And this is where most people fail to manage their overall career trajectory well.

No one likes to hear this, but you should always be looking for your next job. It shouldn’t be something you scramble to start when you’re fired, laid off, or think you might be.

This doesn’t mean that you’re interviewing with dozens of companies a month. It doesn’t have to be at the same intensity level as a full-time job search.

Dial it down when things are going well at work and you’re being consistently promoted. Dial it up when it feels like your career growth is slowing down at that company.

But, you should be engaging in all the activities that keep you fresh and present in the market. Networking, writing articles, contributing to podcasts, presenting at conferences, participating on panels, being professionally active on LinkedIn and social media, attending industry events, etc.

Do this consistently and opportunities will find you, which is 10x better than cold calling and begging for job interviews later after you’ve been fired or laid off.