Job Security Shouldn't Be The Only Reason You Take A Job

Burst/Matthew Henry

When it comes to careers, certain industries are known for having better job security than others. According to data from 27/7 Wall St., appraisers and assessors of real estate have the lowest unemployment rate and the highest projected job growth. If you’re looking for a new gig, that might be a role to consider. However, job security shouldn’t be the deciding factor when choosing an industry or accepting a job offer.

Experience Matters

As millennials, we’re bound to have at least four jobs by the time we’re 32 years old. Layoffs happen and sometimes we realize we’re not meant to work in the field we majored in during college. Plus, new jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago are always popping up. It’s totally okay.

Experience matters more than job security. Take it from me — I was laid off from work twice in 2017 and ended up finishing the year with three different companies on my resume. However, because I racked up a ton of great experience in each of the roles I held that year, I was able to land a new job a few months later. I learned new digital skills, managed a team and more. Even though the length of time at each of those companies was short, the experience was valuable.

Aim to get the most experience you possibly can at each job you have. Whether it’s three months or three years at a company, make sure you’re learning and taking on new responsibilities. Make connections and develop relationships with colleagues. Then when it comes time to switch jobs, you can leverage that experience and network of people to help land an offer.

The Value Of A Good Salary

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Job security is a perk, but so is getting paid what you’re worth. Which would you prefer: a job at a company that pays a lower salary but ensures you’ll have a job for the next 20 years of your life, or a job that pays you what you deserve yet can’t guarantee that it’ll be around in two years?

The thing is that we all deserve to be paid what we’re worth. Our experience is valuable and our salaries should reflect that. Earning a $75,000 annual salary for two years could mean that you save a lot more money at a faster rate. It might allow you to take the risk of being laid off from a startup without worrying about how you’ll pay your rent. On the flipside, working a job for $40,000 per year could mean you’re guaranteed that salary for a long time but that you’ll also be living paycheck to paycheck with little room for growth.

Weigh your options. A higher salary in the short term could mean a boost in your finances for the rest of your career. You might be able to pay down debt faster, while also saving more money, while also being able to negotiate for more in the future. But if having a guaranteed job is more important, then you may also have to consider taking a lower salary.

Follow Your Passion

Unsplash/Daria Nepriakhina

Don’t sleepwalk through your career. Working a fulfilling job is important to your well-being and overall happiness in life. Job security might mean you’re guaranteed a paycheck and health insurance, but if you can’t stand going to the office every day, is it really worth it?

Not to be a millennial cliche, but YOLO. Don’t do a job that you don’t love. There are too many ways to pivot between roles and industries these days to stay stuck at a company with terrible management and bad benefits. Plus, it could affect your family and friends around you. You only live once, but you don’t have to have only one job or career.

Consider starting a side hustle as a backup plan. Whether you’ve got great job security or are feeling a little unstable, a side hustle could help you find your passion and bring in extra income just in case you get laid off. You never know, it might even allow you to start your business and control your own job security.

Whatever you do, listen to your gut. Job security isn’t the be all, end all when it comes to job offers anymore. It’s rare that any one person stays at a company for their entire life these days, so job security shouldn’t really matter anymore. What does matter is that you make the right decision for you. Consider your career and financial goals, plus where your passion lies. You might just end up having five dream jobs throughout your life, and we can’t imagine that being a bad thing.

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