Hold on to your job, part 2: What not to do

If you think your company may be trimming its workforce, avoid the kind of things that might get your name on the layoff list.

Don’t…
Wear an old-guard ID. If there’s a new team at the top because your company has been merged/acquired/just plain shaken up, the new guys might be more performance driven and view longer-term employees as underachievers. Keep your former work relationships, but try to connect with the new guys, says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, an outplacement consulting firm. Let them know you’re excited by the new direction they’re taking the company (which is hopefully true).

Be a sore thumb. Now is not the time to indulge your rugged inner individualist. Try to mirror corporate culture. If the alpha dogs at your firm check e-mail on laptops and text messages on cell phones during meetings, for instance, go ahead; if not, leave those devices in your office. Be on time. Meet deadlines. Traditional values are still held in high esteem by most employers.

Hide in your cubicle. Make your name known. Write an article for an industry newsletter and speak at an industry conference if you can. You’ll meet people who may hear of job openings or will be hiring in the future, just in case you can’t dodge the layoff ax or your company goes bust. Even recruiters you don’t meet will be more likely to see your name when they search for potential candidates online.

Neglect your health. If you don’t deal well with stress, it’ll show, and folks who don’t seem tough enough to handle important tasks won’t get them. Get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious food, and exercise regularly. Reduce your stress level further by getting your emergency money stash bulked up, just in case. Here’s a page that lists money saving articles that can help. Hang in there! —Mandy Walker