“A new broom sweeps clean,” goes the old saying. The most likely scenario when your company is sold is that the new owners will sweep you out. In my 39 years in IT, I have been a sweeper and a sweepee, and as a programming consultant, I’ve seen, close-up, the fallout from many mergers and acquisitions.

After nearly four decades observing and reflecting on this problem, I have this advice for potential sweepees: You have no control over the personal agenda of corporate raiders and CEOs, but you do control your skill as a programmer. Are you a powerhouse producer? In your current job, are you working on an advanced application with a fast computer? If not, you should be worried. Working smart now is the only way to be relatively secure in your present job and prepare for the sometimes-terrifying tomorrow.

For me, the fatal words were, “The company is changing direction.” That top- management decision swept me out of IBM after 21 years as a senior systems engineer. And only a fool would be complacent after hearing, “The company is buying back $300 million of stock with operating cash flow” or “The company announces the outsourcing of its entire IT function” or “The company announces the resignation of [any level of IT manager].” And if, during your review, your manager says earnestly, “We like your work but cannot give you a raise or give you more challenging work,” you have plenty of reason for anxiety.

When corporate raids or inept top-management decisions are at work, it matters little how good a programmer you are or think you are. These overwhelming forces will put you on the street, even though the people behind them are sorry to do so.

Ask yourself, “Could I quickly get a good job or even a much better job if I lost my job today?” Start today to make yourself as valuable as you can be, not only to your current employer but also to potential employers. Steal an hour a day to hone your skills, to learn something new that will make you more productive.

A smart way to become more productive is to emulate the techniques, work ethic, demeanor, and professionalism of programming consultants. Programming consultants command two to four times the compensation of company programmers, primarily because they have learned how to make themselves worth it. They show their commitment to success every day as if it were their last day at that client’s office. They have learned how to protect themselves from being swept out, how to prosper, and how to be in demand with

many potential clients. They never depend on uncontrolled events at a single company for their livelihood, and they have acquired the skills in demand now.

A skill currently in demand is expertise in huge, widely installed software packages such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), and customer relationship management (CRM). Make sure you’re working on such current applications and learn as many of the key business functions as possible. It’s crucial that you not be shunted into working on systems that are company-specific and written in house. Outside your company, there is little demand for programmers who work on such applications or have spent years modifying old versions of vendor software and are “experts” in keeping those outdated systems running.

Summarize the major projects you completed in the last year. Critically review this summary and match its value against your total cost to the company for the year. Then, imagine a new manager or prospective employer doing the same analysis of your accomplishments. You may be unpleasantly shocked.

If you tune your career as well as you tune your company’s code, then, when and if the day comes that your company is sold and turmoil hits the MIS department, either you will be one they keep or you will be free to get a better job somewhere else. Either way, you win.