Diversify your skill portfolio, not just your stock portfolio

If the pink slip arrived tomorrow, what would you do? If you paused before answering, you need a better Plan B. Don't think of your job narrowly in terms of what you do for your current employer but as a collection of skills that you could put to work in many situations. The goal is to build a set of transferable skills that will keep you from being tied to a specific occupation or industry (especially in this downsize-crazy era). Stockpiling skills is an ongoing process but one that is just as important as mastering the job you are now in (see Recession-proof your job).