Don't think it couldn't happen to you. Despite the strong economy and competitive labor market, every day, good employees lose their jobs and immediately are escorted off the property with barely enough time to scoop the memorabilia off of their desks. It sounds nastier than a popped blister, but people who run companies see immediate removal from the property as a reasonable tactic to protect intellectual property, computer networks, and the working environment from being corrupted by a disgruntled employee.
Even the most seemingly secure - from the big corner office to the tiniest cubicle - can be at risk of sudden job loss due to change in corporate strategy, petty office politics, a strained relationship with one's boss, a sudden merger or acquisition, a slowing economy, or a host of other factors. Accordingly, it pays to periodically update your personal files in the event of a sudden job loss.
First, don't keep all your professional data, contact information, and email archives exclusively on a company-owned computer. As a minimum, email address books, essential networking and schedule information, contact lists, commendatory correspondence, company directories, and other details of your professional life should be periodically backed-up on portable memory or a personal computer. Details of your proudest achievements needed to refresh your résumé and intensify the networking process leading to your next job are especially important, including revenue increased, costs reduced, subordinates nurtured, teams led, and problems solved. All of this data should be archived on a device under your control.
Equally important, don't be lulled into complacency thinking the worst could never happen by overestimating your value to the organization. Take small steps every week to enlarge your professional network, strengthen your résumé, and reconnect with mentors by attending conferences, joining trade groups, publishing professional articles, keeping in touch with former bosses, and seeking expanded responsibilities at work. In short, be ready to execute a job search before you're executed.
