It is important to frequently sit back and evaluate how employable you are, regardless of whether you are employed or not!  Being a specialist in a certain area is not enough to ensure you are an attractive, employable candidate. This approach is naïve and disconnected from the reality of the jobs market of 2010.

Recently, a friend of mine who has worked in the same company for the last 20 years was told on his first week back from the Christmas break, that he faces the prospect of being made redundant. Having survived one of the most gruelling years in his sector, he was certain that his skills were enough to provide him with good job prospects for 2010, if not in that company then another. Not so. He is now faced with the prospect of having to find a job in a completely new sector with no relevant skills due to the fact that his sector (construction) was one of the worst hit, in the recession. The moral of the story is that allowing yourself to become complacent in your career, means you could run the risk of becoming unemployable in the future.

It is vital no matter what your career circumstances, that you make a continuous effort to educate yourself and progress with technologies and skills as they continue to evolve and change. This will ensure that you are equipped with some level of transferrable skills which may help, should you find yourself facing applying for jobs in a new industry sector.

Tips to ensure you stay employable:

• Adapt to new technologies
• Embrace change
• Be a life long learner
• Evaluate employability regularly
•  Maintain a positive attitude
• Hone your communications skills
• Improve your social and interpersonal skills

2010, Employability, jobs, new jobs, Positive attitude, redundant, upskill