Computerworld — Answering questions about surviving the economic downturn, returning to school and pitching in on electronic health records is Mark Burnette, CPA, CISA, CISSP, CISM, ITIL V3 Foundations, CGEIT, who has led two award-winning IT organizations and consulted with companies across the world. He is a recognized expert in leadership, IT process, compliance, security and cost management, and was named one of the Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2009. He can be reached at mark@markburnette.com. If you have a question you'd like to pose to one of our Premier 100 IT Leaders, send it to askaleader@computerworld.com and watch for this column each month.

My company hasn't laid off anyone from IT yet in this stagnant economy, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Any advice on how to avoid the ax when it comes down?

Mark Burnette: First, don't run around afraid you're going to lose your job. It will affect your mind-set, which in turn will subconsciously affect how you perform and how you interact with your co-workers. Plus, it's no fun to go to work in a negative state of mind all the time. Second, focus on results. No matter how much you're paid, if you consistently meet or exceed your boss's expectations, it will be very difficult to put your name on the pink slip when decision time comes. If you're not sure of your status in your boss's eyes, seek constructive feedback and act immediately on any improvement suggestions. Be reliable, and communicate consistently and effectively with your co-workers. And last, being a trusted subject matter expert (SME) on a particularly important technology solution for your company will make it difficult to cut you loose as well. But don't fall into the trap of trying to "hoard" information so that you'll be the only SME in that area. Your boss will notice and may assume you're not a team player. While doing all of this, you should also get your ducks in a row in case you do lose your job. Update your résumé (after hours) to reflect all of your current experience, gather any performance reviews, job descriptions, etc., that may be helpful if you have to look for another job. Many employers are using LinkedIn as a reference tool when considering prospective employees, so update your LinkedIn profile, and consider asking some co-workers to "endorse" you there. Build your professional network by attending trade association or professional organization events and meeting people. In the business world, landing that next job is often more about who you know rather than simply what you know.

Continue Reading