Employment Research Institute's Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar discussed why you need to be relevant to your employer.

We get comfortable with one specific type of job and believe we should always continue to do it. However, the sun does not shine on any specific type of job forever. You need to understand what your basic business is. Far too many companies and individuals fail to understand this, and end up going out of business.

In your career, it is essential you realize what business you are in. You should not be blinded by the specifics of what you do and, instead, should understand the generality of what your specific profession is. This is the way to stay employed.

You need to understand your market and you also need to know where and how to market yourself. Harrison believes that when you understand your market, you have the ability to provide your customers with products and services that meet their needs. You need to be relevant and understand the skill that you are offering.

It’s easy to be relevant when you understand what you are doing and what purpose you serve. Being relevant is much more than just getting a job; being relevant also relates to serving your employers with the skills they need. You are a product, and your job is to give your audience exactly what it wants. This is the way to get, and keep a job.