It is almost 2007 and yet we still have some archaic views of the employer/employee
relationship -- on both sides. We have seen the concepts of corporate loyalty
overturned and the paternalistic concepts of group health care and pensions are
quickly disappearing. With all these changes, though, there is one change even
more important to the average worker. It is an even more difficult change because
it has to be developed from the inside, from the individual, rather than imposed
by the corporate structure. You must finally take to heart the concept
that your company -- your employer needs you, your skills and your
intelligence, as much
as you need the company. As more companies seek to treat you as an independent
contractor, you must embrace that role and make it your own. Otherwise, you
are fooling yourself into living in a world where no one is ever outsourced
and you
spend your entire career working for one company -- a fantasy today if it ever
really existed.
Of course, your response might be, "Douglas, my boss thinks they can fire
me and hire another 20 just like me. We're interchangeable cogs in the marketplace.
I have to follow their rules if I want to keep my job." The fact is, this
is what many workers have always believed. They serve at the pleasure of their
employers and this is exactly where you go wrong. Even if your company can replace
you, they cannot replace your specialized knowledge and skills and they will
suffer for that loss. The key for you is to find the companies that understand
this fact and let the other companies proceed on their slow, but assured demise.
Just as you need to take your importance to heart, so do the companies that employ
you. If they fail to acknowledge this new relationship, it will still occur.
So, stop worrying about being fired and start looking for companies that respect
you, your skills and your knowledge.
The process of change begins at the very beginning of any job -- the
interview process. So many of us are used to entering an interview
from a position of weakness
and fear. We saw the company as being able to "give" us a job, when
in reality, it is we who have the power to "accept" or refuse the job
they might offer. They need your skills, or they wouldn't be trying to fill the
position. You have the skills they need and you should be proud of your accomplishments.
An interview is not about bowing to the power of the company, but rather showing
how you can help the company accomplish its goals. It isn't about pop quizzes
or mental tests or high-stress group interviews, it is about what you know and
how you can apply it.
To be successful in your job search, which means finding not only
a well-paying job, but a job that is right for you, you have to
have confidence in your own
abilities and the effect you can have on any company smart enough to recognize
them. Carry this thought with you at all times and it will be evident to anyone
you meet. This doesn't mean acting like an arrogant (and usually also ignorant)
kid who thinks they are entitled to a job. It means trusting that your skills
and knowledge are as an important commodity as the steel or computers that
the company may use as raw materials.
Remember, you are not simply looking for a place to work -- a weekly
paycheck. You are looking for a job that can use your talents to
the fullest and challenge
you to grow even further. It is never about filling an empty cubicle in an
organization. It is about finding a place where both you and the
company benefit -- where both
become something bigger and better by their association.
Stop thinking of companies as hulking entities that "give" you a job.
The best companies understand that they need you, and your skills, as much as
you need them. This secret to a successful career is really no secret at all.
Trust in yourself first and you will find a company that trusts in you. You have
more power to select your work and direct your career than ever before. You only
have to wield it.
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