Career Cushioning is a proactive strategy where employees prepare for a potential job to deal with situations of instability or career transitions by building a backup plan while still being employed. Career Cushioning is a very common practice due to several reasons such as lack of flexibility, instability, lack of satisfaction and low income. This process became more prominent due to economic uncertainties after the events like COVID-19 pandemic. Career Cushioning involves several steps and processes that one may follow to get their desired job.
For achieving Career Cushioning one of the things to focus on is upskilling. You cannot aim for a higher paying or a better job with the skill set. Learning new things related to your desired job role, completing courses, taking part in competitions and taking up new tasks to prove your abilities.
As you expand your skill set you end up building a strong network and portfolio. Hence finding that desired job becomes easy.
Building a strong professional network can do wonders. Regular connection with peers and potential hirers helps you get confident and understand the industry trends much better. Connecting with people who have had previous experiences with Career Cushioning can prove to be great mentors. There are several platforms like Linkedin where people can easily connect with each other.
One of the efficient methods of expanding your network is through freelancing and contributing to open source projects. A strong network defines the people you surround yourself with hence surrounding skilled people around yourself may help you push harder to land your dream job.
When it comes to self branding, all it means is to promote yourself. Self branding means an individual with significant online presence. Regular updates in your Linkedin profile or portfolio shows your progress and how you are upskilling and keeping up with the current market trends.
Career Cushioning does not only mean upskilling, it involves consistency. Staying up to date about all the present market and industry trends, looking out for your preferred job posting. Keeping a track of your progress through your portfolio helps you build it stronger. Staying updated on the current technology and leveraging it to your use to make the most out of your leftover time from the current job.
While some of the steps involved in Career Cushioning will always be an advantage. Career Cushioning is how individuals can achieve higher goals. With better planning and understanding no one can stop a person from getting any job they want.
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