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Can You Bulletproof Your Job?
Have you been distressed lately about the economy, your job or your boss? If so, you wouldn’t be alone.
When times are toughest, most of us tend to wait out the storm rather than seek out other, perhaps even riskier opportunities.
In his new book, Bulletproof Your Job, author Stephen Viscusi says that your “primary objective” at work is to protect your job because it is “your most valuable asset.”
Forget the financial crisis; the issue is more primal than that. “Here’s the cold hard truth: If you don’t click with your boss, all that merit and pedigree won’t get you anywhere when your job is on the line,” writes Viscusi. “What really matters is what your boss thinks about you.”
Viscusi’s job-protection strategy leverages four basic principles:
- Be visible
- Be easy
- Be useful
- Be ready
“Here’s the bulletproof truth,” he writes. “If your superiors don’t see you or know who you are, you’re very easy to let go.” I haven’t discerned the difference between “cold-hearted truths” and “bulletproof truth” but I like the confident way Viscusi sells his points.
On the topic of visibility, Viscusi concedes that perception is more than half of the battle. “You don’t actually have to pull all-nighters twice a week to show how committed you are to your job,” he assures us. However, he says, it’s important to work longer hours than your boss. Bummer!
Viscusi is a recruiter who is described on the book jacket as “America’s workplace guru.”
However, it doesn’t appear that Viscusi is big on work-life balance. For instance, he recommends that if your company offers a nifty workout facility … “whatever you do, don’t get caught using them.”
In fact, Viscusi offers a bit of politically incorrect advice that some may view as literally sucking up to your boss. If they smoke, take a smoking break with them. It’s good bonding time.
One controversial opinion he espouses are that career coaches are for sissies. “If you need a career coach, you don’t have a career!” he proclaims. Doesn’t that strike you as an odd sentiment to read in a career management guide?
Viscusi contends that many readers “don’t know how the meaning of hard work.” He suggests that you “work hard, go the extra mile and don’t complain.” Good luck with that.
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