Is A Fulltime Job Always Worth It?

Well, it depends on who you are working for, the security of your total compensation package, and how you are valued by your employer. Many employed professionals often find themselves in adverse employment situations that don't allow them to advance their careers, or compensation!

 Take the VJS Job Security Test below and rate yourself:

1. Are you able to use at least 75% of the knowledge, skills, and abilities YOU most desire to use?
2. Are you building valued added skills desired by multiple employers, or just YOUR employer? 
3. Are you left with sufficient time each week to pursue personal hobbies or additional income earning activities?
4. Does working for your company make you dumber each day (i.e. the company doesn't invest in new technologies, still uses antiquated business practices, etc.)?
5. Are you being properly compensated for the value you bring to the company (this assumes you know your career brand's value in the market)?  

So how many "yes", "no", "maybe", and "I don't know" responses did you give? There is no numerical score or secret calculation that will sum your results! The answers to those test questions are equal to how you feel right now after having asked and answered them. If you were able to confidently answer each one and feel good about your response then you are doing fine. If you were a little shaky on some or not feeling too good about others, then that is cause for concern.

It may sound like a no-brainer to have a fulltime job: but not if that job is insecure or does not allow you to do work that is valued by other employers and, more importantly, yourself. Many people who find themselves unemployed for an extended period of time are suffering because their skills were tied to one employer and only valuable for that specific employer's needs: until, of course, that employer decided they were no longer needed.

So take a pause and think about what you would do if you lost your job today. Do you have skills that are in demand and that would allow you to easily find a new job? Do you already have a side job that provides you some additional income? Do you know the latest job search strategies and tactics? Do you have a strong network to tap? Do you believe that you could be self-employed and sell your skills to clients?

For more tips and advice, visit us at www.voiceofthejobseeker.com.