Career Cushioning
what it means
Not job hunting exactly. Cushioning is insurance: staying visible to recruiters and interview-ready in case your current role becomes unstable.
Quietly preparing a backup — updating your CV, taking calls, keeping options warm — while still employed.
the origin story
Named around 2022-2023 during widespread tech layoffs, borrowing the "cushioning" concept from dating vocabulary.
It emerged directly from a period of high-profile layoffs, when the assumption of job security broke down. The dating metaphor is deliberate — the behaviour is structurally identical to keeping a backup romantic option warm.
in the wild
I've started taking recruiter calls again.
Career cushioning. Sensible.
Are you leaving?
No. I just don't want to be caught out again.
how to use it
- Describing quiet backup preparation
- Career and job security conversations
- Discussing layoff-era behaviour
- As an accusation about a colleague's loyalty
- In conversations with your current employer
- As advice without acknowledging the risk of being found out
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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