Have you ever casually browsed job boards, just to see what’s out there? Got a call from a recruiter, but you’re not sure you want to leave your current role any time soon? Started a side hustle because it never hurts to have a Plan B? Congratulations, you were a “career buffer,” which means you’re ready for the liveliest job trend of 2023.
Simply put, career cushioning is exactly what it sounds like: being proactive about your career prospects to soften the blow should something go wrong with your current job, whether it’s layoffs, a toxic boss, or just plain old. waking up to the sudden realization that you are stuck in a role that no longer serves you.
It’s about keeping options open, says Miriam Groom, a Montreal-based industrial therapist, career counselor and founder of the company. conscious race Advisory service. She says the motivations are similar to those that drove the “Great Quit” of 2021, in which 47.8 million Americans quit their jobs. (Although we didn’t see that many workers quitting entirely here, according to the financial publication24 percent of Canadians changed jobs during this period.) The record numbers were due to workers being underpaid, lacking opportunities for advancement and feeling disrespected at work, according to a study. Pew Research Center study. Since Covid, Groom says he has seen a huge increase in demand for career guidance. “People are no longer settling in,” she says. “They’re thinking, ‘Why am I working for this boss? Why am I traveling so far? Why am I in this job?’”
Professional protection, Groom says, is a way for people to explore those questions while still paying their bills. Rather than quit with nothing else prepared, some hope to find a job that better aligns with their values. “A lot of people are sitting in these corporate roles and want to make a shift from big organizations to something a little more grassroots where they can have a positive impact on the world,” says Groom.
Others are worried about the looming threat of a recession, which feels all the more real after the recent wave of layoffs in industries like technology. “People are buffering their career even more than ‘quietly quitting’ now,” says Groom, referring to the workplace buzzword of 2022, which was all about doing the bare minimum, empowered by a labor shortage. which made it much less likely that workers would be penalized. But instead of putting unpaid overtime back into a job they’re unhappy with, workers are getting smarter and spending that time diversifying their income streams or seeking new opportunities.
How to cushion the run
If you’re contemplating a career change, bored in your current role, or worried about losing your job, the easiest way to protect your career is to make yourself easily found on LinkedIn. That way, opportunities are more likely to come your way. “People often don’t know that there are headhunters and recruiters out there actively looking for workers like you,” says Groom. The best way to hack the algorithm? “Update your LinkedIn with keywords relevant to the job you want,” she says. Recruiters use LinkedIn like Google: they enter search terms and find candidates through the results. Groom says to start by searching for your ideal role on the networking platform and check off five jobs that match your criteria. Be aware of the language used in each of your job descriptions, and add some of those keywords to your own profile, in your headline, your “about” section, and in your descriptions of your past experiences. For example, if the keywords you identified are “customer excellence,” “10+ years of experience,” and “pharmaceutical industry,” your profile might read: “A passionate sales executive who puts customer excellence first with over 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. ”
You can also add a “slash” to your titles to apply for jobs that are close to what you’ve done in the past and where you could easily transition. For example: You currently work as a project manager, but want to become a product manager, a similar role but one that focuses more on overall strategy rather than guiding the day-to-day results of a project. In this case, Groome recommends changing your title on LinkedIn to “project manager/product manager” so recruiters looking to fill either position can find you. To prevent your boss from spotting your update, be sure to turn off the “notify my network” setting, a feature that updates your connections with any changes you make to your profile.
Work with a career coach
If you’re looking to move on to something new, a career coach who has recruiting experience is a good resource. This is because they have information about industries or types of work that you may not have considered. Career advisors can help you “reverse engineer” your existing resume and skill set so that you appear in searches that match the type of jobs you’re qualified for, even if they’re outside of your niche. “They know how the other side works,” Groom explains. “If he’s a lawyer who works for the government, a pharmaceutical company may want to hire him because he knows how to get applications through government processes.”
At Mindful Career, Groom’s team conducts a “behavioral profile” of candidates, using interviews and psychometric assessments to determine what a job seeker should do based on what motivates them. You may be at the wrong company, in the wrong role, or in the wrong work environment. If you’re testing as an introvert, for example, you might be better suited for hybrid or remote roles.
Think beyond just changing jobs
People are often on the right track, in the right industry, but need a little change, says Groom. In her case, she was working in an industrial psychology consultancy, which satisfied her motivation for status and money, but she benefited from it by starting her own coaching business because she is also motivated by giving back. “It was finding my balance and adding something, not taking it away,” she says.
This is a form of racing damping that’s less about finding a new work, and more about thinking about how you can make your current situation work better for you. For some people, that might mean working part-time to create more time to focus on a new business venture. You could also be doing the same type of work, just at a company that’s a better fit for you, such as a lawyer leaving corporate law to join a firm that specializes in free labor. Or it could be finding new responsibilities at your workplace so you feel like you’re becoming invaluable and are less worried about being affected by layoffs.
develop new skills
One way to future-proof your resume or expand your career horizons is to develop new skills. These could be related to what you already do, or if you’re interested in exploring other avenues, they could be things that would ease your transition into a new industry. Take, for example, a current Groom’s client who strongly suspects impending layoffs at his company. This person works in recruiting, but is earning a certificate that is not required for his current job, but may pave the way for a potential path in human resources if he is laid off.
Even better: try to see if your current company will pay for new certifications, such as SEO or email marketing, which are often covered by training budgets or personal development funds. “Certificates are great, because you can really hone specific skills you’re missing,” says Groom. Google and LinkedIn have free course options, while Harvard and Princeton offer online courses that cost thousands of dollars but come with name recognition. Microcredentials are another way to boost your resume and attract new opportunities.
Get a side hustle
“A lot of people are cushioning their career by becoming entrepreneurs,” says Groom, whether it’s taking a part-time contract job or launching a whole new company by monetizing a hobby. Someone who makes beautiful ceramics could open a store on a platform like Etsy. “It’s super cheap and you can do it in your spare time.” Pro Tip: Create a location for your business on Google and get reviews from people you’ve worked with. “It takes some time, but people will start calling you, and before you know it, you’ll be busy enough to quit your job,” says Groom. The advantage of building your own side job is that if you lose your “main” job, you’ll have some income from your side job to fall back on while you look for work. Or, you could slowly build this business with the goal of one day becoming your full-time job.
That being said: Tread carefully. “I got a call the other day from an employer who was frustrated because an employee said, ‘Oh, I can’t go to that meeting because I’m doing my side job,’ in the middle of the day,” Groom says. “I don’t suggest you do this during work hours.” Also, look closely at his employment contract because you can tell he can only work for one company at a time.
Networking is part of career cushioning
“Most networking right now happens through LinkedIn,” says Groom, cautioning that you really need to know what job you want before you start reaching out to people. If you’re hanging around, unsure where you really want to end up, you’re just wasting your time and theirs. Let’s say you’re in accounting and you want another accounting job one level up. “Find an executive who works for his ideal company and connect with him by adding a note in the message box,” she says. “Ask them if you can get coffee or have a Zoom chat.” Tell them what your goals are, what you’d like to do, and see what happens.
“Finding a mentor is also a great way to cushion your career,” says Groom. “This relationship can help you make valuable connections in his industry.” That being said, it usually takes perseverance before finding the right person. Often the person you approach first may not have the time to hire you, but they might know someone else who could. “You just have to keep asking,” says Groom. “Be very specific about what you want and what you’re looking for.”