Everybody wants to believe that their career path is in their own hands, that what happens to them with their job and in their career is within their control.

But is it? Reality paints quite a different picture, especially if you’re not prepared for the “unexpected.”

The “unexpected” includes your company being acquired by another company within your industry. While you may feel secure in your job, confident that you’re not going to be laid off or “downsized” by your organization, the rules can change during this particular scenario.

And that’s just one of many “unexpected” scenarios that can occur. If your career planning and path is based solely on the status quo, then it’s time to change the way that you plan and build yourself a more dynamic path.

It doesn’t matter if you work for a small employer or a large one: job security is a myth, plain and simple. Those who embrace that myth are taking a risk and quite possibly putting their career in peril.

To illustrate this point, here is the old way of thinking about your career, specifically how to grow it. The old way of thinking is that if you do a good job, somebody will notice and reach out to you to present a new opportunity. However, this is the old way. The new way of thinking about your career can be summed up as follows:

“If I want something to happen, then I need to be the one to make it happen. I need to get out there and aggressively look for and pursue opportunities because they are not going to just come to me.”

So—what can you do to prepare for the “unexpected” and make sure that your career path is NOT in somebody else’s hands? Start with the four things listed below:

1. Be proactive rather than reactive. Don’t wait for good things to happen. Instead, make them happen.
2. Get out in front of the curve. That means preparation for nearly every contingency.
3. Look at all possible options. You never know when the least likely option will become your biggest opportunity.
4. “Take the bull by the horns.” In other words, take your career in your own hands and make sure that what happens to you isn’t up to somebody else.

And remember that job security is a myth. YOU are the only person able to provide yourself with a measure of security, and that’s by adhering to the four points listed above.

You can’t move down a career path by standing still. Instead, be proactive, be prepared, and be ready to take the next step.

The Doepker Group has experience placing professionals in the Information Technology and Engineering fields, and we can place you, as well.

We invite you to search through our open positions. You can start the process by creating a profile and/or submitting your resume.