A reminder to be prepared, professionally

The future is uncertain, and it always pays to be prepared. The same way you remember to check the windshield washer fluid before a long road trip or print out directions in case you lose service, you can apply the same preparedness to your professional life. If you should suddenly lose access to your corporate accounts (online logins, or company-issued computer or cell phone), do you have the pertinent information saved in order to move on to the next phase of your professional career? You could be laid off with little or no notice or drop your laptop in a water puddle. Either way, it’s good practice—even if you’ve been somewhere a long time—to ask yourself if you have recent copies of important, nonconfidential information stored someplace where you control access.Contact information. Your professional network is one of the most valuable things you have. You should always have current, personal (not just professional) contact information for your most important colleagues—especially those who may serve as a reference or source of job leads. Think carefully about external systems that might be connected to your work email (for example, LinkedIn) and consider switching them to a personal email address. Recovering control of an account when you no longer have access to its associated email can be a long and frustrating, if not impossible, process.Job aids. Are there any checklists, spreadsheets, timelines, or other job aids that you have created? Do you have any reference material or best practices documents to which you