3 Reasons to Always Keep One Foot in the Job Market 

You have a job and you’re mostly happy with it. But even if you’re mostly thrilled with it, it’s always a good idea to stay sharp and keep your options open–if only to negotiate better pay, bonuses, etc. Here are three things you can and should do to ensure you’re always a hot commodity and get recognized for your talents.

Keep your contacts close

Nearly 75% of all job-seekers get hired through networking. All the more reason to expand your network, make new connections, and keep your existing contacts sweet–even when you have a job. If you ever do need to shop around, you’ll have your network already in gear. It’ll seem much more genuine to ask for help if you’ve kept in touch all along.

Keep your resume road-ready

There’s nothing worse than needing a new job in a hurry and having and out-of-date resume. Keep your resume current, as well, by doing a bit of monthly scheduled maintenance to include new training, skills, and expertise,0 or even new responsibilities. When or if you ever meet a head hunter, you’ll be ready to present your best self on paper without having to scramble.

Stay in the loop

Stay current and regular. Generate an online presence on social media and networking sites like LinkedIn and then maintain that presence. Make a schedule for articles and blog posts and website updates, even tweets. The more you keep up your brand, the easier it will be to sell it (translation: yourself) if you ever have to. If you follow this roadmap, you’ll never find yourself in a desperate situation. You can do your job with the confidence that you can easily find another one, given all the great groundwork that you’ve been laying.