How To Protect Your Job Against Young Professionals

So how do you defend your job against the young professionals fresh out of college who can do what you do for much less? And how do you prove to your employers that you’re worth keeping? There are several things you can do, Teach says.

Be great at what you do.
Every supervisor wants results and if you give them results and make their job easier, it will be difficult for them to get rid of you, he says.

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“Do your job 110%,” Benton adds. “The 100% is in the specialty required. The 10% is in your positive attitude at work, your treatment with respect towards others, your willingness to help others, your interest in learning other jobs so you better understand your piece of the puzzle and how it fits in, and your example to others of honesty, hard work, and good intent.”

Have a positive attitude.
If everyone around you enjoys working with you, this makes a big difference, Teach says. “If someone else can do your job for less money but you have the people skills advantage, it’s less likely your job will be in jeopardy.”

Become the go-to person for something.
Perhaps you help your co-workers fix their computer problems, even though it’s not your job. You now have added value in your department, he says.
“Doing good work is necessary but not always sufficient,” Benton says. “You also have to make people around you comfortable, help them grow, and set a good example. You can’t afford to become arrogant or lackadaisical. You must continue to add value.” One very good way to do this is to mentor the young up-and-comers, she says.

Remind your supervisor that you really enjoy your job and aren’t after his or hers.
Your supervisor could hire a young upstart who might eventually want the supervisor’s job. With you, that won’t be an issue, Teach explains.

Be a team player.
Remind your boss that even though you have no desire to move up the corporate ladder, you are a team player and will do whatever it takes to make the team look good and succeed. “Very aggressive and ambitious employees will sometimes selfishly focus on their own career paths and what makes them look good, instead of on the team as a whole, and this is something that won’t go over too well with many bosses,” Teach adds.