Are you at risk?

Are you a potential candidate for retrenchment?

The answer is yes if you are holding a job. No matter how hard working, how energetic, how intelligent you are, you will not be spared in times of company downsizing or restructuring. Your best defense is to be aware of your surroundings. And I have some tips as to how to recognize that you might be the next victim in line.

1. You realized that you have not been invited to meetings lately.

2. Your job responsibilities have been reduced.

3. When there's news coverage on poor financial performances, major restructuring, or rumors of a pending sale of the company.

4. When there is a major budget cut exercise.

5. When there is a new management team coming in.

So, do watch for these symptoms and prepare yourself in case anything happens. Keep a lookout for new jobs in the newspaper classifieds or ask around your network of friends for new job opportunities. Have you updated your resume? If not, it's high time you start to do so. No matter what happens, keep yourself vigilant. Remember, it's not the end of the world yet.