Media

Layoff Rumors? Get Ready To Get Busy

Managing Your Career
By Joann Lublin

During a recent commuter-ferry ride, I overheard a pair of investment bankers swap strategies for weathering rumored job cuts at their employer.

"I'm hanging garlic over my office door," one banker joked.

Hanging a smelly talisman is only slightly less useful than confronting your boss about rumors that your name is on a layoff list. If the scuttlebutt proves false, you risk appearing insecure. If it's true, you may hasten your exit.

There are better ways to handle workplace gossip about a potential pink slip. The best approach: Be prepared.

Auto makers, brokerages, retailers, airlines, home builders, newspapers and countless other ailing industries are slashing staff. Your job could disappear tomorrow. "If the rumors are swirling, you should spend a minimum of two hours a day getting ready for your next career move," recommends Dee Soder, managing partner of CEO Perspective Group, an executive-advisory firm in New York.

>> Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal website