Screw Job Stability. here are 4 Steps to create career resiliency in case you ever lose your job.

Job cuts have quadrupled in the last year alone, leaving many workers wondering if they might be next on the chopping block at work.

The reality is that any of us could lose our jobs any day of the week. The minute a company decides it’s better for business to drop employees, they won’t hesitate to start handing out pink slips.

I learned this painful but useful lesson in 2010, just after I took a new job in New York City and was unceremoniously discarded in a sweeping mass layoff just three months later. Desperate for income and struggling to compete with millions of other unemployed jobseekers, I took the first job offer I received and spent the next decade of my career plotting to never be caught off guard by a layoff ever again.

I stopped seeking job stability and instead focused on building professional and financial resiliency.

Here are 4 ways you can do the same:

1. Invest in your professional brand. More than two-thirds of job openings are never even posted online for the public to see — let that sink in! In order to ensure you’re being sought out by recruiters and hiring managers for new roles, create a strong reputation in your field as a subject matter expert.

   • Create a LinkedIn profile that amplifies your work in your field and use it to connect with and remain connected to colleagues new and old. The key is to be easy to find when opportunities come up, and if you don’t have an active LinkedIn profile, you’re making it that much harder for folks to find you.

   • Seek out opportunities at work to create new projects or initiatives that you “own” and focus on creating excellent work product. Your colleagues today could be your hiring manager tomorrow. You want to leave a great impression.

   • Explore opportunities to join conference panels or speaking engagements, even if it’s intimidating. Focus on opportunities that will get you in front of a crowd of people in your industry who could potentially connect you with future opportunities.

   • Shine a light on your colleagues’ and peers’ work as well. When folks have a pleasant experience working with you, they’re much more likely to refer you to opportunities own the line.

   • Host a training at work in an area you’re passionate about. Others might learn from your skills and you also will gain a reputation as someone with strong capabilities in their field.

2. Build healthy professional relationships.

   • Virtual connections matter, too. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed by massive networking events or trying to book lunch dates with everyone you’ve ever worked with or wanted to work with. Sometimes all you need to do is connect on LinkedIn and engage with other folks’ content to keep yourself on their radar. The point is to find consistent ways to remind your peers that you exist and you are still engaged in your field, so they will keep you top of mind when new opportunities arise.

   • Take job interviews even if you’re not 100% interested. Not only can you save that recruiter’s email address in case you need help in the future finding a gig, but you will also keep your interview skills sharp.

3. Never stop learning.

   • Complacency can kill your career. Don’t get set in your ways and forget to stay on top of growing trends in your industry. For example, although I studied print journalism in college, I quickly realized I needed to learn new skills in video, podcasting and social media if I wanted to stand out in the job pool in New York. I found ways to advance my skills through my 9-5 but your job may also offer a budget for you to take one-off courses, trainings, attend conferences, etc.

4. Make smart money moves.

   • Personal finance fundamentals are essential to building a more resilient career. If you are let go or choose to leave your job, a financial safety net can be the difference between rapidly accepting a lackluster opportunity or being able to bide your time to carefully consider your options.

   • Save 3-6 months’ worth of expenses in an emergency fund. Double that if you are the breadwinner with a family to support.

   • Keep lifestyle inflation at bay. When you earn more in your career, be conscious of how your expenses can creep up at the same time. Housing is easily the most expensive line item in budgets, and if you upgrade to the bigger and better rental or a larger home each time you get a big pay boost, you won’t really give yourself an opportunity to enjoy the extra cushion in your budget. It helps to make long-term financial goals that you truly value so that when you say no to certain expenses, you never forget what you’re saying “yes” to in the process.

   • Invest early and often. Automate your 401(k), IRA, etc. contributions early at a set percentage (5-10% is a great starting place but anything is better than nothing!) and never stop setting aside a portion of your paycheck for long-term goals. As you earn more, you’ll always be investing more if you never touch your automatic withdrawal settings.