assigned less work? Are there projects you typically would have been a part of that other team members are working on instead? Do you have an empty desk with nothing much to do? If you’re not being assigned work, it can be a sign that you’re not needed. It’s an even bigger sign if someone else is doing work that traditionally would be yours.
You’re Not Included in Meetings
Are there meetings that you aren’t being invited to? If you’re working remotely, does everyone else seem to be unexpectedly out of the loop sometimes? Could they be having Zoom meetings without you? If you sense that something is going on that you’re not a part of, you could very well be right.
You’re Not Included in Emails
Email is the same scenario as meetings. Does it seem like your inbox is empty when you expect it to be full? Do you expect to be copied on certain messages, but it appears that’s not happening? That’s a clue you’re being excluded from the company’s workflow.
Your Hours Are Getting Cut
If your hours are being cut, it’s a sign that you may no longer be needed. That’s especially the case if your schedule is the only one being changed. Consider it a warning if everyone else is getting more hours or working the same schedule as always.
You’re Not Getting Promoted
If you’re getting passed over for promotions, it doesn’t mean your tenure with the company is ending. It does mean that you should evaluate your relationship with your employer and decide if it’s worth staying or if it would be better to consider moving on.
What to Do if You’re Worried About Losing Your Job
One of the best things you can do when you’re concerned that your job is at stake is to get ready to find a new one. Even if it’s a temporary challenging situation that resolves itself, it’s always a good idea to be prepared to look for a new role. Remember, if you get a job offer, you don’t have to take it.
Don’t advertise that you’re job searching, but start discreetly preparing to move on. That way, you’ll be prepared to start looking for a new position in a hurry if you need to. Here’s how to get started:
Update your resume. Make sure your resume is current and includes your latest (and most relevant) work history. Add new skills, certifications, education, and professional development. Keep it updated, so it’s ready when you need it.
Update LinkedIn. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is as current as your resume, but before you start, change your privacy settings so your connections (and your boss and co-workers) don’t know that you are making changes. You can make changes without advertising that you’re considering a job search. Click on: Account (under “Me”), Visibility, Visibility of your LinkedIn activity, Share profile updates with your network: Select Off.
Don’t advertise that you’re Open To Work on LinkedIn. An Open To Work post on LinkedIn can help you get hired, but you don’t want to let your current employer or co-workers know you’re job hunting. Wait to post until you actually lose your job.
Build your network. Start strategically adding to your network. Build out your network to connect with people who can help you with your job search if you hit the “go” button and are ready to move on.
Explore jobs and companies. Spend some time looking at job listings. In addition to seeing what’s available, you’ll get an idea of how robust the job market is for someone with your credentials. Search some of the top job sites to get a broad picture of what’s out there. If you’re thinking about doing something different, these free online career quizzes can help you learn about options.
Start a job search. If you’re worried about losing your job, you may want to preemptively start a job search. Even if your job isn’t at risk, the fact that you were concerned is a flag that this may not be the best job for you. Seeing what else is out there will give you an opportunity to move your career forward on your terms.
Check your finances. Are you financially prepared to handle a layoff? Unemployment will supplement some of your pay, but not all. If you’re short on savings, what else can you do (freelance, gigs, etc.) to get by until you get hired? Having a plan will make the transition easier.
Our Favorite Tools & Tips
CareerOneStop Veteran and Military Transition Center: The Veteran Military and Transition Center provides information on employment, training, and financial help after military service. It also has resources for military spouses.
Free Virtual Interview Preparation: If you earn less than $40,000 a year (or a student), you can sign up for a free mock interview to get live feedback on your interviewing skills.
Jobsearchdb: When you're looking for a job in a specific industry or career field, using job sites that focus on the jobs you're interested in can be a time-saver. The Job Search Database included links to over 500 career sites, organized by category.
News & Noteworthy
Remote Jobs Hiring Now: Here’s a list of 45 fully remote jobs with top companies that are hiring now from Tech.co. This list shared on LinkedIn has lots of sites focusing on remote jobs. Also check out Remotive, which lists only vetted 100% fully remote positions. (Note: Remotive is a sponsor, but editorial recommendations are independent of sponsorship relationships.)
Target On Demand: If you’re interested in flexible hours working on your schedule, with Target’s On-Demand program, you can create your own schedule (and work as little or as much as you want) by picking the shifts you want to work each week from the open shifts available at your store.
8 Reasons To Delay Your Retirement: If you’ve been considering retirement, you might want to hold off a bit. Bankrate shares the top reasons for staying in the workforce and why it might make sense to wait for another year or even a few.