So, let’s say that you’ve finally won the game. You got the job, are making a decent wage, happen to be in an office populated by swell people, and enjoy what you’re doing. No reason to keep searching for a job, right?
Wrong.
Besides the possibility of being let go for reasons unrelated to your performance (company finances, restructuring from a merger, etc.), you should still be updating your resume and applying for positions with potential employers.
Besides gauging your selling temperature with other employers, it allows you to find out more about the quality of your resume, how interested different businesses would be in you, and what to be aware of in case you need to look for a job again. Also, the pressure of searching for a new job is lessened, so you can apply for some positions in a broader range of fields out of interest rather than necessity.
While it’s a good idea to keep your continued job search under wraps (and I’m advocating sending out only a few applications per month), it’s vital that you at least keep your application materials up to date. After all, you’ve won the game, but a whole new game begins when you start working.
