Workers find it pays to prepare for job loss

Keri Collette has learned the hard way that graduate degrees and years of job experience don't guarantee job security. Collette, who works in healthcare research in Cambridge, has been laid off four times .

But while losing a job is never easy, the experience has taught her to become smarter about showcasing her skills in ways that attract potential employers, and continually building a network of friends whom she might consult one day to find her next job.

"You just never know," she said. These are the kinds of career-management skills that more and more senior-level employees have come to rely on as companies merge, move, and shed jobs. No longer able to count on spending several years with one company, employees are becoming more comfortable with the prospect of moving around. And some are starting earlier to think about ways to prepare themselves for their next step.

"They're very smartly thinking about what's next for them," said Jeff Crown, managing partner at Essex Partners, a Boston firm that specializes in senior executive career transition. He has started to see more clients quietly seek out career planning assistance -- analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, pondering more radical career changes -- while they are employed rather than waiting until they're laid off.

"If you don't plan your future, someone else will," Crown said.

But that's not always easy for those in senior-level positions, since the demands of such jobs often leave little time for plotting the next move.

"You spend less and less time planning your career," said Martha Shadan, vice president of marketing for Bristol-Meyers Squibb in Billerica.

Shadan, an Essex client, was caught off guard when a corporate restructuring cost her previous job. She began sending her resume to search firms, talking with old colleagues, and even directly contacting chief executives. She also found the Internet useful for finding professional organizations and extending her search.

"When I was looking for a job 20 years ago, none of that was available," she said. Ultimately, Shadan landed her current job, but said she continues to maintain her network of contacts.

"You can never count on things staying the same," she said. Shadan started her career with W.R. Grace, where she worked for 15 years. But she, like many, believes the days of such long tenure are over. In some cases, she noted, a long career with one company might even count against a job seeker because it could suggest to the potential employer that the person is less adaptable.

Todd Harris, director of research for PI Worldwide, a human resources consulting firm in Wellesley, said many businesses consider attracting and retaining employees to be a considerable challenge. But because the performance stakes tend to be much higher for businesses these days, employees remain vulnerable.

"We just live in a more hypercompetitive arena. There's not as much tolerance for subpar work." He believes the onus is on employees to ensure they are doing a good job, and also to watch out for their own career.

Pam Lassiter, a consultant who works in Boston with senior-level employees, advises job seekers to determine what benefit they'll bring to a company, and what problems they'll help the company solve. She believes layoffs are an inevitable part of the business landscape. "People aren't shocked any longer. Good career managers never anticipate stability."

After 22 years with Polaroid, Carl Lueders opted for a job with more flexibility so he could spend more time with his family. He has worked for three smaller firms in Greater Boston since 2001, and acknowledges the change has taken some getting used to.

"I'm definitely not used to moving around so much," said Lueders, chief financial officer of PRO-Pharmaceuticals in Newton. "It's a little uncomfortable."

Others are more used to it. K.C. Ashok, an Essex client who works in private equity, said his field expects employees to change jobs every few years to gain more exposure. He has relied on his personal network to find nearly all of the jobs he's held.

Dana Aaron, who runs Barn-raising.org, a job search organization in Wayland, also recognizes the importance of reaching out to friends and acquaintances. His program revolves around small groups of people who help one another find resources in their job searches. While Barn-raising.org has catered primarily to the unemployed, Aaron hopes to begin opening it to people with jobs who want to build their networks. "It's a lifelong process."