Job Security Is Dead — Build Career Security Instead
After the 2026 cuts at Amazon, Meta, and Oracle, most tech leaders are still clinging to the old idea of job security. Here is the mindset that actually protects you — plus a simple way to measure where you stand right now.
Job security is dead. If 2026 has not made that obvious, I don’t know what will.
But most tech leaders are still clinging to it instead of building the thing that actually protects them.
Career security.
I first came across this concept from Logan Currie, and it changed how I think about career strategy entirely.
Job security vs. career security
Job security is the old model: stay loyal, perform well, and keep your head down. Hope the company keeps you around.
We’ve all seen how that has played out in 2026. Amazon, Meta, Oracle. Directors, VPs, and senior leaders with 15 to 20 years of experience getting cut from companies they gave everything to.
Career security is a completely different mindset. It means building a network, a reputation, and real relationships that protect you regardless of what any single company decides to do with your role.
A simple way to measure where you stand
Do you have 5 genuine relationships at 5 different companies that hire for roles aligned with where you want your career to be now and 5 years from now?
Not LinkedIn connections. Real relationships. People who would take your call tomorrow.
If the answer is no, that’s not a failure. It’s a signal.
The good news
This is probably something you’ve been wanting to do anyway. Now you have a reason to bump it up the priority list.
- → Reconnect with former colleagues — with a genuine interest in what they’re working on.
- → Strengthen relationships that have gone quiet. A simple “I’ve been thinking about you, how are things going?” goes further than most people realize.
- → Make new connections by participating in communities relevant to your field. Give props to people whose work you admire. Ask how you can help before you ever need anything.
- → Build the kind of reputation where people think of you when a role opens up — not because you asked them to, but because you stayed visible and generous.
You build this before you need it
Career security is not something you build after a layoff. It’s something you build so that if one happens, you already have options.
The leaders who land in weeks instead of months almost always have this foundation in place long before they need it.
P.S. Leaders who wait until they’re on the market to start building relationships end up competing against people who have been doing it for years. By the time you need your network, it’s too late to build one. The best time to start was a year ago. The second-best time is this week. Contact me or book a discovery call if you’re ready to build that career security.
