How Safe Is Your Job?

 You are currently employed, but how do you know if your job is at stake? Could your position possibly be eliminated? How much immunity do you have to join the unemployed?

Here are some ominous signs that your position could be broken:

          

Frequent closed-door meetings with corporate executives can be an ominous sign. Usually, these closed-door meetings mean that management has decided to make some changes to your local office, and your job could be vulnerable.

If there are budget shortfalls, your job could be on the chopping block. A lack of income can quickly translate into a lack of a job for you. Pay attention to the company's bottom line to find out if the company is likely to make layoffs soon.

Work you used to do is transferred to someone else. If you notice that tasks that were previously assigned to you have been reassigned to another employee, it could be a sign that management is planning to fire you.

The work you do can be easily automated. If the type of work you do can be done by a machine rather than a person, you may need to look for a different type of work. It's usually only a matter of time before your company decides that a machine can do your job for less.

There have already been layoffs and there are rumors that more will follow. If the bloodshed hasn't stopped yet, you should probably look for something else.

Company mergers resulting in a doubling of functions could mean bad news for you. If you hold a position with a counterpart in the acquiring company, your job could be in serious jeopardy. In general, the acquiring company will eliminate duplicate positions.

If you have reason to believe your job is vulnerable, be prepared to look for a job in case you get fired. It's always best to have an updated resume handy as well as a robust social media presence so you don't start all over again when it's time to look for new opportunities.