It’s the new year and economists all over are just reminding us that the worse has yet to come. Be very thankful that you’re still employed now but don’t think that you’re job’s as secure as you might think. It’s always best to be prepared especially today when even C-level execs are liable to get axed.

Careerbuilder.com highlighted 4 ways to “bulletproof” your job. And here they are:

Be visible. You might have heard of the saying “Appearances are everything.” Well, there is definitely some truth to that. In tough times, it’s the obscure employee that always fired when a company has to. So put up appearances and make sure that the company knows you’re there. Arrive early and stay late. Voice out your educated opinion in meetings. Dress to impress.

Be “easy”. Ever had one of those colleagues that you can’t seem to approach. Well, don’t be like that.  Make it easy for people to approach, talk and work with you. Griping about trivial issues should also be avoided. No one wants to work around someone so full of negative energy.

Be useful. Organizations never fire assets so make sure you’re an integral part of the group. Strive to be both a generalist and a specialist and that means be aware of how to function across the organization but be very good at what you’re hired to do.

Be ready. This just means that you need to be prepared. Hope for the best and expect the worst. With even the largest companies laying off thousands of workers, you can’t totally say that you’d still have a job tomorrow. So have an emergency fund (a few months salary’s worth) in the bank. Develop contacts in your industry and be a solid recruit for other organizations.

Via: CNN