I heard an interesting take regarding job security recently that’s worth a closer look:

The only job security you have are the skills you bring to the marketplace.

We all know there’s really no such thing as job security in the traditional sense (at least in the private sector). There are no guarantees when it comes to employment.

Adjust your thinking, though, and try looking at “job security” as something that’s in your hands…not the hands of your employer. It’s obvious that your skills (your marketability) are your most bankable asset. Paying attention to your marketability throughout your career is crucial.

Of course, a top notch skill set doesn’t ensure that you’ll hang on to your job with your current employer. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll never be downsized, or that your company won’t go belly up.

If you’ve kept yourself as marketable as you possibly can be, though, it will give you a professional advantage. That is your job security. It means the odds will be increased in your favor.

Why?

Far too many people don’t pay enough attention to marketability. They may give it lip service – and they may think they’re marketable. But if a person gets complacent and don’t stay on top of his personal “brand,” he’s probably not as marketable as he thinks he might be.

That’s a mistake.

You need to continually measure your effectiveness; analyze your key competencies; assess those areas in which you have gaps in your knowledge and/or experience; develop and refine your unique selling proposition.

What have you done lately to step out of your comfort zone? Would you describe yourself as a lifelong learner? How marketable are you?

One key adjunct to the whole idea of “marketability” is the fact that you must learn to be your own advocate on the job. Your skill set isn’t worth a lot if you’re an invisible employee. If senior management doesn’t know you exist, your skill set isn’t very bankable. An important component of marketability is making sure your accomplishments are known.

Start thinking about job security in terms of something you provide for yourself. Step one: make sure you’re as marketable as you possibly can be.

If you are not approved the first time that you apply for SSDI or Social Security Disability Insurance, then there is a social security disability appeal process that you are going to want to become acquainted with. If you were denied for your disability claim, then you are given a period of not more than sixty days to appeal the decision with the Social Security Administration. There are four different opportunities available to you for appeal, and they go in the following order:

The first step is the reconsideration. The second step is a hearing in the presence of a judge. The third step is a review by the appeals council. The fourth step is a review by the federal court.

If you have been denied for the benefits that you deserve in the past, then you are encouraged to find out more about the social security disability appeal process. You need to submit your request for an appeal within sixty days following the receipt of your denial letter from the Social Security Administration.

Reconsideration – The first step in most areas is the request for reconsideration. In this appeal, someone that was not originally a part of the decision is going to review your case and make a new decision. All of the original evidence and any new information that you have will be provided to them. If your case is reconsidered and still denied, then the next step is to request a hearing in front of an ALJ or Administrative Law Judge.

Hearing – The second step is to go before an Administrative Law Judge for a hearing. He or she will not have any previous knowledge of the claim that you are making. Before you go before the judge, you are going to want to make sure that you are prepared with all of the right evidence and paperwork. After your hearing has been completed, a decision will be made by the judge based on a combination of the initial evidence and any new evidence that you have provided to the court.

Appeals Council – Should you disagree with whatever decision is made by the judge, the next step in the claim process is to approach the appeals council for the Social Security Administration. The council will look at all review requests and can reject any review that they feel was properly determined. If the council does decide that they would like to review your case, they will make a decision themselves or appoint a new ALJ.

Federal Court – If the decision that the appeals council made was not the decision that you were hoping for, or if the appeals council refused to hear your case, then the final step in the process is to file a lawsuit by contacting a federal district court. This is the final stop in the process, and you must make sure that you have all of the necessary evidence and information to plead your case, otherwise there are no further chances in the process.