August 22, 2025 • 17 mins
Join Manya Shukla’s show to learn about latest trends on HR and on Personal growth
This show is titled
‘Career Cushioning”
Sources:
https://resources.workable.com/hr-terms/career-cushioning
https://www.betterup.com/blog/career-cushioning
https://www.morganmckinley.com/article/importance-career-cushioning-in-todays-job-market
Radio.NewHeightsEducation.org
Info@NewHeightsEducation.org
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/new-heights-show-on-education--4114185/support.
This show is titled
‘Career Cushioning”
Sources:
https://resources.workable.com/hr-terms/career-cushioning
https://www.betterup.com/blog/career-cushioning
https://www.morganmckinley.com/article/importance-career-cushioning-in-todays-job-market
Radio.NewHeightsEducation.org
Info@NewHeightsEducation.org
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/new-heights-show-on-education--4114185/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Good evening everyone, Welcome to the New Heights Show on Education.
My name is Mania Shutla and you are with me
on the another episode of Embowering HR within the Workforce.
You go to podcast for the ever evolving of HR.
This podcast is the way of sharing insights on building
(01:03):
a more effective and efficient workforce while also focusing on
your personal growth. If you tune into our previous episode,
thank you so much for your support. We talked about
performance management. If you missed it, be sure to check
it out. My dear listeners. Since the pandemic, we have
(01:29):
been hearing a word quite often which is layoff, or
in corporate language, it's sometimes soften and like as like
it is called it like downsizing or restructuring. And this
could be for many reasons. It could be like many
(01:49):
reasons behind it. It could be economic slowdown, automation, mergers,
or even shifting business priorities. But let's accept it. During
these uncertain times, employees are becoming more cautious. They are
exploring ways to safeguard themselves from the adverse effect of
(02:12):
a sudden job loss. And that's bring us to today's
discussion on a trendy HR concept which is called as
career cushioning. So let's understand what is career cushioning. According
to workable dot Com, career cushioning refers to the practice
(02:35):
of employees taking proactive steps to secure their professional future,
often in response to economics, uncertainty or a desire for
greater career mobility. This can involve activities like networking, upskilling,
building a personal brand, or exploring alternative job opportunities, all
(02:59):
while employed in the current job role. It's just like
maintaining a maintaining a plan in case uh, in case
uh your employee, your employer just tells you that all right, uh,
you are like you are laid off. So this is
(03:24):
what what? What is all about the career questioning?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And let's see how we can start taking steps for
career questioning. So number one, keep your skills up to date.
No matter what are the circumstances, you should keep your
skills up to date to move forward in your career.
It can be upskilling, cross skilling, or reskilling. Now what
(03:54):
is upskilling means? So upskilling is learning something new. It
can be any new technology. It can be any new
process which which just helps you to keep keeping the pace. Uh.
With the environment. The second is reskilling. Reskilling is learning
(04:14):
something something different to switch career or or you are
learning something to UH like for a new job role.
The third one is cross skills.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So cross the.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Skills is UH learning skills that are relatable to your role. UH,
but that skill doesn't come as a main skill in
your In your role, for example, UH being an HR professional,
you're also learning things about payroll. The second step is
(04:56):
marking your presence. So no matter what, you should always
give your hundred person to all your tasks and projects,
no matter how big or small, or how relevant they are.
If you're involved, you should give your hundred percent. This
will not only just give you a sense of satisfaction,
(05:18):
but it could also work as a positive reference if
anyone checked about your background. Marking your presence also means
here to try or to help someone at something which
is out of your responsibility. In this manner, you may
(05:38):
get a chance, or you are just creating an opportunity
for a good networking. The third one is keeping up
to date with the emerging trends. Again, be aware of
all the trends and all the things that are happening
around you. For example, nowadays there is a lot of
(06:01):
use of artificial intelligence, so know about it, know about
all the tools, all the like all AI tools, and
know about how AI actually works, and just just be
with the pace, don't lag behind. The fourth is say
(06:22):
yes to the say yes to additional income. So it
is well understood that having an additional job not only
gives you an additional income, but it also gives you
the motivation and it also gives you the practical knowledge
and skills of that job. That means you are you
(06:42):
are learning something. There is some some kind of improvement
is happening with your additional job. So whenever you get
in a potuity and you think that you are mentally
fit or you have enough time observing your surrounding, you
should take up that job as a as a additional
(07:05):
income job or which can give you, which can give
you more motivation. And again it will give you an
opportunity to learn more and it will also give you
an apportunity to enhance or uh to expand your network
as well. The fifth one I have here is keep
(07:25):
your resume up to date. Your CV should be up
to date, and that and don't forget to add all
these skills and experience that you have learned so far
on your LinkedIn page. Keep sharing useful useful insights, keep
refreshing your profile, keep participating in the discussion, and keep
(07:50):
expanding your network. So again, just to reiteriate for the
for the career cushioning, there are five steps that you
can take. Number one is keep your skills up to date.
Number two is marking your presence. That means just just
give you one hundred percent and people should know you
(08:12):
by your work even if the even if they are
out of your department. Number three is keeping up to
date on on emerging trends. The fourth is you should
always say like okay for the additional income. And the
fifth one is keep your resume up to date. So
these are the five steps. There are like there are more,
(08:34):
but I but in my point of view, these five
steps will definitely help you uh to gain gain more
insight on on on different opportunity that you are seeking.
So before we move forward, let's take a quick break
and we will be back soon.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Are you enjoying the New Heights show on education? If
you love our show, please consider liking and following us
on your favorite podcast player. To learn more, visit radio
dot New Heights Education dot org or email us at
info at New Heights Education dot org. Listen in on
Wednesdays for Education in the News with hosts Pamela Clark
(09:25):
at six pm and Fridays for our Empowering HR in
the Workforce with host Manya Shukla at seven pm. And
don't forget to check out our organization's website for the
latest updates on courses, reading programs, comic books, magazines, informational
services and happenings, or even to learn how you can
(09:48):
become a volunteer. Consider donating to our calls at www
dot New Heights education dot org.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Welcome back listeners.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So before the break we were we discussed about about
what are the steps that you can take to start
a career cushion For career cushioning, the next segment for
this podcast is what are the pros and cons of
career cushioning. So, according to better dot com, the pros
(10:23):
are enables UH. Career cushing enables a quicker transition to
a new job if you lose your current one.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
UH.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
It provides additional income to supplement your salary. It encourages
networking with others in your industry, and it keeps your
skills set current by getting additional training. So these are
I mean, these are the pros with that are pretty understandable.
(10:54):
That yes, it creates a quick transition, it provides additional
in come. Networking expansion is there. And with this career coach,
because of career cushioning, because you wanted to always be prepared,
you will, you will keep your skill sets.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Updated.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
But there are some cons also which is which are
that it may distract you from your current role and responsibility,
and it could be a problem if your employer finds out,
and it may present a conflict of interest between freelance
and full time work. And it adds additional stress thanks
(11:39):
to job hunting or overwork. So again in one of
my points which I mentioned previous, that previously that you
should always just keep in mind that whenever you are prepared,
only then say yes to any additional income. When you
think that you can mentally do that, then it's good. Wise,
(12:00):
you will feel emotionally not emotional, but you you will
feel burnt out, you will feel that it's ah, you
will feel tiring.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
So these are the cons and.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Again, uh, coming to the last segment, of this of
this episode, U, we can we can discuss like, UH,
with all this career cushioning where the employee is doing
so much, UH, what what.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Employers can do for their employees.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
So according to workable dot com, UH, the first thing
that an employer can do is to foster and open
communication UH. Create an employee where create an environment where
employee feel comfortable discussing career growth and concerns. Regular feedback
can provide valuable insights into employee intimates and identify the
(13:01):
potential risks. The second one is invest in employee development,
so prioritize upskilling and reskilling initiative to equb employees with
the skills needed to thrive their evolving roles. Providing learning
apportunately demonstrate a commitment to employee growth, which this can
(13:24):
also create a good environment for employees. And as I
always said in my previous podcast also that when an
employee sees that there is an opportunity to learn, there
is an apportunity to grow, they they tend to stay
in that organization mode. The third one is create a roadmap.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
For their careers.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
So establish a clear pathway for career progression within the organization.
Let them know that today you are working as an assistant,
but see this, this is the thing, and after five
years you can be here. Or if you are interested
(14:06):
in other activities, or if you are interested in gaining
other skills, then that you are most welcome too. So
just encourage employees to explore different roles and departments and
to foster the culture of talent development. The fourth one
I have here is review compensation and benefits. Benefits is
(14:31):
the very crucial part of the compensation package, and regularly
an employee should employer should regularly benchmark compensation and benefit
packages to ensure they remain competitive within the industry. Consider
offering a range of attractors in your total reward package,
(14:52):
including clear career paths, flexible arrangement and well being programs
to enhance employee satisfaction. The fifth one is build a
strong brand. And a strong brand could be built by
positive work culture that emphasizes value, purpose and employer recognition.
Promote your employer brand through various channels to attract and
(15:16):
retain top talent. So at last, I just wanted to
say that just understand that this career cushioning isn't about
being disloyal to your employer, it's about lawyer about it's
about loyal to your future, whether that means networking more,
(15:42):
learning a new skill, or building a safety net. So
this in these times of uncertainty, the only thing that
you have to keep in mind is to be prepared
for everything. So that's all for today's podcast, today's EPI,
So thank you so much for tuning in. I hope
(16:02):
today's episode will like gave you some insights and it
also helped you in some manner in your career path.
I hope that you really enjoyed listening to this episode, and.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Thank you so much for your support. Have a great weekend.
Thank you
Good evening everyone, Welcome to the New Heights Show on Education.
My name is Mania Shutla and you are with me
on the another episode of Embowering HR within the Workforce.
You go to podcast for the ever evolving of HR.
This podcast is the way of sharing insights on building
(01:03):
a more effective and efficient workforce while also focusing on
your personal growth. If you tune into our previous episode,
thank you so much for your support. We talked about
performance management. If you missed it, be sure to check
it out. My dear listeners. Since the pandemic, we have
(01:29):
been hearing a word quite often which is layoff, or
in corporate language, it's sometimes soften and like as like
it is called it like downsizing or restructuring. And this
could be for many reasons. It could be like many
(01:49):
reasons behind it. It could be economic slowdown, automation, mergers,
or even shifting business priorities. But let's accept it. During
these uncertain times, employees are becoming more cautious. They are
exploring ways to safeguard themselves from the adverse effect of
(02:12):
a sudden job loss. And that's bring us to today's
discussion on a trendy HR concept which is called as
career cushioning. So let's understand what is career cushioning. According
to workable dot Com, career cushioning refers to the practice
(02:35):
of employees taking proactive steps to secure their professional future,
often in response to economics, uncertainty or a desire for
greater career mobility. This can involve activities like networking, upskilling,
building a personal brand, or exploring alternative job opportunities, all
(02:59):
while employed in the current job role. It's just like
maintaining a maintaining a plan in case uh, in case
uh your employee, your employer just tells you that all right, uh,
you are like you are laid off. So this is
(03:24):
what what? What is all about the career questioning?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And let's see how we can start taking steps for
career questioning. So number one, keep your skills up to date.
No matter what are the circumstances, you should keep your
skills up to date to move forward in your career.
It can be upskilling, cross skilling, or reskilling. Now what
(03:54):
is upskilling means? So upskilling is learning something new. It
can be any new technology. It can be any new
process which which just helps you to keep keeping the pace. Uh.
With the environment. The second is reskilling. Reskilling is learning
(04:14):
something something different to switch career or or you are
learning something to UH like for a new job role.
The third one is cross skills.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So cross the.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Skills is UH learning skills that are relatable to your role. UH,
but that skill doesn't come as a main skill in
your In your role, for example, UH being an HR professional,
you're also learning things about payroll. The second step is
(04:56):
marking your presence. So no matter what, you should always
give your hundred person to all your tasks and projects,
no matter how big or small, or how relevant they are.
If you're involved, you should give your hundred percent. This
will not only just give you a sense of satisfaction,
(05:18):
but it could also work as a positive reference if
anyone checked about your background. Marking your presence also means
here to try or to help someone at something which
is out of your responsibility. In this manner, you may
(05:38):
get a chance, or you are just creating an opportunity
for a good networking. The third one is keeping up
to date with the emerging trends. Again, be aware of
all the trends and all the things that are happening
around you. For example, nowadays there is a lot of
(06:01):
use of artificial intelligence, so know about it, know about
all the tools, all the like all AI tools, and
know about how AI actually works, and just just be
with the pace, don't lag behind. The fourth is say
(06:22):
yes to the say yes to additional income. So it
is well understood that having an additional job not only
gives you an additional income, but it also gives you
the motivation and it also gives you the practical knowledge
and skills of that job. That means you are you
(06:42):
are learning something. There is some some kind of improvement
is happening with your additional job. So whenever you get
in a potuity and you think that you are mentally
fit or you have enough time observing your surrounding, you
should take up that job as a as a additional
(07:05):
income job or which can give you, which can give
you more motivation. And again it will give you an
opportunity to learn more and it will also give you
an apportunity to enhance or uh to expand your network
as well. The fifth one I have here is keep
(07:25):
your resume up to date. Your CV should be up
to date, and that and don't forget to add all
these skills and experience that you have learned so far
on your LinkedIn page. Keep sharing useful useful insights, keep
refreshing your profile, keep participating in the discussion, and keep
(07:50):
expanding your network. So again, just to reiteriate for the
for the career cushioning, there are five steps that you
can take. Number one is keep your skills up to date.
Number two is marking your presence. That means just just
give you one hundred percent and people should know you
(08:12):
by your work even if the even if they are
out of your department. Number three is keeping up to
date on on emerging trends. The fourth is you should
always say like okay for the additional income. And the
fifth one is keep your resume up to date. So
these are the five steps. There are like there are more,
(08:34):
but I but in my point of view, these five
steps will definitely help you uh to gain gain more
insight on on on different opportunity that you are seeking.
So before we move forward, let's take a quick break
and we will be back soon.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Are you enjoying the New Heights show on education? If
you love our show, please consider liking and following us
on your favorite podcast player. To learn more, visit radio
dot New Heights Education dot org or email us at
info at New Heights Education dot org. Listen in on
Wednesdays for Education in the News with hosts Pamela Clark
(09:25):
at six pm and Fridays for our Empowering HR in
the Workforce with host Manya Shukla at seven pm. And
don't forget to check out our organization's website for the
latest updates on courses, reading programs, comic books, magazines, informational
services and happenings, or even to learn how you can
(09:48):
become a volunteer. Consider donating to our calls at www
dot New Heights education dot org.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Welcome back listeners.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So before the break we were we discussed about about
what are the steps that you can take to start
a career cushion For career cushioning, the next segment for
this podcast is what are the pros and cons of
career cushioning. So, according to better dot com, the pros
(10:23):
are enables UH. Career cushing enables a quicker transition to
a new job if you lose your current one.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
UH.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
It provides additional income to supplement your salary. It encourages
networking with others in your industry, and it keeps your
skills set current by getting additional training. So these are
I mean, these are the pros with that are pretty understandable.
(10:54):
That yes, it creates a quick transition, it provides additional
in come. Networking expansion is there. And with this career coach,
because of career cushioning, because you wanted to always be prepared,
you will, you will keep your skill sets.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Updated.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
But there are some cons also which is which are
that it may distract you from your current role and responsibility,
and it could be a problem if your employer finds out,
and it may present a conflict of interest between freelance
and full time work. And it adds additional stress thanks
(11:39):
to job hunting or overwork. So again in one of
my points which I mentioned previous, that previously that you
should always just keep in mind that whenever you are prepared,
only then say yes to any additional income. When you
think that you can mentally do that, then it's good. Wise,
(12:00):
you will feel emotionally not emotional, but you you will
feel burnt out, you will feel that it's ah, you
will feel tiring.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
So these are the cons and.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Again, uh, coming to the last segment, of this of
this episode, U, we can we can discuss like, UH,
with all this career cushioning where the employee is doing
so much, UH, what what.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Employers can do for their employees.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
So according to workable dot com, UH, the first thing
that an employer can do is to foster and open
communication UH. Create an employee where create an environment where
employee feel comfortable discussing career growth and concerns. Regular feedback
can provide valuable insights into employee intimates and identify the
(13:01):
potential risks. The second one is invest in employee development,
so prioritize upskilling and reskilling initiative to equb employees with
the skills needed to thrive their evolving roles. Providing learning
apportunately demonstrate a commitment to employee growth, which this can
(13:24):
also create a good environment for employees. And as I
always said in my previous podcast also that when an
employee sees that there is an opportunity to learn, there
is an apportunity to grow, they they tend to stay
in that organization mode. The third one is create a roadmap.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
For their careers.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
So establish a clear pathway for career progression within the organization.
Let them know that today you are working as an assistant,
but see this, this is the thing, and after five
years you can be here. Or if you are interested
(14:06):
in other activities, or if you are interested in gaining
other skills, then that you are most welcome too. So
just encourage employees to explore different roles and departments and
to foster the culture of talent development. The fourth one
I have here is review compensation and benefits. Benefits is
(14:31):
the very crucial part of the compensation package, and regularly
an employee should employer should regularly benchmark compensation and benefit
packages to ensure they remain competitive within the industry. Consider
offering a range of attractors in your total reward package,
(14:52):
including clear career paths, flexible arrangement and well being programs
to enhance employee satisfaction. The fifth one is build a
strong brand. And a strong brand could be built by
positive work culture that emphasizes value, purpose and employer recognition.
Promote your employer brand through various channels to attract and
(15:16):
retain top talent. So at last, I just wanted to
say that just understand that this career cushioning isn't about
being disloyal to your employer, it's about lawyer about it's
about loyal to your future, whether that means networking more,
(15:42):
learning a new skill, or building a safety net. So
this in these times of uncertainty, the only thing that
you have to keep in mind is to be prepared
for everything. So that's all for today's podcast, today's EPI,
So thank you so much for tuning in. I hope
(16:02):
today's episode will like gave you some insights and it
also helped you in some manner in your career path.
I hope that you really enjoyed listening to this episode, and.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Thank you so much for your support. Have a great weekend.
Thank you
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