Member-only story
Want To Stay Employed? Make Your Boss Afraid
How a little fear can help your job security
I’m someone who has had the good fortune to have worked in the tech industry for over 35 years, without ever being laid off or fired, or having to quit. It’s a bit of a rare thing. I like to think of working in the tech world being like riding a bull — it is not so much a matter of if you will be thrown off, but when.
So to be clear, luck is probably the biggest factor in my success in my not ever missing a paycheck. But it was not all luck, there are definitely things I learned along the way that I feel upped my odds of keeping my job. This is kind of a highlight from tips I will share in an upcoming article in my newsletter, The Mad Ned Memo, but thought I would give Medium members an early preview.
Make Your Boss Afraid
Simply put, a big key to my success was making my boss afraid. Afraid? Yes. Afraid of what would happen, if I were ever to leave.
I am not talking about doing stupid stuff, like leaving your resume conspicuously lying around on the printer, or brinksmanship games of claiming you have another job offer just to get a raise. I have seen people play these games to varying degrees of short-term success in the past, but inevitably it’s a long-term lose, as it…